When Finian's Rainbow was beaten in the Arkle yesterday after looking all over the winner I had bad vibes for the meeting but Hurricane Fly made up for that reverse and then some. An excellent days racing with a winner thrown in - it really doesn't get much better than that.
Onto today and I have bets in three of the races, all of them ante-post. In the RSA chase I have Mikael D'Haguenet, who I first backed for the race way back in early December. He was a top draw novice hurdler a couple of years back and I fully expected him to make the grade as a chaser as well. Unforunately things haven't panned out this year. He travelled like an absolute beast on his first run of the season in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse in December and his fall at the last was most unfortunate. It was a weird one in that his front legs seemed to get tangled up upon landing. He would have pissed the race if standing up and the form of it has worked out really well. The trainer messed up running him just a fortnight later over shorter and he bounced big time.
I liked his last run in the Moriarty at Leopardstown. He travelled OK once again and was hampered really badly when his stable companion fell at the fourth last. Just imagine that you're running in a race on heavy, rain softened ground and you're tonking along nicely under a steady rhythm when suddenly you're almost brought to a standstill by an unexpected event happening in front of you. The effort involved with having to get back into that rhythm and back on terms with the leaders who have pulled away from you must take it's tole at the business end of a race. For that reason I am hopeful MDH can give Time for Rupert something to think about. He's the only animal in the race who has the class, if back to his best, to give the favourite a race. The vibes coming out of the yard are not good though and my original stake has been trimmed slightly as he shortened a tad when Ruby Walsh was confirmed as his rider.
The Queen Mother had an excellent betting shape in the Autumn when they had Big Zeb (a very average winner of the race in 2010) at 3/1 and Master Minded (an excellent winner in 2008 and 2009) at 11/2. That gap for me was wrong and although the latter had it all to prove after a disappointing campaign I felt it was too early to write him off. I backed him at that price and have topped up since. He has a favourite's chance today. I also have an each way bet on Sizing Europe at 14/1. Arkle winners have a terrific record in the Champion Chase and he has excellent place claims.
In the Coral Cup Nick Williams (still without a Festival winner after Reve and Maljimar finished 3rd and 4th yesterday) runs For Non Stop. An impressive winner on his seasonal opener at Chepstow, I backed him when he ran into the top class Grand Crus in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham in November. He was beaten six lengths receiving a pound in that race and the form could not have worked out better. Grand Crus has a great chance of beating Big Bucks in the World Hurdle tomorrow and I backed For Non Stop for this race today last month when he was 14/1. A big price that was available because he also had an entry in tomorrow's main event at the time.
RSA Chase:
Mikael D'Haguenet £40w @ 12/1 (fell)
Champion Chase:
Master Minded £75w @ 4/1 (lost)
Sizing Europe £20ew @ 14/1 (won)
Coral Cup:
For Non Stop £35w/£20pl @ 14/1 (fell)
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