CHELTENHAM: Sit back and enjoy Champion Chase spectacle
He is set to go off at very prohibitive odds, but that is irrelevant, as we get to see a horse that has greatly captured the public’s imagination.
His record over fences is impeccable, played seven and won seven. Barry Geraghty’s charge goes from strength to strength, jumps for fun and seems to have an extraordinary cruising speed.
His latest success came at Cheltenham in January, when he never left second gear to trounce some smart rivals by a street. Anything less than an emphatic victory now will amount to a major shock.
The nap vote falls on the ex-French horse, Willie Mullins’ Pont Alexandre in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle.
He is held in the highest regard by all those closest to the Mullins camp and failure to deliver will surely be the worst blow of the week for the Irish.
The imposing five-year-old was thrown into Grade 1 company at the first time of asking in Ireland and bolted home by 13 lengths.
Then he went to Leopardstown for a Grade 2 and, just as at Navan, made all of the running to score by 11 lengths.
Ruby Walsh has enormous faith in this horse and there is every prospect will try and put the opposition to the sword a long way from home.
The durable Back In Focus is the one to beat in the four-mile John Oaksey National Hunt Chase.
He took a modest event at Listowel and was then less than impressive when coping with Lyreen Legend at Punchestown.
Back In Focus’ latest effort saw him beat Aupcharlie by a head at Leopardstown, after the latter had thrown the race away with a sloppy effort at the final fence.
In any case the three miles then appeared on the short side for the selection and, granted luck in running, so necessary in this race, can show his true colours now that he’s given a severe test of stamina.
