It’s going to take a Gold Cup horse to beat Denman
The opening novice hurdle doesn’t look a great race and for some reason, they put an amateur riders’ handicap chase on the programme, but other than that it’s quality.
Denman is looking to make history by lumping top weight to victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup for the third time in four years.
I rode him a couple of times before I got hurt and I think he’s in really good nick.
He’s in a better frame of mind then he has been for a long time. He’s enthusiastic, his schooling has been brilliant. He just seems to be in a really good place at the moment.
I would be a lot happier with him than I would have been last year. I know I’m not riding him but even six weeks ago, I was saying that Denman was back and he was the horse again that won the Gold Cup.
He was doing things he hadn’t done for a couple of years. It’s going to take a Gold Cup horse to beat him.
Neptune Collonges is running after an absence of 624 days so he might just need the run.
Taranis is the one that might do it. He’s had just the one run when he won at Cheltenham. With 10st 4lbs, he has that bit of class that might make 22lbs in hand significant.
Looking at the rest, I could pick holes in them all. I don’t think any of last year’s good novices like Burton Port, Pandorama and Hey Big Spender are good enough to beat Denman and neither are the likes of Weird Al, Carruthers, Big Fella Thanks, Niche Market or Barbers Shop, even getting that sort of pull at the weights.
The more I look at it the more I think Denman will do it. Like I said, the enthusiasm is back and that’s good enough for me.
You have the Champion Hurdle winner making his seasonal debut in the Fighting Fifth and I think the race will be run to suit Binocular.
Peddlers Cross will race handy, AP will be able to track him and I think Binocular will have too much for him after the last.
Big Buck’s runs in what used to be the Long Walk Hurdle. He has always gone well and I don’t know if there’s anything that will go fast enough for him. He’ll win and he mightn’t look impressive doing it but he’ll win. That’s what he does.
Nodforms Paula is in the 1.30pm and he had a long lay-off of 33 months before running in a handicap hurdle in Chepstow just over three weeks ago.
I think he’ll have to improve a bit but Paul fancies him.
Advisor was impressive winning twice last year before his form tailed off. He’s had a wind op but he’s probably best watched in the Gerry Feilden Hurdle. It’s his first run back in what is a competitive race.
Pasco has a lot of weight in the last but he just seems to save all his best runs for Newbury. He loves it around there and can be relied upon to give a good account of himself again.
Tomorrow we have the three Grade 1 races in Fairyhouse and you know it could be a long day for me. I know Willie will be happy to come home with one winner and three sound horses, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins all three.
I don’t think the Royal Bond is the toughest we’ve ever seen and Zaidpour couldn’t have been more impressive in Punchestown two weeks ago.
Willie would love to have three weeks between races but that’s just the way it is. He loves soft ground and I think he’s going to be very hard to beat.
The Drinmore looks a cracking race with Jessie’s Dream, Realt Dubh and Mikael D’Haguenet.
Mikael D’Haguenet is as good a novice hurdler as I ever rode and I watched him work during the week and he was in great order.
He hasn’t run in 576 days but he schooled over fences at Leopardstown and Fairyhouse last year, and at Punchestown this year. He also ran in a chase in France.
It’s a very big ask and if he was in the first three you’d be delighted but even though Jessie’s Dream was very impressive I’m in the Mikael camp and I’m not deserting him now. He’s that good that he can overcome that lay-off
There’s no chink in Hurricane Fly with regard to distance in the Hatton’s Grace.
I won a hurdle on him in France over 2m 3fs when he was a four-year-old so he’ll have no problem going another furlong two years later.
Solwhit has the advantage of a run behind him but Hurricane Fly worked well in Punchestown. There’ll be plenty of pace and it’s a competitive race but I know what Willie thinks of Hurricane Fly.
Lovethehigherlaw is Willie’s first runner for Gigginstown House and he goes in the bumper. He’s by Presenting and he won a point to point last year. He goes really well and he should run a big race.
