Steeplechasing in a very healthy place right now
Last month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, won by Coneygree, shaped as a first-class renewal and all the evidence, since the race was run, tends to confirm that such thinking was more than accurate.
Coneygree made most, producing a terrific display of jumping to beat Djakadam and Road To Riches.
None of the first three have been seen in the meantime, but some of those further back in the field have reappeared.
Silviniaco Conti, for instance, was seventh and he won at Aintree last week, with Holywell, fourth in the Gold Cup, behind in third place.
On His Own, beaten twenty three and a half lengths into fifth at Cheltenham, has since won at Cork.
But, of course, the biggest boost to the Gold Cup form came from Many Clouds, bred in Midleton, Co Cork, by Aidan Aherne, who shrugged of 11-9 to land last Saturday’s Aintree Grand National.
Many Clouds’ connections seemed mystified that he failed to at least get into the first three at Cheltenham, but he was probably simply not good enough, in what now seems to have been a very hot contest.
Coneygreee certainly didn’t take any prisoners and the relentless pace he set throughout ensured there was no hiding place.
An idea as to how fast he went comes from the following Foxhunter Chase, won so impressively by On The Fringe.
I know one is comparing chalk and cheese here, but it is still worth noting that Coneygree ran the three and a quarter miles plus in a time that was 17.3 seconds faster than On The Fringe.
So, we know that Coneygree, Djakadam and Road To Riches - they were covered by three and a half lengths - are seriously good horses.
But, amazingly, they are not regarded as good enough to head the betting for next year’s Gold Cup. No, that honour goes to a pair of Willie Mullins–trained novices in Vautour and Don Poli, both brilliant winners at Cheltenham.
Add to the mix two superb Aintree success stories, Saphir Du Rheu and Don Cossack, and what it means is that steeplechasing right now is in some healthy place.
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Nearly every year, if there is cause for optimism, for as long as I can remember, we express the hope in this column that Dermot Weld will finally win the Epsom Derby.
Weld, like a lot of us, isn’t getting any younger, although the overwhelming evidence is there is no reduction whatsoever in the talent possessed by the man.
At this stage of his career he has nearly done it all, but Epsom glory continues to elude him and there is no justice if he doesn’t set the record straight at some stage.
At Leopardstown last Sunday, Weld produced the hitherto once-raced Zawraq to land the Listed 2000 Guineas Trial and we were up and away again.
This was a really smart performance on the part of the son of Shamardal and there was so much to like about way he quickened away in the straight.
Reading between the lines, you’d imagine the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, back at Leopardstown, will be next.
And that will reveal a lot more than we know now, with Aidan O’Brien’s horses sure to be far fitter and sharper than they are at the moment.
Speaking of Aidan O’Brien, that was some shocking effort by his Epsom Derby favourite John F Kennedy, in Leopardstown’s Ballysax Stakes.
Mind you there were those who were adamant that such a display was entirely possible, on the basis his homework of late had been less than satisfactory!
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If Willie Mullins decides to run his three superb novice chasers, Un De Sceaux, Vautour and Don Poli, at Punchestown how will he break them up?
There are only two suitable novice races for the trio, one at two miles and the other over three miles and a furlong.
Don Poli will surely slot in at the longer distance, but what about the other pair? Well, the two-miler for novices is the logical choice for Un De Sceaux, which leaves Vautour.
Naturally, every National Hunt follower would he delighted if Vautour is asked to take on Don Poli and Mullins indicated this week that it was a possibility.
I’ll believe it when it happens, however, so how about this for a scenario? Perhaps, he will toss Vautour in at the deep end in the Champion Chase. If that decision were made then Vautour would have to take on seasoned campaigners such as Hidden Cyclone, Special Tiara and Twinlight.
He’d be odds-on and wouldn’t you have to think might kick them out of the way with the minimum of fuss as well.
I’ll be mildly surprised should Dermot Weld’s Cheltenham hero, Windsor Park, turn up at Punchestown. If that were the plan then surely he would not have been asked to run, and win, on the flat at Gowran Park last Saturday.
