Alpha Des Obeaux a star of Irish racing waiting to happen
At Fairyhouse last Sunday, he chased home Arctic Fire in the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle and it was yet another cracking effort on the part of the rising six-year-old, without enjoying the ultimate reward.
And that essentially sums up the life thus far of a horse who may yet develop into a star of Irish racing.
Alpha Des Obeaux, successful by 20 lengths in his only point-to-point outing, has run just seven times on the track.
His form figures for the last four outings read-22f2. Three seconds and a fall tell you that here is, arguably, the biggest nearly horse in the country.
A series of runner-up placings can also, admittedly, signal one that is simply not putting it in when the need is greatest.
But that is a long way removed from the truth when it comes to Alpha Des Obeaux. His fall was at Aintree in April, at the last, when trying to match strides with Colin Tizzard’s Thistlecrack.
Now Thistlecrack is two years older than Alpha Des Obeaux and made a terrific reappearance at Newbury last Saturday when landing a Grade 2 by six lengths.
The second in the Hatton’s Grace for our latest hero actually more than enhanced his reputation.
The race-fit Arctic Fire had 22lbs in hand of Alpha Des Obeaux, who was making his seasonal debut. There was little disgrace in being beaten by four lengths.
The other two more recent seconds that Alpha has recorded are also worth more than just a cursory glance.
At Punchestown last January, he was beaten by Douvan and then chased home Nichols Canyon at the Punchestown festival in May.
Morris’ charge has simply been outclassed each time, with the exception of Aintree, and very much has time on his side.
The plan now, apparently, is that he will run over three miles — he is clearly crying out for that trip — at Leopardstown at Christmas.
I must say I would not be overly worried as to what turns up against him in that and chances are he will get the full treatment!
Could Alpha Des Obeaux improve enough to be regarded as a live Cheltenham World Hurdle candidate?
The gut instinct is to answer yes, although we will all obviously be a lot wiser after Leopardstown.
That World Hurdle is a hard race and yesterday bookmakers were happy to go 10-1 the field. Only Paddy Power, at 20-1, currently quote him for that contest.
The absence of quotes, you suspect, are based on the layers’ belief he will be sent chasing sooner rather than latter to what undoubtedly is his true calling.
Indeed, Morris’ charge gets a quote from every bookmaker for the RSA Chase, even though yet to jump a fence in public.
He is, however, owned by Gigginstown, who already have a number of young staying chasers coming through, headed by No More Heroes and Outlander.
I have a feeling that Alpha Des Obeaux may be given another season over flights and landing that World Hurdle might amount to a lot more than fanciful thinking.
And, of course, Mouse trained the winner of the race way back in 1990 when Trapper John scored under Charlie Swan.
Literally everyone, understandably, seems to be raving about Gordon Elliott’s Tombstone, so impressive when winning a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse last Saturday.
There may have been 19 runners, but even someone reading the form-book for the first time would have been able to work out that this was a match between Tombstone and Willie Mullins’ Pylonthepressure.
As it turned out Tombstone toyed with his opponent, quickening in style from the last to score by five lengths.
To all intents and purposes the son of that top stallion, Robin Des Champs, shaped as a Grade 1 performer in the making.
A word of warning, though, let’s just see him do it in a contest which is run at a more honest pace.
That maiden hurdle was divided and Mullins’ Nambour took the far less competitive second division and, logically, on worse ground, in a faster time than it took Tombstone. Food for thought!
It is more than possible, mind you, that Tombstone will be even better granted an end-to-end gallop. That really would be a frightening prospect!
Remember the bad old days in Irish National Hunt racing when wholesale balloting was the norm rather than the exception?
Well, there has been a real hint of more of the same of late. At Fairyhouse last Saturday, for instance, we know the maiden hurdle had to be divided, finally facilitating 39 runners.
Then there was the two-mile maiden hurdle at the cancelled Clonmel meeting on Thursday.
This was set to have 18 runners, but only after a whopping 32 was balloted out. As it transpired they were all deprived of an outing anyway.
There isn’t much National Hunt racing between now and Christmas and if the weather decides to have its evil way, even partially, over that period there will literally be no place to go for plenty of candidates.
