Baracouda better than ever, says Doumen
Connections of his two main challengers in the Grade One feature have both described the French raider as “very hard to beat”, and trainer Francois Doumen is not playing down his chances.
Following a successful comeback effort when taking the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury for a second time last month, Baracouda is a 1-2 chance with Ladbrokes to improve his outstanding record in a race he won in 2000, 2001 and 2003.
His only blip came in 2002, and on that occasion his exaggerated hold-up tactics played against him as he went down by a length to the now-retired Deano’s Beeno.
Douen reports his star to be better than ever ahead of the £75,000 contest.
“I would say that he is in better form than last time because he has had his comeback race and has improved from that - I do not think he has ever been as strong as he is now,” the trainer said today.
The nine-year-old has landed 17 of his 22 starts but will be racing for the first time at Windsor, with the race having been transferred there from Ascot, which is currently under redevelopment.
Owner JP McManus’s retained jockey Tony McCoy will again be aboard after guiding him to victory on his seasonal debut.
That was the first time the dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner had been ridden by anyone other than Doumen’s son Thierry, who has been forced to retire through injury.
“The horse will be running on a new racecourse and we do not know if this funny-shaped (figure-of-eight) track will suit him,” Doumen continued.
“But at least now Tony knows the horse after riding him last time and he knows that he is not that simple to ride, given his hold-up style.
“It will develop into a tactical race, which is always a bit of a difficulty, but Tony is good enough.”
Baracouda took the Grade Three Sandown Hurdle in February en route to Prestbury Park last season, and his trainer added: “I will probably keep to the same programme as last year and give him another run before Cheltenham.”
Doumen’s remarkable campaigner faces the Willie Mullins-trained Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner Rule Supreme, who is something of a dark horse in the stayers’ hurdle division despite his high-profile victories.
The eight-year-old has reverted to timber since his Cheltenham triumph and ran out a smart winner of the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil in June.
“He is in good form and arrived at the track yesterday evening,” said the County Carlow-based handler. “He had a long journey over with the weather problems but has eaten up and I am happy with him.”
The gelding was last seen finishing third to the front-running mare Solerina in the two-and-a-half-mile Hatton’s Grace Hurdle last month and Mullins feels today’s extended three-mile-one-furlong trip should be more to his liking.
“I think he should appreciate the step back up in distance as the trip at Fairyhouse last month was just too short,” he said. “It was the only Group One race on this side of the pond, though, so he had a crack at it.
“He has won on all ground, so the ground isn’t really an issue, although he probably handles soft better than most horses.”
Mullins is under no illusion about the task facing Rule Supreme and feels the odds-on favourite will be hard to keep out of the winner’s enclosure.
“Baracouda is going to be very hard to beat, having won 17 times out of 22 runs and coming second the other five times,” he said.
“We might come back over fences later on this season, but he will have only one or two runs over them as hurdling is his preferred sport and the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham is the long-term aim.”
Crystal D’Ainay may have got to within three-quarters of a length of Baracouda at Newbury, but trainer Alan King acknowledges his up-and-coming star has a fight on his hands if he is to reverse the form.
“I think it’s very doubtful that he will reverse the form with Baracouda and I am certainly not confident - he’ll be very hard to beat,” said King.
