Rembrandt ready to book Cup spot
Still only lightly-raced for an eight-year-old, the Robert Alner-trained gelding remains on the upgrade despite a narrow defeat by Bindaree in the Coral Welsh National last time.
That was a valiant effort under a big weight on ground and over a trip which probably stretched his stamina. An extended three miles and a furlong today will suit much better with the ground promising to ride on the easy side of good.
Sir Rembrandt was the subject of an ante-post plunge for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury but came to grief at the third fence.
That’s the only blot on his record, though, and his victory next time at Chepstow in the John Hughes Rehearsal Chase bore the hallmark of a class animal and one worthy of going on to take his place in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
Dessie Hughes sends Guilt and Hardy Eustace over the Irish Sea and could enjoy a memorable day. The former tackles the Wragge & Co Finesse Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle, while Hardy Eustace returns to the scene of his greatest triumph for the Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle.
Guilt looked a horse of immense potential on his latest outing at Leopardstown when he bolted up by seven lengths.
But that margin could easily have been a lot more such was the manner in which he came home after the last. This is clearly a much stiffer test but he jumps well and is open to any amount of improvement.
Hardy Eustace won a classy renewal of the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle on his last visit to the Cotswolds and a reproduction of that form would make him hard to beat.
He was beaten over three miles plus immediately after that at Aintree but bounced back over two miles on his reappearance at Navan in October.
He met with defeat at the hands of Rosaker in a Grade Two at the same track the following month but, though a surprise at the time, the subsequent efforts of that horse have shown the form in a good light.
His last run saw him trail home last at Leopardstown over Christmas but something must have been amiss that day.
His trainer reports him back to the sort of form which saw him beat Pizarro and Lord Sam here and the extended two and a half miles around here is absolutely perfect.
Northern raider Telemoss remains well weighted after his excellent third in the Tripleprint Gold Cup last month and has to be the pick in the Ladbroke Trophy Handicap Chase.
He jumped really well for a horse with relatively limited experience over fences and is still on a lower mark than that which saw him run with credit against the best over hurdles last season.
