Time for Rupert to step up
Carpincho finished at a respectable distance back in third place, with Pasco fourth. Nothing wildly exciting in that.
Carpincho is the only one of the four runners to have run since and he landed the odds in style when taking an uncompetitive three-runner affair. While it would be wrong to read into the victory as a franking of the Newbury form, it certainly didn’t do any harm to the credibility of the contest.
Getting back to the present, the first three home are all running this afternoon and, it must be said, they all have live chances.
Time For Rupert bids to lay down some sort of Gold Cup marker when he lines up for the featured Argento Chase at Cheltenham.
Paul Webber’s horse looked a really top class novice last year and, although beaten, he ran a superb race to finish fifth in the RSA Chase at this track in March. That race has taken numerous knocks but this fellow returned wrong and, in the circumstances, it was a terrific performance to finish within six lengths of winner Bostons Angel.
He began this season with a second place finish in the Charlie Hall and followed it up with a modest run behind Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase.
A little confidence booster was needed and he got it in the Newbury race.
Stepping back into graded company today, he has a couple of questions to answer but certainly no more than any of his rivals. The track is ideal (he’s won here three times), the ground won’t be an issue and the trip will bring out the best in him. At around the 7-2 mark, he’s looks the best bet to land the near €70,000 prize.
I’m quite keen to take on Captain Chris. An old favourite who has done me many favours, he remains a horse of huge potential but he had a desperately hard race in the King George at Kempton and, even if he has recovered fully, it’s not written in stone that he’ll get the trip. Though patiently ridden early, he appeared to tire in the closing stages at Kempton and was all out to hold onto third place.
His jumping can be sketchy and it could become a real concern as he tires towards the business end of the race.
Diamond Harry is terrific when everything is right, but it’s hard to know where we stand with him now. I’d probably forgive his effort in the Betfair Chase as he had been primed for the Charlie Hall Chase and only ran at Haydock after being forced to pull out of the Wetherby contest at the last minute. That said, he travelled well but faded disappointingly and has something to prove to punters.
The mercurial Tidal Bay will always be capable, but even the talents of Paul Nicholls might struggle to get the best out of the former Arkle winner. Midnight Chase, fifth in last season’s Gold Cup, hasn’t found his form this season.
His trainer, Neil Mulholland, reports him in great shape and he could bounce back, but I’d like something a little more generous than 6-1 to find out.
It’s a smashing little race but it seems unlikely that the Gold Cup winner is in the field. Time For Rupert has pretensions to being a place contender in the Cheltenham feature and he can take this en route to the Festival.
The Giant Bolster runs in the preceding race and David Bridgwater’s seven-year-old gets in off a lovely weight in the Murphy Group Chase (2.05).
He has jumping issues but he was a winner of the novices’ handicap chase at this meeting last year and is only five pounds higher today.
Aerial looks the most obvious danger but The Giant Bolster hasn’t yet reached the limit of his ability and he can gain a deserved first success of the season.
Carpincho, third in the Newbury race, runs in the Novices’ Handicap Chase (1.30) and he could prove well handicapped off a mark of 130.
The former point to point and bumper winner is lightly raced for his age and he boasts a record of two wins from four outings over fences. There’s likely to be further improvement to come and he is worth an each-way bet at double-figure odds.
SELECTIONS:
Time For Rupert, 2.35 Cheltenham
The Giant Bolster, 2.05 Cheltenham
