John Francome says Hurricane Fly has got to be a knocking each-way bet
“Nearly on Tuesday, nearly on Wednesday…” Cue howls of laughter. It’s a sign of things to come.
The venue is the Woodlands Hotel in Waterford for the Cheltenham preview night that trumps most, if not all, others.
Organised and hosted by Brian Gleeson of RTÉ the cast of contributors is stellar. There’s Nick Luck and Jim McGrath from Channel 4, Tom Segal AKA Pricewise, trainer Jessica Harrington, Irish handicapper Noel O’Brien, Hayley O’Connor from Ladbrokes along with top jocks Bryan Cooper and Davy Russell. However, the star of the show is Francome; a deeply missed presence from Channel 4’s racing coverage since his departure at the end of 2012.
Francome expects England to take first blood in today’s Supremes Novices’ Chase a race billed by most a straight shootout between the Willie Mullins-trained Douvan and the Nicky Henderson-trained L’ami Serge.
“It’s a great opener, isn’t it? Douvan, Willie Mullins thinks he’s one of the best he’s ever sent to Cheltenham. But L’ami Serge – the ground at Sandown has been atrocious this year – he’s the only one I’ve seen actually quicken from the last and he’ll do for me. Your horse will have to be very good to beat him.”
However, Francome doesn’t expect Mullins and Ireland to have to wait long to get off the mark. Un De Sceaux, Francome says, is the Arkle’s class act.
“He’s basically Champion Hurdle class, if he was running in that he’d be one of the front three in the market. I’ve been really impressed with him.”
The only hope for opposition is that Un De Sceaux’s temperament could land him in trouble.
“If you’re a layer, your only hope is he’s a little bit buzzy,” he says. “The first three fences at Cheltenham are all downhill and I would imagine that he’ll be plenty buzzy enough with the atmosphere on day one.
“And, even allowing for the fact he goes a good gallop, there’ll be two or three chasing up his backside. If you’re a layer, you’ll be hoping he might just buckle over. It wouldn’t be a big surprise. It might be that he’s the best horse by a country mile and if he gets over the first three they’ll all have their work cut out. It will be a proper spectacle.”
Encouraged by McGrath, Francome proceeds to recall his final Arkle Chase ride. The year was 1985 and Francome was on a horse who a month later would prove the last ride of his career. Both races would end the same way.
“I rode a horse called The Reject. He was aptly named, he fell at the second and he slid along the ground and my foot got stuck in the stirrup. When he jumped up, the reins were dangling and I thought, ‘I’ve got one chance of grabbing them. Otherwise he’s going to be galloping off after the rest’. So I’m hanging there one leg up in the air – I look like Nureyev! – and there’s a bloke taking a photo of me!”
Looking at the Champion Hurdle, Francome expresses doubt about the fitness of The New One based on his own most recent run, a laboured showing when winning at Haydock in January. That, he argues, makes Hurricane Fly, deserted by Ruby Walsh to ride favourite Faugheen, a cracking each-way bet at 8/1.
“I’d say it’s just a four runner race, Faugheen, The New One, Jezki and Hurricane Fly,” Francome says. “One of those, The New One, looked lame when he ran the last time. How he managed to win I don’t know. Hurricane Fly has got to be a knocking each-way bet in a four runner field with one of them lame. Even I can work that one out!”
Francome says that had he been in Walsh’s shoes he would have stuck with Hurricane Fly.
However he adds: “There never seems to have been a decision. He was always going to ride Faugheen so he must be a little special. The one thing he does is he covers an immense amount of ground. Everything looks easy to him.”
That said, Francome adds that whatever Walsh might say after the race he will be “sick to his boots” if Hurricane Fly wins a third Champion Hurdle.
“He’s ridden both of them and he will be down at the start hoping to beat the other one no matter what happens. If Hurricane Fly wins he’ll come back in saying he’s delighted but he’ll be absolutely sick to his boots.”
Suggestions that at 11 Hurricane Fly is too old to win another Champion Hurdle prompt Francome, who won the race on the then 11-year-old Sea Pigeon in 1981, to go back in time again. This time the year is 1966.
“There was a horse when I started off in racing called Beau Caprice. He won the Supreme Novices’ aged 12. That was his first year running. He was ridden by Tommy Jennings, trained by Fulke Walwyn and owned by Captain Richard Head who I subsequently used to ride a lot of horses for.
“Richard Head used to ride for Fulke Walwyn and he used to keep saying to him every year, ‘You know what, I’ve got this horse and I take him hunting and I can’t hold him, I think he’s a very good horse’. This went on year after year after year so Fulke Walwyn eventually said: ‘Right, bring it up here’ and they worked it. He won the Supreme Novices his first year as a 12-year-old – this is a true story — and he was second in Schweppes (now the Betfair Hurdle) the following year. And he’d never run in all that time.”
The message for Hurricane Fly supporters from the sprightly 62-year-old is clear: Age is but a number.
Looking at what has the potential to be a classic RSA Chase, Francome opts for the David Pipe-trained Kings Palace as the winner. “Don Poli will have a chance but for me Kings Palace has been the best jumper I’ve seen all year in the novices’ division. Jumps well, gets away from his fences well, travels well and I wouldn’t want to be deserting him. Coneygree is a proper bruiser but this horse looks like he could have a little bit of class.”
Turning to the Champion Chase, Francome is baffled by Barry Geragthy’s continued confidence in Sprinter Sacre. His long-awaited return when second to Dodging Bullets as Ascot failed to impress the seven times British champion jockey.
“I’m amazed Barry has been so impressed with Sprinter Sacre. I didn’t think he looked good, didn’t think he jumped anywhere as well as he has done in the past.”
Francome’s idea of a winner is last year’s victor Sire De Grugy who fell at Newbury last month on his return after a lay-off before bouncing back to win at Chepstow.
“A great training performance from Gary Moore to run him in that handicap in Chepstow,” Francome says. “He’s a horse who strives on his racing and I wouldn’t want to be backing anything else. He hasn’t got the recognition he deserves. He jumps, he gallops, he’s got that lovely way of going. I know he tipped up at Newbury but I’ll forgive that one.
“I spoke the ever-talkative Ryan Moore and I said, ‘How’s your Dad’s horse?’ He said: ‘Which One?’ I said: ‘How many Group One winners has he got? Sire De Grugy.’ And he just said: ‘He’ll win.’”
Turning to Thursday, there’s a prediction that Irish eyes will be smiling. He expects Vautour to win the JLT and Don Cossack to ensure Michael O’Leary will be getting his own money back in the Ryanair Chase.
“Don Cossack does what you like horses to do, he finishes races off. Whether you’re an owner, trainer, jockey or a punter the one thing you want to do is see a horse run on up that hill. I’ll be sticking with him.”
Turning to the Gold Cup, a race he won on Midnight Court in 1984, Francome has encouraging words for Carlingford Lough, words that go down well with his audience given the Irish Hennessy winner is trained by John Kiely in Dungarvan.
“Time and again the Gold Cup comes around and horses get beaten because they don’t stay. The one thing Carlingford Lough does is he looks like he stays all day.”
However, Francome believes 2015 can be the year that, at the third time of asking, King George winner Silviniaco Conti finally ticks the Gold Cup box.
“I just felt they made plenty of use of Silviniaco Conti last year. He’s just looked superb this season, he jumps well, he travels well. An each-way bet at a big price is Smad Place. He’s been third in two World Hurdles, loves Cheltenham and the faster the ground is the more he likes it. You can’t get a race far enough for him.”
The Gold Cup discussion just about brings the night to a close.
The applause rings out. Nobody gets a better reception than Francome.
