Redemption to rattle up Tripleprint Chase

Redemption, branded one of the unluckiest chasers in training, experienced a change of fortune at last when winning at Newbury last week.

And now the tide has turned for the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding, he can enjoy his biggest pay-day to date with victory in the £100,000 (€142,400) Tripleprint Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Redemption looked the likely winner at Sandown in February before coming to grief at the penultimate fence, and on his return at Cheltenham in October the eight-year-old unshipped his rider at the second.

Next time out in the Paddy Power Gold Cup back at Prestbury Park, his saddle slipped when he was travelling strongly and he was pulled up after jumping 10 of the 15 fences.

But it all went right for him at Newbury, where he was very impressive in beating Claymore by nine lengths.

Redemption put his host of hard-luck stories since his last win two years ago behind him and he showed he remains a more than useful handicapper.

Afterwards Twiston-Davies said: “Thank goodness for that. Nothing has gone right for him before, but nothing went wrong today.

“He will be going for the Tripleprint Chase at Cheltenham in a couple of weeks’ time now, and you couldn’t help but fancy him for it on the way he has performed here.”

The handicapper has raised Redemption 11lb for that success, but now that he has got his act together he can progress sufficiently to score again.

The 10-1 currently available with William Hill and Ladbrokes looks very tempting.

Last year’s winner Fondmort will be a danger to all.

He has proved his well-being this season with an impressive victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, and immediately after that success his trainer Nicky Henderson nominated the Cheltenham showpiece as his next target.

As with Redemption, the official assessor has taken a dim view of the ease of Fondmort’s win and has raised the seven-year-old 10lb for his eight-length call over Poliantas.

Nevertheless, Fondmort is a very progressive individual and he could develop into a leading Pertemps King George VI Chase contender.

However, on Saturday he may find the concession of 18lb to Redemption beyond him.

Another with sound claims is Hand Inn Hand, who is vying for favouritism with Fondmort.

Trainer Henry Daly has confirmed Hand Inn Hand an intended starter in the Tripleprint.

A winner of four novice chases and fifth in the Arkle Challenge Trophy last season, the seven-year-old returned to action in a competitive handicap hurdle at Aintree last month, finishing a highly-promising third to Mughas.

He travelled strongly for much of the way until lack of a recent outing told on the run-in, and he is sure to have come on for the outing.

“Plan A is to go to Cheltenham,” said Daly. “He ran very well at Aintree and I’ve been very happy with him since.”

Another horse said to be on course for the Tripleprint is the Nicky Richards-trained Telemoss, who is due to make his reappearance.

“He’s done well over the summer and he’s been ready to run for a while now. This is about his third-choice race really,” the Greystoke handler said.

“If we’d had a normal sort of autumn it might have been his second or third run by now, but with such a dry spell we haven’t been able to get going.

“I think he’s a pretty good horse. That’s the first and most important thing you need for Cheltenham – you need a high-class horse.

“He seems to act nicely around the track. He’s never run over fences there, but I would expect he’ll be fine.”

The trainer thinks the extended two and a half miles of the Tripleprint could be perfect for the Montelimar gelding.

“Telemoss was second over hurdles over two mile, five furlongs at Cheltenham and then he was fourth in the Stayers’ Hurdle. He led them over the second-last that day and maybe just got run out of it a little bit going up the hill,” he said.

“I think he’ll stay three miles on a flat track, no doubt about that, but maybe around Cheltenham two miles, four and a half furlongs may be the ideal trip for him.”

If anywhere near his best Telemoss will be a very interesting contender, but he may just lack vital experience against these seasoned handicappers.

Another who takes the eye and could emerge as the biggest threat to the selection is the Irish-trained Risk Accessor, who was still swinging on the bridle when coming to grief two out in the Paddy Power.

Risk Accessor races off the same mark in the Tripleprint and his chances have to be respected.

But it has to be Redemption who gets the vote ahead of Risk Accessor, with Fondmort and Hand Inn Hand left to fight it out for minor honours.