Talking Horses: Master Tommytucker can take down Cyrname in Betfair Ascot Chase
Master Tommytucker and San Twiston-Davies winning The Back and Lay On Befair Exchange Graduation Chase last November. Picture: Healy Racing.
With last Saturday’s abandoned Betfair Hurdle card rescheduled for tomorrow, this is an action-packed weekend laced with intrigue, two days where a host of questions will be answered.
Can Clan Des Obeaux bounce back from an uncharacteristically shoddy round of jumping in the King George? Can Lostintranslation show enough to suggest he may yet be a Gold Cup contender this season? And, staying on the Gold Cup theme, how will Champ fare over two miles on his belated seasonal reappearance?
Questions aplenty and that’s only at Newbury.
Before that, the Betfair Ascot Chase takes centre stage today, a Grade One contest that revolves around which Cyrname turns up. If it’s the Cyrname who annihilated a classy field in this race in 2019 or the Cyrname that ended Altior’s 19-race unbeaten record the following November, he’ll regain his crown without coming off the bridle.
However, the Cyrname the public has seen since has looked a pale shadow of the horse who took down Altior. Yes, he did win the Charlie Hall on his first start this season but Paul Nicholls’ charge was pulled up in the King George last time out, the second successive year he has disappointed in the Christmas highlight.
And while his standout performances have come at Ascot, his memories of his most recent visit to the Berkshire venue won’t be pleasant after he took a pearler of a fall at the last fence in this race last year.
He has the class to bounce back but there will be far safer odds-on shots this weekend.
Should he fluff his lines again, Nicholls looks to have an ideal back-up in the talented Master Tommytucker. A faller in three of his four starts last season, Master Tommytucker has really got his act together since, winning three of his last four starts. He’s still prone to the occasional brain fade at his obstacles, but, fundamentally, he’s a good jumper.
His victory at Kempton last time out illustrated both the good and the bad as he cruised to a 12-length victory in the Grade Two Silviniaco Conti Chase despite attempting to take the last fence with him.
The 10-year-old’s best performances have come in small-field affairs so having only four horses in opposition today should be ideal. This looks Master Tommytucker’s Gold Cup and, at the prices, he gets the nod over his higher-profile stablemate.
In the other graded race on Ascot’s card, the David Pipe-trained Remastered can provide the answer in the Bateaux London Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase.
This looks an open Grade Two contest but Remastered is unbeaten in two starts over fences, following up a Carlisle victory in November by winning a match race at Wetherby over Christmas.
This looks a decent opportunity to complete the hat-trick.
Elsewhere at Ascot, the Philip Hobbs-trained Jerrysback should go close in the “My Oddsboost” On Betfair Swinley Chase while, at a massive each-way price, L’Ami Serge has the backclass to run a big race in the Betfair Cheltenham Free Bet Pot Builder Handicap Hurdle.
Away from Ascot, it’s a big day for the Gary Moore team as Goshen bids to get his career back on track in the Betway Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.
Until a freak incident at the last in last season’s Triumph Hurdle, he looked a superstar in the making but he looked anything but on his return to Cheltenham in December when trailing in last of 10 behind Song For Someone in the International Hurdle.
It would add considerable spice to the Champion Hurdle picture were Goshen to bounce back to something like his best today but Song For Someone has the far more consistent profile and Tom Symonds’ stable star can complete a Grade Two four-timer by winning this race for a second successive year.
Haydock’s feature is the Grade Three William Hill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase where the Alan King-trained Notachance, victorious in the Classic Chase at Warwick last time out, should post a bold bid to complete a hat-trick.
In the Grade Two William Hill Rendlesham Hurdle, On The Blind Side can continue a fine season by landing the spoils.
It will be fascinating to see how Champ fares in the Betfair Game Spirit Chase at Newbury tomorrow where the drop to two miles will ensure a stern test of his jumping.
It’s a mark of both his class and his stamina that he managed to reel in Minella Indo and Allaho to win the RSA Novices’ Chase despite a largely sub-standard round of jumping.
One suspects connections won’t be overly disappointed if tomorrow’s assignment proves too sharp as long as Champ shows his jumping has improved from last season and that he stays on strongly at the finish, most likely behind Tingle Creek runner-up Greaneteen, a horse should have more gears than the Gold Cup hopeful over this trip.
Nicholls can also strike in the other Grade Two on the card with Clan Des Obeaux likely to get back to winning ways in the Betfair Denman Chase. Given how poorly he jumped and the tactical nature of this season’s King George, Clan Des Obeaux actually did pretty well to finish third at Kempton.
With last year’s Gold Cup third Lostintranslation having plenty to prove after two deplorable efforts this season, Clan Des Obeaux should prove hard to beat.
As ever, the Betfair Hurdle is fiendishly competitive but Gary Moore has saddled the winner three times in the past and the eye is drawn to his Fifty Ball towards the foot of the weights. The selection followed up a narrow Ascot victory in October with a 13-length demolition job at Sandown last time out. At odds of around 12-1, he makes considerable each-way appeal.
