Tommy Lyons: Banker, value, and each-way bets
FESTIVAL BANKER: Last year’s Triumph Hurdle heroine, Lossiemouth coasted to victory in the International Hurdle on her sole start this season and is hard to oppose in tomorrow’s Mares’ Hurdle. Pic: Healy Racing
While State Man, in the unfortunate absence of Constitution Hill, rates the banker of the Festival, stablemate Lossiemouth cannot be far behind.
Winner of the Triumph Hurdle here last year, she made a belated seasonal return in the Grade Two International Hurdle at this venue and could hardly have been more impressive. It wasn’t a deep race, but she travelled strongly, if a little too keenly, and yet was able to coast clear up the hill to put almost 10 lengths between herself and Love Envoi, who is likely to re-oppose.
As a five-year-old with just seven runs under her belt, she is entitled to continue to improve and while there were suggestions that she should, in Constitution Hill’s absence, have switched to the Champion Hurdle, that is an avenue she can explore next year. The only other runner in single figures for this race is stablemate Ashroe Diamond, who won a Grade Two at Doncaster on her most recent start, but that form doesn’t stack up against that which Lossiemouth has achieved, and she ought to be the cornerstone of all multiples.
The presence of former Gold Cup winner Minella Indo in the field for the Cross Country Chase has resulted in Delta Work being a backable price in his bid to complete a hat-trick of wins in the race. He finished behind the aforementioned Minella Indo when they met in a Grade Three at Punchestown in December and while that may suggest the selection has plenty of ground to make up with that rival, his profile for this season is similar to his prep for this race in 2023.
He was well beaten over this banks course in November and, as was the case prior to last year’s Festival, he finalised his prep for the return to this race with a satisfactory run in the Grade Two Boyne Hurdle. Clearly fond of this course, versatile with regard to ground, and trained very much with this day in mind, he is value at any price bigger than 3-1.
The juvenile handicap is always a tricky contest, with so many unexposed four-year-olds taking each other on, and that is clear from the starting prices of many of the winners. Since 2012, seven of the winners have returned 25-1 or greater, and there was even an 80-1 chance there in Jeff Kidder, who went on to win a Grade One. With that in mind, the likes of Kala Konti, Ose Partir, and Nara make some degree of appeal, but Milan Tino appeals as being potentially well handicapped off 126 and, while not a huge price, he rates a solid each-way bet.
Trained in partnership by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, he posted a couple of promising efforts in a listed and Grade Two hurdle in France before finishing third to Burdett Road in a Grade Two at Cheltenham. Last time out, on the new course at this track, he tried to make all the running but burned himself out. While beaten 11 lengths into third place behind Sir Gino, he finished just a length off Burdett Road. A good jumper, with plenty of speed, he will benefit from being ridden with more restraint and has leading claims in a competitive race.
