Cheltenham festival day two: L’Eau Du Sud can edge Majborough in Champion Chase
Memories of Majborough’s poor Cheltenham display 12 months ago leave Dan Skelton’s refreshed grey a live contender at around 9-2
The key question before the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday is which version of Majborough will turn up.
If it is the Majborough that powered 19 lengths clear of Marine Nationale, the Champion Chase winner last year but sadly absent this time, at Leopardstown in February, his likely price of around 5-6 will look like one of the bets of the meeting.
Majborough’s failure to justify short odds in the Arkle here 12 months ago is still painfully raw for his backers, however, and Willie Mullins’s chaser could be a favourite to take on, given the unforgiving nature of a race in which a single mistake can end a runner’s chance.
Il Etait Temps, a stable companion of the market leader, was the favourite for the race on Wednesday before his run in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, but he was already soundly beaten before taking a crashing fall two out and it remains to be seen if that has left a mark.
The novice Irish Panther is an interesting contender for a race which is wide open if the favourite disappoints, but the proven course form of L’Eau Du Sud (4.00) could tip the scales in his favour.
Dan Skelton’s grey was an impressive winner of the Shloer Chase over track and trip in November, and while he was disappointing behind Il Etait Temps in the Tingle Creek at Sandown next time, that race came just three weeks later.
L’Eau Du Sud, who has often shown his best form when fresh, arrives back at Cheltenham after a 95‑day break and on ground that suits, and is a live contender for championship honours at around 9-2.
Cheltenham 1.20 The four British-trained runners filled the first four places in the Supreme Novice Hurdle on Tuesday and that increases confidence that Paul Nicholls’ No Drama This End will have the measure of the Irish challenge.
Cheltenham 2.00 The biggest field for this race since the mighty Denman beat 16 rivals in 2007, and Kaid D’Authie could be the pick of Willie Mullins’ six runners. The six-year-old arrives with a similar profile to Fact To File, the winner three years ago, having beaten a better‑fancied stable companion in the Grade One novice over 2m5f at the Dublin Racing Festival, and looks sure to be suited by the step up in distance.
Cheltenham 2.40 Henry de Bromhead’s Forty Coats ran a decent race at huge odds behind The New Lion in the Turners Novice Hurdle 12 months ago and will sport cheek pieces for the first time on only his third start since.
Cheltenham 1.20 No Drama This End (nb) 2.00 Kaid D’Authie 2.40 Forty Coats 3.20 Desertmore House 4.00 L’Eau Du Sud 4.40 Vanderpoel (nap) 5.20 Diamant Dore
Huntingdon 1.38 Pottersmattyeehaa 2.18 Rap Soul 2.58 Cluain Chormaic 3.38 Risk It All 4.18 Callin Baton Rouge 4.55 Jukebox D’Eddy 5.35 Eustace Grenier
Newcastle 5.00 Staffordshire 5.30 Colinski 6.00 Merlier 6.30 Renesmee 7.00 Auspicious 7.30 Fortunate Star 8.00 Tomorrow Day
Southwell 5.05 Tam Lin 5.40 Dagger Strike 6.15 Into The Light 6.45 Dream Illusion 7.15 Elvetham 7.45 Tenadaay 8.15 Bajan Bandit
Cheltenham 3.20 Martin Brassil’s Desertmore House has improved for the switch to cross‑country racing and gets the better part of two stone from several of the principals.
Cheltenham 4.40 Novices have a strong recent record in the Grand Annual and Ben Pauling’s Vanderpoel could hardly have a better profile, having travelled and jumped superbly to win at Sandown last time on only his fourth start over fences.