Cheltenham festival day three: Shantou can star in the Stayers’
The selection has made rapid strides this season and was an impressive winner at the Trials meeting
The Stayers’ Hurdle has lost its “feature race” slot as the fifth event on the third day at Cheltenham to the Ryanair Chase, but it is likely to be the bigger hit of the two with punters as the 11-runner field is rich with possibilities.
Teahupoo and Bob Olinger, the past two winners of the race, represent the old guard in three-mile hurdling, while Kabral Du Mathan, Honesty Policy and Ma Shantou are all young, progressive stayers with their best years ahead of them.
Teahupoo has been a solid favourite for Thursday’s race since December, when he beat Bob Olinger by seven lengths in the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, but neither horse has much in hand of their younger rivals on ratings and this could be the year for a handing-over of the baton.
Kabral Du Mathan was a ready winner of the two-and-a-half-mile Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day but his stamina is unproven over three and Ma Shantou (3.20), a dual winner over track and trip, makes more appeal.
Emma Lavelle’s seven‑year‑old has made rapid strides this season having started the campaign in handicaps, and put up as impressive a trial as any runner in Thursday’s race in the Cleeve Hurdle here in January.
Cheltenham 1.20 Despite the maximum 22-runner field, this could prove to be a head-to-head between Bambino Fever, the Champion Bumper winner last year, and Oldschool Outlaw, the only horse to have beaten her over hurdles. Willie Mullins’s mare went down by half a length on heavy ground at Naas in December, but the winner had the benefit of a run under her belt and the return to better ground here should tip the balance towards Bambino Fever.
Cheltenham 2.00 The novice handicap chase at the Trials meeting has an exceptional record as a pointer towards the festival and Jordans Cross, the last-gasp winner this year, was value for more than his narrow margin. A 6lb rise for that win looks more than fair, not least after the runner-up, Quebecois, franked the form with a close third in the Ultima on Tuesday.
Hexham 1.05 Biglesisback 1.42 Knockeranna Rose 2.22 Didntgotwenty 3.02 Planned Paradise 3.42 Gardener 4.22 Court At Slip 5.00 Another High Five
Cheltenham 1.20 Bambino Fever 2.00 Jordans Cross (nb) 2.40 Wodhooh 3.20 Ma Shantou (nap) 4.00 Fact To File 4.40 Electric Mason 5.20 Herakles Westwood
Newcastle 3.48 Raft Up 4.28 Alpine Sierra 5.08 Golspie 5.45 Clonquest 6.15 Havana Jag 6.45 Irish Nectar 7.15 Trilby 7.45 Captain Kinsella 8.15 Pallas Lord
Chelmsford 4.49 He’s Our Cracker 5.30 Respond 6.00 Forbidden Colours 6.30 Frankali 7.00 Shebara 7.30 Moonjid 8.00 Tonal 8.30 Warning Symbol
Cheltenham 2.40 Lossiemouth’s late – and glorious – switch to the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday has left Wodhooh with a straightforward task in order to register a first success at the highest level.
Cheltenham 4.00 Last year in this race Fact To File was untouchable and while the admirable Banbridge, touched off in the King George at Christmas, is arguably a better opponent than any of those he dispatched 12 months ago, he looks booked for another trip to the runner-up spot.
Cheltenham 4.40 Ma Shantou has progressed to become a Stayers’ Hurdle candidate since finishing less than three lengths in front of Electric Mason in the qualifier for this race here in October, and Chris Gordon’s runner showed further improvement to land a valuable event at Haydock in November. He is up another 7lb in the weights but the race should be run to suit his strong-staying qualities ideally.