Cheltenham Festival Betting: Smad in right Place for Triumph Hurdle

Ante-Post Betting / Timeform / 17 January 2011 / Leave a Comment

Smad Place clears the last at Newbury to make a deeply impressive British debut

"At current prices, it’s worth remembering Smad Place’s demolition of Dolatulo at Newbury on his first outing over obstacles"

With the first Grade 1 having taken place last weekend, the juvenile pecking order is really starting to take shape. Gregg Taylor considers the leading candidates for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Sam Winner has dominated the market since making such an impressive British debut in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham in November. However, he wasn't quite so convincing when following up back at Prestbury Park the following month and blotted his copybook only fourth at odds on in the Finale Hurdle at Chepstow. A break between now and March may well work the oracle, and better ground at Cheltenham will likely be in his favour, but at a current price of [11.0] it's probably advisable to look elsewhere.

His conqueror at Chepstow, Marsh Warbler, subsequently skyrocketed to the head of the Triumph betting with most bookmakers, but despite having shown further improvement to land a third success on the bounce, it's a move that's hard to justify - he's now [17.0] on Betfair. Brian Ellison's gelding is sure to face an altogether different set of circumstances at Cheltenham, having essentially completed the hat-trick by showing the best turn of foot, and he's likely to struggle in top-end company when there's more depth to the competition.

The runner-up at Chepstow, Houblon des Obeaux, justified his connections' decision to begin life in this country at the top level, always travelling/jumping well close up and going down by two and three-quarter lengths. He's likely to be fully effective at further when the time comes and could represent a bit of value at around [38.0], more than double the price of the winner.

Smad Place could manage only third in the Finale but appeals most of that field when it comes to the Triumph. He seemed very much inconvenienced by the lack of pace and was found wanting for a turn of foot as the race developed into a sprint. Smad Place had previously made a most impressive British debut, smashing Dolatulo by twenty-seven lengths at Newbury, jumping soundly and keeping on strongly from three out. HIs trainer Alan King has won the Triumph twice in the past six years, one of those successes coming courtesy of subsequent Champion Hurdler Katchit, and Smad Place looks the best bet in the race at current odds, available at [14.0].

Newbury also played host to another of the best juvenile contests this season on the same day as the rearranged Peterborough Chase. The pair who fought out the finish, Third Intention and Titan de Sarti, both have the potential to take high order among the juveniles come the spring. Third Intention won the day at Newbury, jumping better than his main rival and staying on strongly, and he's got the physique to suggest he'll progress. Titan de Sarti, who'd incidentally started favourite ahead of Sam Winner on his British debut only to make mistakes, is very promising as well and his his pedigree, physique and connections all point to him going one better before long.

Titan de Sarti's trainer, Nicky Henderson, is bidding to land his third consecutive Triumph Hurdle (and fifth in all) and could also rely upon Grandouet. The ex-French gelding confirmed himself a useful juvenile with a facile success over A Media Luz also at Newbury over Christmas, impressing with the way he travelled. He looks well up to winning more races, but it's worth remembering that he'd suffered a fifteen-length beating at the hands of Sam Winner in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham on his previous start and [16.0] looks short enough.

Paul Nicholls has another interesting contender in the shape of Brampour. The evidently well-regarded son of Daylami still figures prominently in the betting despite meeting with defeat on his first start over hurdles at Kempton. His useful Flat form for Jean-Claude Rouget suggests that he should do a good deal better than his debut over timber, for all that he lacks size, but he hardly represents value at present odds of around [17.0]. The winner of the race, Kazzene, was of a similar merit on the level for Fabrice Chappet and he did well to make a successful transition to obstacles given how indifferently he jumped. David Pipe's gelding probably has a fair bit to come, though similar comments apply at his current price of [15.0].

One who may have gone under the radar is Steve Gollings' Local Hero, a thrice-raced maiden winner on the Flat, who has looked destined for graded company when impressively landing the odds on both his starts over timber to date. His hurdling has looked slick on both occasions and the official margin of two and three-quarter lengths over Franklino at Doncaster on the latest occasion told nothing like the full story. He remains open to plenty of improvement and currently trades around the [26.0] mark.

In Ireland, Sailors Warn bettered his previous form to turn the tables on the trio that had finished in front of him at Fairyhouse on his previous start to land a Grade 2 at Leopardstown over Christrmas. He quickened up well to take the measure of Fearless Falcon, Accidental Outlaw and Toner d'Oudairies at the last, but will need to improve a deal more to figure at the Festival.

The following day, Dermot Weld's Unaccompanied ([17.0]), a useful dual winner over a mile on the Flat during the summer, made a seamless transition to hurdles at Punchestown. It would come as no surprise to see her develop into the leading Triumph Hurdle hope from those shores, with domestic graded races there for the taking if she makes the expected progress.

In summary, the Triumph looks a difficult race to weigh up at this stage, with two of the market leaders having only made their debuts in this sphere at the weekend. However, at current prices it's worth remembering Smad Place's demolition of Dolatulo at Newbury on his first outing over obstacles, and he's selected to avenge for his excusable defeat in the Finale last time.

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