Cheltenham Festival Focus: 10/1 the most exciting staying-chaser in training, and are there Brighterdaysahead?

In week two, Daryl Carter rounds up the notable jump action from the past week and delves into Brighterdaysahead's victory at Down Royal. He adds his third Cheltenham ante-post bet at 10/111.00 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, looks at the festival market movers, and the week ahead.

British Handicapper is at it again!

Valgrand was given an official rating of 140 following his 17-length defeat of the underperforming Gale Mahler (135) at Cheltenham - a hike of 22lb from his race rating of 118. He quickened off a fair gallop and recorded the best time on the card following an excellent jumping round. However, the handicapper dropped (odds-on) Gale Mahler from 135 to 133, seemingly agreeing to her underperforming, but somehow got a remarkably high rating for Valgrand despite this being on fast ground in October in a race where a hurdling debutant finished 3/4 of a length behind the underperforming favourite in third.

The handicapper now has Valgrand rated higher than all bar one British novice lined up in the Supreme Novice Hurdle for the last two years.

It's remarkable overkill, and 25/126.00 for the festival opener should be of no interest. My rating of Valgrand is 134-135 based on comparative races on the clock with weight-adjusted form; I'd love to know where the handicapper got his from!

Potters Charm won the 2m4f novices hurdle well over Irish raider Minella Sixo, who already looked like he needed a stiffer stamina test and had only run to around 125 in Ireland. Potters Charm has been given an opening rating of 139 following this effort despite little to no substance to the form. However, I must admit to being taken with his visual performance, and he looks like a nice prospect.

Intense Approach won the 3m novice Hurdle by six lengths and was mentioned for the Albert Bartlett by his trainer. Before the race, I had never had him running to his official rating of 130. Despite the margin of victory, he didn't on this occasion either. He would have finished no better than ninth in the comparative 3m Pertemps Handicap Hurdle on the clock. He was eight lengths slower than the Wallpark (ridden mid-div) over the first six hurdles and eight lengths slower on the second circuit, slower by 12 lengths from three to the finish. From the last to the line, Intense Approach recorded 20.87 compared to The Wall Park 19.09.

The Wallpark was a ready winner with a lofty rating of 145, and he will now kept away until the spring. A win in this race means he will undoubtedly get a run in the Pertemps Final with his new mark of 152 - no prices yet.

On Monday at Wexford, a small field and steady gallop saw Heart Wood run out a comfortable winner of the Memorial Chase over three miles. He was heavily backed and took advantage of the 15lb weight received from Corbetts Cross to run out a convincing seven-length winner. His stamina for three miles was exposed in a strong run 3m1f Mildmay Novices Chase at Aintree earlier this year, and this victory should not fool punters into thinking he stays this distance.

The race was so slowly run that just between the first fence going out on the final circuit to the third, 2m winner, Inthepocket, was 24 lengths ahead. Heart Wood won in a dash to the finish over the final two flights but showed bright speed, and two and a half miles looks like his correct distance for now. The nature of the steady run races in Ireland may see him prosper over three miles, but his stamina will likely again be exposed at a Championship pace. However, 20/121.00 for the Ryanair looks like a fair price.

Our ante-post 14/115.00 Arkle selection Inthepocket now 8/19.00 did an excellent job returning to the track following a year's absence when running out a 15-length eased-down winner of the Beginners Chase over Farren Glory. His jumping was superb, and he showed a very high cruising speed. It's tough to get a handle on what he achieved on the clock with few comparable races, but it was very satisfactory.

Skipping on through the week to Friday at Down Royal, Champion Bumper sixth and Punchestown Grade 1 Bumper runner-up, The Yellow Clay, scored effortlessly on his hurdling debut over 2m6f by nine lengths. He jumped well in the main until the third last, where he made a sloppy mistake but showed a bright turn of foot to take care of admittedly poor rivals. He remains one to be optimistic about.

Grade 3 Mares Novice Hurdle had been won by Brighterdaysahead, Magical Zoe and Impervious in the last three years, and this time, it was Sansrisk who won by three lengths. The five-year-old had spent the spring in bumpers, having started last term over hurdles, where she finished behind Fun Fun Fun and No Flies On Him in two outings. She reappeared over obstacles with an easy Fairyhouse win at the start of October, and this was still better. Still, she looks useful, and all roads will lead to the Mares Novice.

Firefox made his eagerly anticipated chase debut in a weak race that, on paper, said he only had to run to 130 to win. Still, he cruised through the 2m4f Beginners Chase at Down Royal and jumped spectacularly well at every fence. He was quick on the landing side and clever at four out when he got in close. There were many positives to take from this, but I suspect that he is a middle-distance chaser, and, as he was over hurdles, this leaves him vulnerable to something with a turn of foot should he run in an Arkle 6/17.00. I certainly wouldn't price him shorter than Inthepocket at this stage.

On Saturday at Down Royal, Champion Bumper runner-up Romeo Coolio made a seamless start over hurdles, jumped very well and ran out an easy winner by 18 lengths over poor opposition. The time was identical to the opening three-year-old hurdle and around 25 lengths slower than handicap winner Kala Conti, so there is little to get excited about yet, and his next outing - likely in the Royal Bond - will reveal more. No need to rush for the 12/113.00 for the Supreme Novice Hurdle.

Found A Fifty won well, giving lumps of weight away on Saturday at Down Royal over 2m4f, and he confirmed his stamina for the trip. He could be of interest for a Ryanair 14/115.00.

Envoi Allen beat the 2024 Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe at Down Royal on Saturday. Envoi Allen will be 11 at the turn of the year, so he must be avoided at any festival race. Gerri Colombe hardly advertised his claims of being a future festival winner with this laboured display. The Gold Cup may have left a mark on him. He may be all the better for this, but you'd need to see much more before next time to consider taking the 16/117.00 on offer.

The Real Whacker is now 50/151.00 for the Gold Cup following his Charlie Hall victory at Wetherby. If you like him, I'd wait until he is beaten in a King George to gain an even bigger price. Runner-up Bravemansgame is gone, and he is no longer a Grade 1 horse with this performance around 154.

The only upbeat show from the weekend from a British horse was Chianti Classico, a decisive winner of the Sodexo Live Gold Cup at Ascot. He made all the running under 12st and a brilliantly joyous ride by Tom Bellamy. He is better left-handed, and the Grand National looks on the card rather than the Gold Cup 50/151.00.

Are there Brighterdaysahead?

Returning to action in style

A 1-2 for @gelliott_racing in the Grade 3 Bottlegreen Hurdle @Downroyal as Brighterdaysahead prevails over stablemate King Of Kingsfield with Sam Ewing in the saddle pic.twitter.com/4tBL923cAL

-- Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 1, 2024

Brighterdaysahead made a winning start to the season by landing the Grade 3 Bottlegreen Hurdle over stablemate King Of Kingsfield and Willie Mullins' Daddy Long Legs.

A sound gallop and the winner got extra marks for taking up the running following some poor jumping by Daddy Long Legs in the race's early stages to score the best time on the card. As sparkling as a return on the clock as this was, it was plagued with questions come the finish.

Brighterdaysahead has a high cruising speed, but, like my wife, when it comes to Christmas chocolates, she immediately becomes awkward under pressure when asked what's left. Gordon Elliott raved about this Mare, but there were worrying signs in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle when she came under the pump, which cropped up here. Perhaps she felt the effects of her summer holidays, but she won't get away with a delayed response in a proposed tilt at the Champion Hurdle 20/121.00.

She turned her head away from the flight at the second-last hurdle, and on closer inspection, if King Of Kingsfield had been represented by another stable, we could have had a differing or closer result.

Watching the closing stages closely, King Of Kingsfield's rider Danny Gilligan is a length down, jumping the last. He decides to withdraw his stick not once but twice before the final hurdle, and he only brings it through inside the final 100 yards once the mare is organised.

She has a big engine under that bonnet and eventually found plenty for pressure, but she is crying out for further than two miles, and the Mares Hurdle over 2m4f 5/23.50 would look far more suitable for her than a Champion Hurdle. She was outpaced in the Mares Novice Hurdle last term by Golden Ace but the key to reversing that form will be the move up in distance.

There's little doubt this Mare has an abundance of talent, but she is far from unbeatable at 2m and, coincidentally, could be a force to be reckoned with over longer trips.

Back Inothwayurthinkin for the Gold Cup @ 10/111.00 1pt

I have no qualms with Galopin Des Champs heading the Gold Cup betting at 7/24.50. Undoubtedly, he will be lightly raced this season in a bid for a remarkable third victory in the Cheltenham Festival blue ribbon event. However, going to the well for a third time is not easy, and the form of last year's Gold Cup is hardly extra-ordinary.

Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe is a robust yardstick, but he was beaten at Down Royal on his return. Grand National winner Corach Rambler (159) was not expected to have the pace to challenge but ran an excellent third, and in fourth, L'homme Presse had a rushed preparation back from injury. A regressive Bravemansgame finished fifth (since beaten in the Charlie Hall), and in sixth was the ten-year-old Jungle Boogie, having just his fourth chase start after being plagued with injuries, which leaves the form questionable.

The critical piece of form to find a challenger to Galopin Des Champs could come from the Aintree Festival. Over the years, I have found following the speed figures from the Aintree meeting profitable and reliable. A flat fair track tends to leave no hiding places.

29 days on from winning the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival off 145, Inothewayurthinkin bolts up in the Grade 1 Mildway Chase at Aintree.

pic.twitter.com/GcOYWeCzBx

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) April 12, 2024

Inothewayurthinkin won the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices Chase despite everything going against him. He was stuck on the rail and made a couple of sloppy jumps. However, he still dropped behind the field and ran out a comfortable winner to score, going away by four lengths over Iroko. The form could be questioned at the time, but it shouldn't be now.

How he won that race marked him down as a brilliant horse, and Heart Wood and Chianti Classico have boosted the form in the past ten days.

The contests time was outstanding, comparable to Gerri Colombe's win in the previous day's Grade 1 Bowl Chase over the same distance.

Inothewayurthinkin's overall time was around nine seconds quicker.

Drying ground overnight may have contributed to this vastly different race time. However, compared to the 2m4f chase won by Jonbon on the same day, it stacks up very favourably.

Gerri Colombe (11th April) 3m1f final circuit = 3.05.02
Inothewayurthinkin (12th April) 3m1f final circuit = 2.58.32
Jonhbon (12th April) 2m4f final circuit = 3.02.19

Another fascinating time comparison with Jonbon is the three out-to-finish times.

Inothewayurthinkin 3-f = 49.07
Jonbon = 50.89

Inothewayurthinkin has clocked a quicker circuit time than a proposed Champion Chaser, Jonbon, and has come home quicker from the third last. He is well worth his place in the Gold Cup and the loose comparison through Gerri Colombe suggests he can at least fill the frame on this evidence. Gavin Cromwell's six-year-old is open to significant improvement and will fit the correct profile of a Gold Cup winner in March. Add in his very lightly raced profile, half of which over fences can be ignored, considering he was handicapped to win the Kim Muir at Cheltenham in 2024, and he screams Gold Cup candidate.

A blatant reminder of the owners of 2012 Gold Cup winner Synchronised, there will be few stronger stayers in the 2025 Gold Cup, and he has shown the speed to cope with the early demands of such a race.

The likelihood is that Fastorslow will come back for another crack. Grey Dawning could be in here, and Fact To File is undoubtedly respected for the same owner who could have the following: Corbetts Cross, Inothewayurthinkin, I Am Maximus (already said the National is the target), Spillanes Tower. However, I would be shocked if the selection did not prove the best of the JP McManus-owned horses over three miles if given a chance.

Inothewayurthinkin looks like a solid bet at double-figure odds before his season kicks, despite the real possibility of them minding his beautiful handicap mark of 157 for something like an Irish National. There's little doubt that McManus will dictate where this horse runs, and with Fact To File in the race, there is a real chance he is a no-show. However, I want him in the book early and let the season play out.

Market Movers

The biggest market movers this week are as follows:

What is on this week?

Albert Bartlett winner Stellar Story holds an entry on Tuesday at Fairyhouse in a Beginners Chase over 3m along with Martin Pipe winner Better Days Ahead. They are currently 20/121.00 and 25/126.00 for the Brown Advisory.

Albert Bartlett, runner-up The Jukebox Man, will likely make his chasing debut against possibly Iberico Lord, Captain Teague, and Caldwell Potter at Warwick on Tuesday over 2m4f.

There's a Listed Mares Chase at Clonmel on Thursday which may see the return of Limerick Lace - currently 4/15.00 second favourite for the Mares Chase.

Newbury on Thursday could see the British debut of Nicky Henderson's interesting French recruit Kientzheim, who is currently 20/121.00 for the Mares Novice Hurdle. Henderson will also saddle Shanagh Bob in the Novices Handicap Chase.

Friday sees the start of the West Country Weekend at Exeter and Wincanton. Centreofattention is among many of interest in the Novice Hurdle at Exeter at 15:00 on Friday.

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