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impressive Leopardstown win<br />
coming over 2m5f, but Willie<br />
Mullins was considering the<br />
Arkle before injury kicked in.<br />
If he returns, he could well<br />
have the Irish 2m – 2m4f<br />
chase division at his mercy<br />
and become a real ‘springer’ in<br />
the Champion Chase market,<br />
though I’d like to see him back<br />
on the track before considering<br />
backing him.<br />
Conclusion<br />
Master Minded will be<br />
extremely difficult to beat all<br />
season and, if he remains injury<br />
free, will probably be odds on to<br />
record back-to-back Champion<br />
Chase victories in March.<br />
But, taking 5-4 about a horse<br />
some five months before a race<br />
is very risky. You then have<br />
to think whether or not it is<br />
worth trying to find an eachway<br />
alternative and, with the<br />
division lacking any strength<br />
in depth, this may not be a bad<br />
thing to do in this instance.<br />
Takeroc appeals as the most<br />
likely improver and could be<br />
the main threat to his stablecompanion<br />
come next March,<br />
so 16-1 appeals as a fair price at<br />
this stage – I’d rather be backing<br />
him at 4-1 to get a place, rather<br />
than Master Minded to win at<br />
5-4, at this very early stage.<br />
World Hurdle<br />
After an emotional third<br />
success in this race from Inglis<br />
Drever in March, it is hardly<br />
surprising that the bookmakers<br />
have Howard Johnson’s stable<br />
star as the 4-1 favourite.<br />
Despite his rising years, the<br />
nine-year-old looked better than<br />
ever last term, winning his first<br />
three starts and his five-length<br />
defeat of Blazing Bailey in the<br />
Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham<br />
in January was arguably the<br />
staying performance of the<br />
season.<br />
Though he was beaten by<br />
that rival at Aintree in April,<br />
he remains the horse to beat<br />
in this division, but it should<br />
be remembered that he will be<br />
10 come Festival time and it<br />
is surely only a matter of time<br />
before the years catch up with<br />
this true hurdling great.<br />
Kasbah Bliss finished runnerup<br />
in the World Hurdle, having<br />
previously won Haydock’s<br />
Rendlesham, and being only<br />
six, he looks the obvious young<br />
improver.<br />
He was not seen after<br />
Cheltenham, but has raced<br />
twice on the Flat in France<br />
during August, winning a 2m<br />
handicap last time. Francois<br />
Doumen’s runners are always<br />
well respected in England and<br />
it would not be a surprise to<br />
see him land one of the leading<br />
staying hurdles in the coming<br />
months, but he doesn’t exactly<br />
scream value at just 5-1.<br />
Alan King’s Blazing Bailey is<br />
a 7-1 shot and he finished only<br />
fourth in last season’s renewal,<br />
so has ground to make up on<br />
both Inglis Drever and Kasbah<br />
Bliss.<br />
As previously mentioned, he<br />
reversed form with the former<br />
at Liverpool, where the first<br />
time blinkers worked a treat<br />
and they also had the desired<br />
effect at Punchestown three<br />
weeks later, when he completed<br />
a Grade 1 double.<br />
He is another who is bound<br />
to be thereabouts in the staying<br />
events this term.<br />
One of last season’s leading<br />
staying novices Elusive Dream<br />
comes next at 14-1 and he has<br />
a similar profile to that of Inglis<br />
Drever, as he was also a smart<br />
Flat performer for Sir Mark<br />
Prescott.<br />
He relishes decent ground<br />
and rounded off a fruitful first<br />
campaign as a hurdler with<br />
victories at Aintree and over an<br />
extended 2m5f at Cheltenham.<br />
The step up to 3m could bring<br />
about further improvement and<br />
it will be interesting to see how<br />
he takes the step up in class.<br />
Kazal finished third in this race<br />
last term, but flopped behind<br />
Blazing Bailey when expected<br />
to go close at Punchestown,<br />
and though he is as low as 10-1<br />
for this with VC (generally a 16s<br />
shot) it is far from certain that<br />
he will remain over hurdles.<br />
He has always been regarded<br />
as a top-class chasing prospect<br />
and he made his seasonal debut<br />
in a Grade 1 novice chase last<br />
season.<br />
After running a massive race<br />
and falling late on, he unseated<br />
Davy Russell a couple of weeks<br />
later, which meant connections<br />
brought him back to hurdles.<br />
I would be surprised if they<br />
didn’t give fencing another try<br />
and if he were to win first time<br />
out, this race could well be off<br />
the agenda.<br />
Albert Bartlett winner<br />
Nenuphar Collonges is next best<br />
at 20-1 and he had previously<br />
won at the track in a Grade 2<br />
last December.<br />
He could be another who<br />
reverts to chasing, as he was<br />
last seen over fences winning<br />
off a lowly mark of 127 at<br />
Uttoxeter in March 2007 and<br />
he would look attractively<br />
handicapped over fences. Alan<br />
King will obviously place him to<br />
best effect and, without being<br />
disrespectful, I’m not quite sure<br />
he has the class to land a World<br />
Hurdle so handicap chases<br />
could be the route for him.<br />
As well as Elusive Dream, Paul<br />
Nicholls has Mobaasher (20-<br />
1) and Celestial Halo (25-1) as<br />
possibles for this. The former<br />
needs to improve, having won<br />
a 3m handicap at the track in<br />
April, but he is still only five<br />
and probably hasn’t reached his<br />
peak.<br />
The latter of course won<br />
the Triumph Hurdle and as I<br />
pointed out in my Champion<br />
Hurdle preview, I think he<br />
could be open to any amount of<br />
improvement once stepped up<br />
to 2m4f and beyond.<br />
The Galileo gelding, who<br />
finished third to Irish Derby and<br />
Coronation Cup winner Soldier<br />
Of Fortune in the Chester Vase<br />
just last May, is due to start off<br />
his campaign in Newcastle’s<br />
‘Fighting Fifth’ at the end of<br />
November and I’m half hoping<br />
Racing Ahead 29
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