A magical time of year - spring arrives and with it the Cheltenham Festival
During the Festival the huge crowds will make the stands look quite different!Whether you are a racing fan or not, the Cheltenham Festival (Tuesday, March 15 – Friday, March 18) seems to bring with it a breath of fresh air for everyone. There's a change in the weather for all and the most spine-tingling week of horse racing for those of us besotted with this wonderful sport and its incredible equine athletes.
Cheltenham is gearing up to its annual Irish invasion where, for one week only, any stray visitor would question whether we were in the Cotswolds or Leinster.
The Irish equine challenge this year is as strong as it has perhaps ever been mainly through the phenomenal and very gracious Willie Mullins who has dominated the Cheltenham Festival in recent years, taking the leading trainer award four out of the last five years.
The likes of Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls are unlikely to have it any easier this year with Mullins’ hand so strong (courtesy of the likes of hot favourites Min, Douvan, Annie Power, Vroum Vroum Mag and Un De Sceaux) that one major bookmaker makes him a 1/33 shot to retain his title as the Festival's top trainer!
However, whilst most form anoraks will be pawing over the implications of the many nail-biting bouts in the mud this winter both sides of the Irish Sea, it may pay to save some time and instead throw this year's formbook completely out of window and pick up the one from last spring. That was the last time many of these star horses were able to run on ‘decent’ ground - given how wet a winter it has been this time around.
Mother nature is drying Cheltenham’s hallowed turf the whole time and by 1.30pm on Tuesday, March 15, the time when the big roar erupts and all hairs stand to attention, the ground may look more of the green than the ploughed variety. And that may come to the bookmakers' rescue as the form gets turned on its head.
The shortest price favourite from the home and indeed local brigade is Yanworth from Alan King’s Barbury Castle yard. Yanworth is set to tackle the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle on the Wednesday at prohibitive odds.
The talented chestnut looks one of the most exciting novice hurdlers we have seen in recent times. This time next year, he could well be trying to emulate his owners’ own Istabraq in the Champion Hurdle.
Nicky Henderson Nicky Henderson, who trains in Lambourn, has had a bit of an in and out season He has been the king when it comes to the Cheltenham Festival and whilst he lacks an obvious star this time around, his yard is full of 'good ground' horses that will have been trained to peak for these four days.
He is a man to follow in the Championship Races and Handicaps alike and I feel he may be able to pluck a couple of white rabbits from his hat in two of the big hurdle races courtesy of Hargam (Champion Hurdle, Tuesday, 20-1) and Whisper (World Hurdle, Thursday, 20-1), two forgotten horses who love good ground and who can go close at rewarding odds.
Sam HoskinsOnce Cheltenham is over, it is time for my own attention to focus on the flat racing season and in particular the syndicates I manage, namely Kennet Valley Thoroughbred Syndicates and the Hot To Trot Syndicate.
We have some extremely exciting horses to go to war with this year, not least our aptly-named grey sprinter Magical Memory, trained by Charlie Hills at Lambourn, who won last years’ Stewards Cup at Goodwood before going on to finish third in the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup.
He boasts a very high cruising speed and watching his big grey self loom up large on the bridle as if he is in a two mile hurdle race is simply exhilarating. Sixteen people are lucky enough to own him and my fingers and toes are crossed he can fulfill the dreams we all have for him this year.
April is a particularly exciting month as we host many stable visits for our syndicate owners. For many, these are some of the most special days of the season, being able to get up close and personal with the horses and to hear all the latest news (usually taking an optimistic spin!) from the horse's month.
This game is all about dreaming and it is certainly the time of year for that whether you are into the jumps or the flat. For me it is both - and I can’t wait!