Flat Out For The Festival

by Terry Clark

THERE are two Cheltenham Festivals annually. One for poets and writers. One for horses. What’s written about the one for horses even before the races are run is more than enough to fill a book every season. But the 'book' has had the same title for more than 30 years: Is this the new Arkle?

Whether punters crave a super-hero or not, Press pundits insist that they do, and they’ve been looking for a successor to Tom Dreaper’s star ever since he completed a Gold Cup hat-trick in 1966.

It’s not enough for them that L’Escargot’s 'gold' was coupled with a Grand National, Dawn Run’s with a Champion Hurdle, Desert Orchid’s with domination of the King George. None of them had three Gold Cups on the mantelshelf, so they weren’t good enough.

The Aintree nominee for super-horse status, Red Rum, is ultimately rejected: didn’t his treble prove that he was purely a Grand National specialist, who won a 'seller' on the Flat rather than a Gold Cup?

The truth is, of course, that these were great horses in their own right, and we should also remember that, if we did see another Arkle - i.e. another horse who is reckoned to have won everything - some of the same newspapers would decry him on the grounds that he or she (remember Dawn Run was a mare) must have 'beaten nothing.'

In fact, Arkle did not win 'everything'; he was beaten three times in handicaps. And he owes his high rank to the fact that it could not be said that he had 'beaten nothing.' It was really his defeat of another Press super-horse that first put him on a pedestal. That was Mill House.

Arkle was dubbed 'super' after winning just one Gold Cup because the Press had egg on their faces. They had plumped for Mill House as the new Golden Miller; that was the hero search in those days (Golden Miller remains the only horse to have won the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season, and that was when the National was more like fell climbing with the occassional Offa’s Dyke between the fells).

No sooner had the papers announced their new super-star, the 'new Golden Miller', than Arkle came along and beat him, destroying the Mill House myth before it had had time to get embedded in the racing psyche. And what made the story so potent was that Arkle was Irish and Mill House was English.

The grey, Teeton Mill one of the favorites for the Gold Cup.

That’s where any parallel with this year’s Gold Cup starts and finishes. We cannot possibly see 'a new Arkle' unless the winner on March 18 goes on to take the race again in the years 2000 and 2001. But, if God, the weather and a safe crossing will it, we shall see a head to head of some quality between England and Ireland. Teeton Mill v Florida Pearl.

Although he’d had only four steeplechases, Florida Pearl was getting the Arkle accolade before he toyed with Escartefigue in the Irish Gold Cup. However, 'Escarte' figures in more than one form-line for March 18. The same horse was beaten six lengths by Teeton Mill in the King George, more than nine lengths by See More Business in the Rehearsal Chase at Chepstow and five lengths - receiving weight - by Suny Bay in the Edward Hanmer Memorial at Haydock (See More Business fourth).

Escartefigue was not fully wound up when Suny Bay beat him, but 'Sunny' will line up a fresh horse at Cheltenham, and that’s when he does best.

As I write, the hype has Florida Pearl favourite with Teeton Mill 3-1 second favourite in a 'match'. Clearly, as we know from Escartefigue, the 1999 Gold Cup is no match. Add to my form lines the fact that Double Thriller has already beaten Teeton Mill and that Doran’s Pride had Florida Pearl a faller behind him in the Ericcson Chase and it isn’t even a three-horse contest. It’s a helluva race. No one could crib at any one of half a dozen different results!

One bookmaker (Ladbrokes) even had Escartefigue third in the betting, although he’s regarded by most as just the yardstick for the main contenders. With further to travel, Escartefigue could put his frustrating run of seconds behind him and take the prize that really matters.

In any other year the Press 'hacks' would be happy with an England-Ireland clash between Dorans Pride and Suny Bay. But to have so many serious contenders makes it a dream of a race.

I’m sure the City spread-betting bookies will be advertising not one but three or four match bets come the day if the front-runners all stand their ground.

Incidentally, if you are having an early Grand National bet ante-post, don’t forget that Teeton Mill, Double Thriller and Suny Bay all have Cheltenham as their first priority and you should add to their National odds the risk factor that they may not even run at Aintree. Horses successful at the Festival, or which have hard races, rarely do well at Aintree. They regularly cost punters a great deal of hard-earned money. Horses which avoid Cheltenham are fresh for the Liverpool fray.

That’s one reason why I rejected the Racing Post view that Double Thriller was best value for the Grand National at only 12-1. I also took into account the knowledge that his owner reflects ruefully on his having run Double Silk at Aintree five years ago: Double Silk was badly injured.

Former trainer Charlie Brooks, writing in the Daily Telegraph, disagrees with my view. He is expecting another Golden Miller. He thinks that the National is so much easier these days and, with a three-week gap this year between the races, the Gold Cup and Grand National double is sure to happen, if not in 1999 then perhaps providing a special celebration in millenium year.

This does not square with a recent notion among racing’s authorities that the Grand National should be viewed as a special race for handicapping purposes; it was unfair said the whingers that most winners came from near the foot of the handicap.

However, the new National Hunt handicapper Phil Smith, framing his first National, said he had not taken into account the 'Aintree factor' and had, more or less, handicapped the runners on the same lines as other big races. The most significant change was caused by Arkle himself: he was so good that the long handicap had to be created. Otherwise, most of the runners were 'out of the handicap!'

Meanwhile, the Jockey Club has written to the connections of 13-year-old Grand National prospect Over The Deel, 'suggesting' that the horse is too old for the race. Whether they are right or not, this is pathetic.

Last year, because of the precocious form of Cyfor Malta, the National rules were changed to accommodate six-year-olds; now, having opened this door, they want to close another, but seek to do so surreptitiously. Call me old fashioned, but what happened to race-planning; what is wrong with the old John Hughes’ idea of properly framing a race, with qualifying conditions where the normal rules of entry don’t apply, to get the best-possible field on the day?

While we are on the subject, why not another National at Liverpool at the autumn meeting? It’s patently obvious from the massive entry for this year’s Aintree race, and from the huge fields for the equivalent races at Warwick and Ayr, that it would be well supported; and it would kill two birds with one stone, on the one hand, providing an 'alternative' National, and on the other equipping the authorities with a ready-made qualifier for the 'real thing' the following spring.

'There’s only one National!' I can hear the emotional charge. Well, there was only one Lincoln Handicap until there were so many entries that Doncaster split the race and held the 'first division' as an appetiser before the 'big ‘un.' It has helped transform the first major meeting of the Flat, though more needs to be done to fanfare the start of the season. Change where it’s needed not change for change sake must be the criterion.

Cheltenham managing director Edward Gillespie seems ready to acquiesce to another lobby gaining ground at the moment: that conditions for the Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle should be changed because the progeny of too many Flat-race stallions are winning the race, such as the subsequent Champion Hurdle victor Istabraq (by Sadlers Wells).

But, as J.A. McGrath pointed out in the Daily Telegraph, last year’s winner of the race, French Holly, considered the very chasing type in the traditional mould that the lobbyists want the Sun Alliance race reserved for, had also appeared on the Flat but would probably not have done so if his eligibility had been threatened.

I could give many examples of the failure of racing authorities to capitalise on success, or even market the product at a basic level. But the idea of changing a race which has just thrown up Istabraq and French Holly is just laughable. In any other area, the promoters would be cashing in, trumpeting their success.

There are enough badly supported races requiring the attention of the race-planners. And racing’s general failure to sell itself would fill another book.

Prolific winner Barton or previous Cheltenham scorer Alexander Banquet should restore the balance for the traditional National Hunt type in this year’s Sun Alliance Hurdle, though the mischief in me would love to see a good run from the fine Flat horse Bold Gait (by Persian Bold out of a Mill Reef mare). Why shouldn’t the best of the old-style store horses continue to meet the best of the ex-Flat performers and make this race a young pretenders’ championship?

In the Champion Hurdle proper, Istabraq and French Holly may have most to fear from Midnight Legend, who completed a hat-trick over hurdles in 1997 and his return this year after a long lay-off culminated in the defeat - albeit in receipt of a stone - of Master Beveled at Sandown in February. He’ll need to improve again.

Not without a 'squeak' would be Barry Hills’ The Fly. Fifth in the 1997 Derby and third in that year’s St Leger, he won his first and only hurdle race at Newbury on Tote Gold Trophy day. He’ll need to improve a lot.

Both the class Flat horses, The Fly and Bold Gait, have alternative engagements in the Citroen Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Behrajan won his final prep for the Triumph Hurdle on the same day that Teeton Mill beat Aintree outsider Senor El Betrutti. Hors La Loi (French for 'outlaw') and the recent Thurles winner, Balla Sola, both successful on the Flat, were interesting opponents at the front of the market. If this pair provided the winner, or the Supreme Novices’ winner came from The Fly or Bold Gait, I suppose the Cheltenham authorities would have to outlaw these races to Flat horses, too!

But, granted his defeat of Behrajan over course and distance, Hors La Loi had usurped favouritism for the Triumph Hurdle mainly on the back of his £150,000 sale from Francois Doumen’s yard to Martin Pipe in mid-February. As readers of this column will know, I believe that any form of hype for one horse is only productive in that it provides better odds about the other horses in any given race.

Sure enough, the new owner of Hors La Loi announced that the horse was a doubtful runner for the Triumph. Doumen himself relies on Quel Senor, hurdles-debut winner at Newbury about the same time as the Hors La Loi sale.

The truth is that most Triumph hurdle contenders are too inexperienced and the race can be very damaging to their futures (would you consider a change of conditions here, please, Mr. Gillespie? I doubt it).

I would like Call Equiname, the horse with 'glass legs' - trainer Paul Nicholls’ words not mine - to come back and win the Queen Mother Champion Chase since I have a fancy voucher about his chances taken before his clever Victor Chandler Chase victory at Kempton on January 23. The gap between that race and the Queen Mother Chase should see him a fresh horse on the day. As Nicholls said: 'We started again after the Victor Chandler; we’ll treat the big one at Cheltenham as if it it’s his first run of the season.'

Dangers are Edredon Bleu, winner of the Grand Annual last year -he’s a tough customer, possibly still improving - and Celibate, who returned to form at Newbury on February 13.

If there is to be an Irish beano this year, Nick Dundee (Royal & Sun Alliance Chase) and His Song (Guiness Arkle Chase) could be in the limelight alongside Florida Pearl, Istabraq, Alexander Banquet and Balla Sola. There is certainly talent in depth among that little lot, and the bookmakers are sure to make the Irish short odds to beat the home team.

However, one of the tastiest clashes may be an all-England affair: the meeting of Deano’s Beeno (Martin Pipe) and Lady Rebecca (Venetia Williams) in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

The pre-Festival tragedy is that Princeful has to miss this because of injury but 'Deano' only just lost out to him - 30 lengths clear of a quality field - in the Smurfit Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December, then went on to an impressive 22-length victory in the Tote Premier Long Distance Hurdle at Haydock at the end of January.

Lady Rebecca matched that with three consecutive victories at Cheltenham, and all by increasingly wider margins. On a line through Castle Sweep, 'Deano' has her measure, yet those who saw her beat Silver Wedge and Commanche Court in the Cleeve Hurdle will never forget the impressive nature of her victory.

The dual of 'Deano' and 'the Lady' could surely only be spoiled by Le Coudray, owned by the legendary gambler J P. McManus and from the Aidan O’Brien stable of Istabraq.

Istabraq and Le Coudray are among the few jumpers remaining with the trainer who is now concentrating on the Flat. O’Brien has an amazing strike rate. Some of his Flat swans may turn out to be merely better-than-average geese, of course; but how many of them subsequently end up at Cheltenham depends on Mr Gillespie and Co.

*HOOFNOTE: As I write, a gelding called Fatehalkhair has just won his seventh Sedgefield race 'over the sticks.' I’m glad he’s a horse called 'Fate'. You see he’s by the champion miler Kris out of the Alleged mare, Midway Lady. (No more Flat jokes - ed).


Will the Gold Cup be run of the mill or will a pearl be polished from the grit and determination required in the toughest test bar the National?

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Copyright © Sue Wingate 1999