GOSH there are some terrible nonsensical cliches in horse racing – but I’m telling you, ‘horses for courses’ is not one of them.
There are few better examples of that than some of the main protagonists in today’s ITV feature, the Nyetimber December Gold Cup Handicap Chase.
Il Rodoto, Ga Law, Fugitif, Madara and Stage Star, for example, seem to save their best for Cheltenham.
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They have lined up there 35 times between them.
But is it the track that suits the quintet or the type of race they encounter? I suspect the latter is more on the money.
All are suited by strongly run handicaps where slick jumping at pace is key. That’s their thing. When they get their acts together they are hard to stop.
Il Rodoto, second last year when he tried to make all, has been to Cheltenham 11 times, and has form at the track of 844163238P1.
He first ran here with a handicap mark of 143, and since his rating has meandered between 138 and 148. His two wins at the course have come off 138 and 141.
It suggests he will struggle today now upped to 149.
Ga Law has been to Cheltenham five times in a light career of 19 outings. He has track form of 151P2. He could still be improving.
Of course Jamie Snowden’s challenger was smashed up by Il Rodoto in the Paddy Power Gold Cup on November 16, a race the former had landed in 2022.
But at these weights Ga Law has every chance of getting much closer and he didn’t always jump well and slipped slightly turning for home.
Last year’s winner Fugitif has been to Cheltenham eight times. His form here is 222413P5.
He’s very well handicapped off 150.
The problem for Fugitif that despite having landed 20 per cent of his races he’s a hard horse to win on at this level.
A mistake at the first didn’t help him when fifth in the Paddy Power and the New Course used this afternoon will be more in his favour.
Sean Bowen is on top and no one is riding better than him. But he will need to find his inner most Paul Carberry to get Fugitif home. He might manage it, but it won’t be easy.
The New Course should also help Madara, who ended up a Paddy Power fourth for trainer Dan and his brother jockey Harry Skelton, having never been placed to challenge.
He’s been dropped 1lb and is another regular here having raced at Cheltenham in five out of his seven starts since coming to the UK.
He might prefer deeper ground, certainly that seemed the case in France.
Stage Star has visited Cheltenham on six occasions and has form of P111P5 in those runs. He’s twice had breathing surgery.
That may hold the key to his performance.
A disappointing favourite on his return at Aintree, Stage Star still had every chance between the last two fences.
A quick mention also for Grandeur d’Ame, who did enough to score at Chepstow last time for Alan King.
He’s a little hard to predict, but was fourth in this last year off 136, the mark he’s on again.
Today’s race promises to be a sparkling rosé of a contest, but I’m happy to have a few quid eachway on Ga Law. He really should be in the mix.
Two other horses on the Cheltenham card take my eye, namely Clondaw General and Joyeuse.
Clondaw General goes in the Grade 2 novices’ hurdle over 3m at 3pm. I have a feeling he is a really good horse in the making although whether he’s quite ready for this right now only time will tell.
The son of Milan takes on a progressive horse in Skyjack Hijack, but Kim Bailey’s runner looked good at Worcester when last seen.
I was at that meeting and I really got the idea Tom Bellamy thought this was a decent animal. Jonathan Burke takes the ride with Bellamy sidelined.
Joyeuse is in a handicap hurdle over an extended 2m4f. The JP McManus-owned contender could be chucked in here off 119.
Nicky Henderson’s hope beat Tutti Quanti in a maiden hurdle at Taunton two runs ago and that animal last won off 125 so it shows how the mark for Nico de Boinville’s mount could be very lenient.
She needs to do more than when third on debut at Ascot but that is quite possible first time in a handicap.
An exciting day ahead. I just hope ‘Ga’ lays down the law.
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