DAY TWO PREVIEW:BIG ZEB'S trainer, Colm Murphy, could end up having the afternoon of a lifetime if Raise The Beat justifies a big reputation in today's festival finale, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
The race, so long portrayed as something of an Irish benefit, has a very different vibe at the top of the betting this time with Knight Pass and Ericht both dominating the ante-post market.
Irish hopes took a knock yesterday when the apparent number one Willie Mullins hope, Allure Of Illusion, recently bought by the American owner, Rich Ricci, failed to get into the race.
Mullins’s hopes of a seventh success will now be carried by both Tusa Eire and Lord Gale who impressed the trainer’s son Patrick when making a winning debut at Navan last month.
Raise The Beat in contrast has flown under the radar somewhat in the build-up to this afternoon. The son of Beat All hasn’t been seen for some time himself but that October defeat of Dynamic Approach was hugely impressive and the runner-up is regarded highly enough to take his own place in the field today.
Murphy deliberately put Raise The Beat away to avoid winter ground and this surface should be ideal for him. The Co Wexford trainer is not one to shout his chances but he has been consistently positive about Raise The Beat on the run-up to today and the six-year-old is rated at least as good a bumper prospect as Zaarito, who was an unlucky third to Cousin Vinny in 2008.
Day two of the festival could turn into a bumper day for the Irish raiders all round with Oscars Well looking to hold outstanding claims in the Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle and Alfa Beat possibly best of a strong team in the four-mile National Hunt Chase.
So Young has gathered much of the pre-race momentum behind him going into the Neptune with punters leaping on a number of factors, not least of which being Willie Mullins’s nomination of the five-year-old as his best charity bet at a recent festival preview night.
But the reality remains So Young has achieved nothing within hailing distance of what Oscars Well has done this season with Jessica Harrington’s charge landing a pair of Grade Ones.
It is also worth remembering the anticipation of many camps going into last month’s Deloitte at Leopardstown only for Oscars Well to put them all in their place with a vengeance.
Both Harrington and jockey Robbie Power are convinced Oscars Well is out of the very top drawer and he can put his 11 opponents to the sword.
“He’s the one with the form at Grade One level, but it’s going to be another good race. It’s all in the lap of the gods now. I don’t think the ground will trouble him. There’s only 12 runners which is a very small field for that race. That’s fine by me,” Harrington said yesterday.
One of the first things Barry Geraghty said after jumping off Alfa Beat in the Kerry National winner’s enclosure at Listowel last September was that the prolific grey could be ideal for the marathon National Hunt Chase.
The top jockey’s judgement could be vindicated yet again with Robbie McNamara a safe pair of hands to guide Alfa Beat round in a race where Ireland is also represented by big hopes in Some Target and Chicago Grey.
They are a trio of classy types but Alfa Beat will be at home on the ground and Charles Byrnes doesn’t expect problems with the trip.
Time For Rupert is one of the week’s hotpots in the RSA Chase but winning here in March is a lot different to doing the same in December and the unexposed Wymott could provide a touch of value in a race where Ruby Walsh has significantly plumped to ride Mikael D’Haguenet.
For Non Stop returns to handicap company for the Coral Cup after a Grade One attempt last time and caught a red-hot one in Grands Cru at Newbury before that.
He looks to hold solid claims.
