1.30: Barry Geraghty may of late have had a quieter time than usual on home turf, but he has been flying at Cheltenham and one of his winners was provided by Nicky Henderson in yesterday’s Coral Cup Handicap. Spirit River was not one of the more obvious choices in the race but proved to have been laid out for the Festival.
A similar remark could be applied to Dave’s Dream who, on his hurdle rating, could well have escaped the handicapper’s eye in this novice chase. His big pay day last season came in the Imperial Cup at Sandown where, on good ground, Geraghty’s mount scampered home a 7l winner from Seven Is My Number.
2.40: None of the present-day school of Irish trainers can match Edward O’Grady’s association with the National Hunt Festival, and it was a youthful trainer having taken over the stable of his late father, Willie, who saddled Mr Midland to win the National Hunt Chase 36 years ago. Edward was back here for the Open Meeting in November and landed a Paddy Power Gold Cup gamble with Tranquil Sea.
On the day he was 4½l too good for Poquelin, but the runner-up, who is 2lb better off and who was not especially fancied that day, will certainly test O’Grady in his search for a 19th Cheltenham victory.
4.40: With 11 of the 13 favourites so far beaten this week, it is hard to justify attaching a nap to any runner, but it would be nice to think that we could touch for each-way value in the shape of John Thomas McNamara’s mount Nostringsattached in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup. The drying ground will help his cause on a day when the card does not justify the extension of the Festival.
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