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Entries for the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase were revealed this week and indicate the strength in Ireland’s challenge.
This article first appeared in the Racing Post on Friday 1st March.
Last year’s winner, the Bradley Gibbs-trained Premier Magic, is batting for the home team, but horses trained in Ireland fill the first three places in betting lists and the seven-year-olds Ferns Lock and Its On The Line have age on their side. Why Ferns Lock is favourite ahead of Its On The Line – who was second in the Festival Hunters’ Chase last year – is a surprise to me. Its On The Line is quirky, as he showed on his latest start when almost gifting a race to Billaway, but he has beaten Ferns Lock this season and scores on stamina.
There is no reason to suggest Premier Magic cannot win again, but the home team’s defence was weakened when progressive seven-year-old Tigerbythetail missed qualification when falling while clear at Fakenham recently, and his Tom Ellis-trained stablemate Fairly Famous has not hit top stride yet this season. He won a point-to-point on Sunday at Charm Park, but is not entered for Cheltenham.
Premier Magic (Bradley Gibbs) winning at the Cheltenham evening meeting last year (Neale Blackburn)
Good ground would help Time Leader, although Aintree might suit him better, while course-and-distance winner Quintin’s Man (pictured top of page under Darren Andrews), a seven-year-old trained on the edge of Dartmoor by John Heard, is better than some of his runs this season suggest. A big horse who will not be hindered whatever the ground, he can be backed at 33/1 in places and is a fair choice for each-way punters.
Statistics are against the three mares in the field, all trained in Britain, one of whom – Highway Jewel – is entered at Didmarton tomorrow. The last time a mare won was in 1969 when Queen’s Guide, trained in Co Durham by farmer Willie Wade, was ridden to victory by his son Geoffrey.
On recent form, the most likely heroine this year is Sine Nomine, jointly-owned and trained by Catterick manager Fiona Needham. Put aside a defeat at Cheltenham last year by Miss Seagreen – who is also in the Festival Hunters’ Chase – and Sine Nomine has been quietly progressive.
Needham says: “I always thought she was good enough, but was beginning to doubt myself until she won at Wetherby, beating Bennys King. After his win last week [at Leicester] I’m feeling better.” Bennys King beat the Gordon Elliott-trained Hardline, who has form against some of Ireland’s best hunters, by 23 lengths, suggesting Sine Nomine’s challenge is not without hope.
