Timeform: Put your House on it?
Irish-trained runners top the Timeform ratings for the two Championship races at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday.
However, both the Ryanair Chase and the Ladbrokes World Hurdle have an open feel according to Timeform Chief Correspondent Jamie Lynch.
The Gordon Elliott-trained Don Cossack (180+), who is unbeaten in his four races in his second season over fences, tops Timeform’s weight-adjusted figures for the Ryanair Chase, while Tony Martin’s Dedigout (175), also representing Gigginstown House Stud, rates 1lb higher than the Paul Nicholls pair of Saphir de Rheu (174+) and Zarkandar (174) in the World Hurdle.
However, both races look open according to Lynch: “Festival regular Rock On Ruby hasn’t made it to the World Hurdle, and neither have the first two from last year’s race, More of That injured and Annie Power concentrating on a different competition, and obviously Big Buck’s isn’t around anymore, so we’re looking for something else to step up.
"Saphir Du Rheu, trained by Paul Nicholls, owned by Andy Stewart, and reverted to hurdles after a short and not-very-sweet spell over fences, is doing a fair impression of Big Buck's so far, and although this is a bigger test for him, his position towards the head of the market looks justified.
“Don Cossack tops the Timeform ratings for the Ryanair, and it’s not hard to see why given some of his form this year, but he didn’t shine when coming over for the Festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree last spring and there are a couple of other strong contenders in the field – the likes of Balder Succes and Ma Filleule – who will give him something to think about.”