Donn McClean, says
Edeymi the value
Half-time score: 6-8. Six for the British, eight for the Irish, but they’re still betting long odds-on Britain in the Prestbury Cup. The home team must be playing with the wind and down the hill in the second half.
We could get the second half off to a flyer, mind you, in the JLT Chase. Vautour won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last season and was immediately installed as favourite for the Arkle, insofar as there can be a favourite for the Arkle 364 days out. He looked all set for it too when he landed his beginners’ chase at Navan in November without breaking a sweat or touching a twig. But, if he had run in the Arkle, what would Un De Sceaux have won?
A defeat at the hands of Clarcam at Christmas caused a re-think. Willie Mullins’ horse wasn’t himself that day, they concluded, and he returned with a polished display to win a fairly uncompetitive three-horse race at Leopardstown in January. By then, however, his position in the Arkle had been taken up by his stable companion, but the JLT wasn’t the worst idea in the world. The step uop in trip should be fine: isn’t his French pedigree all stamina, three-mile cross-country races and two-mile flat races?
He is short, however, and his stable companion Valseur Lido may represent some value against him at around three times his price. Winner of a Grade 2 novices’ hurdle at Fairyhouse last Easter and second to Faugheen in a Grade 1 race at Punchestown in April, the Gigginstown House horse looked good in winning his beginners’ chase at Punchestown in November, and he looked even better in landing the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse two weeks later.
He was beaten by Apache Stronghold in the Grade 1 Flogas Chase at Leopardstown in February, but Apache Stronghold is a high-class performer, he is a big player today, and Valseur Lido was racing for the first time since he had won the Drinmore Chase that day. It is reasonable to expect that he will improve significantly for that run, just his third ever chase. He will probably get further in time, but a stiff two and a half miles should be ideal for him at this stage of his career, and he should run a big race.
Edeymi is favourite for the Pertemps Final, but he is the 8/1 favourite, and that is fair. The Tony Martin-trained gelding finished second behind Une Artiste in the Fred Winter Hurdle at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival off a mark of 135, so we know that he handles the track and Cheltenham Festival conditions.
Also, he was travelling well in behind runners in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at the 2013 Festival when he was brought down. It was too far out in the race to know for sure how he would have fared, but Shane Shortall had yet to ask him for any effort and, while he was well back in the field, they had gone hard from early. It was a race that favoured the hold-up horses. He was actually just about level with ultimate winner Salubrious at the time, and he was travelling just as well.
The Barathea gelding raced off a mark of 135 in the Fred Winter, and he raced off a mark of 139 in the Martin Pipe. Today, he races off a mark of 135, which sees him sneak into the race at the very bottom, number 24 of 24. That gives him a chance.
The Gigginstown House horse is still just seven, and he has run just three times over three miles. He still has lots of scope for progression at the trip.
He hasn’t won over hurdles since he won his maiden at Clonmel in February 2012, but he has won two flat races since then, including the big two-mile qualified riders’ handicap at the 2013 Galway Festival. He was off the track from August 2013 until December this season, when he ran well for a long way in the Leopardstown Pertemps qualifier, and he warmed up for today with a good run to finish fourth in the Musselburgh qualifier last month. He looks to be back as good as ever.
Tony Martin has his horses in top form, as we saw with Gallant Oscar on Tuesday and with Rivage D’Or yesterday, and Edeymi could provide the Meathman with another Festival winner.
