Guest of honour
Her Majesty The Queen Consort is in attendance at Cheltenham today.
One non in the bumper
Fergal O’Brien’s Highland Haven will miss the Weatherbys Champion Bumper. He’s been pulled out on a self certificate due to a rash.
Back to where we started
Clerk of the course Jon Pullin expects the moisture from this morning to have brought the ground back to where it was before racing yesterday.
Speaking to Racing TV, he said: “We’ve had this snow this morning, which equates to around 2mm of rainfall. It will probably just take us back to the start of the day yesterday. By the end of yesterday we were starting to get just on the quicker side of good to soft so I think with this morning’s moisture it will put us back in a good position and back to where we started.”
Looking to later in the week, he added: “We put a little bit more water on the New course [before the meeting started] with a view of getting through to Thursday without having to do anything and hopefully, with this moisture this morning, that will keep us in a good place and we won’t need to do anything.
“We put covers on take-offs and landings last night, which was very precautionary, and we’ll probably do the same tonight and then we’ll reassess tomorrow and may do a little bit more covering Thursday into Friday.”
Today’s card
Ruby weighs in on the great Jonbon debate
With Jonbon on the drift, Ruby Walsh has his say on the Champion Chase. My colleague Jonathan Harding had a quick chat with the riding legend and ITV analyst and he says:
“It’s a race so they can all lose but Jonbon is in outstanding form and his whole season has been building to this afternoon. He sets the standard and is definitely one to beat. At the prices, Found A Fifty and Solness could be the ones who can pick up the pieces.”
Money coming for The Yellow Clay
All the money in the first is for The Yellow Clay. Final Demand retains favouritism at 13-8, with The New Lion out to 3-1, but The Yellow Clay, who was 6-1 this morning, has almost halved in price. He is now a best-priced 100-30 and there’s every chance he displaces The New Lion as second favourite. He could yet go off favourite!
The New Lion’s breeder
If you want to approach the opening Turners from a slightly different direction, my Bloodstock colleague Tom Peacock has had a fascinating chat with Jackie Chugg, the woman who bred The New Lion.
You can read the full interview here, but here’s a snippet: “I’ve followed him when I’ve been over to Lodge Hill, so I’ve seen him throughout. I know Dan always thought a lot of him, but to have bred what Dan calls the best horse he’s ever had is quite an accolade.”
Jonbon on the drift
Despite having the SmartView backing, Jonbon is on the drift and he’s out to a standout even-money with William Hill.
There is only one horse shortening against him as second favourite Marine Nationale is also drifting and out to 11-2. The one for money is 2022 and 2023 winner Energumene, who is into 6-1.
by Racing Post
