cheltenham preview evening reports 2014

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Full report of Cheltenham Festival preview evening at Exeter Racecourse - febuary 21st 2014 Tonight saw the annual Cheltenham preview evening at Exeter Racecourse with guests including trainers Paul Nicholls, David Pipe and Phillip Hobbs, jockey Nick Scholfield and Racing Post reporter Andrew King. TUESDAY SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE. Andrew King: Vautour is a very smart house who comes into race well. Irving has done little wrong and I think at the moment is each way value. Paul Nicholls: (on Irving) I hope he can win. He is four from six on the flat and three from three in jumps and is in good shape. A fast run race would suit him better. Nick Scholfield: The horse with the best English form is Irving, who has done nothing wrong. The horse is better on better ground but has won on soft ground before. David Pipe: (on The Liquidator) He is back on good form. You could call him the forgotten horse. He has had one bad run but was vying for favouritism before that. If we can get him back to his best he will have a chance. Wicklow Brave needs to brush up on his jumping and I have a sneaky feeling the top two (Irving and Vautour) will take all the beating. Phillip Hobbs: Vautour looks very good but Irving offers better each way value. ARKLE CHALLENGE TROPHY: Paul Nicholls: Hinterland would like to see it dry out. He is still in the Champion Chase and we will see what the ground does. But Hinterland and Dodging Bullets are both in good order. I am thrilled with Dodging Bullets. Andrew King: I think Rock on Ruby has a sound chance if the ground dries out. Nick Schofield: Champagne Fever is much better if he gets an easy lead. If he gets taken on that might let him down. I have been impressed by Valdez and he might offer good each way value. David Pipe: I think Champagne Fever will take all the beating. Valdez gave a good performance at Doncaster, can travel and has an each way chance but Champagne Fever is the one for me. Phillip Hobbs: Champagne Fever has won twice previously at the festival and can come back and do it again. CHAMPION HURDLE Andrew King: The obvious is Hurricane Fly but I have always thought the Our Connor has been trained with one race only in mind and will be better than ever on faster ground if it dries out. I don’t think My Tent Or Yours or The New One is good enough to compete with these. If Annie Power shows up that could change everything but for me it is Hurricane Fly or Our Connor. David Pipe: Even though Hurricane Fly is not getting any younger, I am not convinced My Tent Or Yours will get up the hill so I will go with Hurricane Fly. Nick Schofield: (On Melodic Rendezvous) He has no pressure going into the race and deserves his chance. It will be a very tactical race with no real pace. Phillip Hobbs and Paul Nicholls both said The New One had a decent chance. WEDNESDAY NEPTUNE NOVICES’ HURDLE David Pipe: I have been very impressed with Faugheen. But Red Sherlock has done nothing wrong and will run a massive race. The betting is right and Faugheen is the one to beat. (On Un Temps Pour Tout) Whichever race he goes in he will have a good chance. Phillip Hobbs: Champagne West is only in the Neptune if the ground comes up heavy. Paul Nicholls: We will probably aim Port Melon at the three miler. Andrew King: I have been very impressed with Red Sherlock in his bumpers and hurdles so far and he will take all the beating. He has a massive chance in this race and is going to be a top class horse. RSA CHASE David Pipe: It looks an open RSA if not the best. But it is not easy. I might still be taking a chance with Gevrey Chambertin. He is a good horse on his day and I am inclined to take the chance. Paul Nicholls: Sam Winner can reverse the form with Smad Place and better ground will suit. The quicker they go the better and he has got a great chance. Nick Scholfield: There is not much between Sam Winner and Smad Place but SW is a much bigger price. QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE: David Pipe: Sprinter Sacre is a concern but hopefully they have had time to put him right. The race is all around this house but I would expect him to get him back and probably win. Phillip Hobbs: Sprinter Sacre is a fantastic horse if he is right. Sire De Grugy is in decent form but I cannot see him beating Sprinter Sacre if he turns up. Andrew King: I am very interested in Benefficient. He is a very nice horse and if Sprinter Sacre does not run I think they might try him in this. Personally I don’t think Sprinter Sacre will get there. Paul Nicholls I think Nicky is sounding a bit negative with Sprinter Sacre saying they will make a decision in the next ten days. They won’t really know until they race him though. It just seemed a little negative. If he is back in good form we might take him on with Hinterland. If he turned up we might be positive and have a crack with him. THURSDAY: JLT NOVICES’ CHASE (FORMERLY JEWSON) Paul Nicholls: Wonderful Charm goes well fresh and was three from four over fences in the Autumn. He is in good shape but would not want the ground too soft. Vukovar is a decent horse but Wonderful Charm has shown enough to be the one to beat. Nick Scholfield also liked Wonderful Charm: If he gets ground he will be very hard to beat. David Pipe: Vukovar is the one I will go for in that race. Andrew King: Taquin Du Seuil has a good each way chance. He will stay on up the hill. RYANAIR CHASE David Pipe: If Sprinter Sacre does not turn up for the Champion Chase it will take a lot of horses away from the Ryanair. With Dynaste we are keeping the options open. He has not been right for a long time but is in great form at present. If he continues we will get him to Cheltenham in top form. We will leave it late to see what happens with Sprinter Sacre and the ground. Paul Nicholls: The Ryanair for Al Ferof was always my A-plan. He ran very well in the King George but does not stay. This is the obvious race for him and the ideal race for him. Wishfull Thinking could be the one to beat. I would run Cue Card in the Ryanair. He is not going to get three and a half miles at Cheltenham in an end to end gallop in the Gold Cup. If he is in the Ryanair he is a favourite and hard to beat. Phillip Hobbs said: I am more likely to run Menorah. Wishfull Thinking might end up in the Byrne Group Plate. Cue Card has a big chance in the Ryanair but won’t win the Gold Cup. Andrew King: Dynaste. WORLD HURDLE Paul Nicholls: Big Bucks has got as good a chance as any other time he has been in the race. He needed his previous run and it was on very heavy ground that we would not normally run him in. But we had to go somewhere with him and he has tightened up since then. He must have a leading chance. Phillip Hobbs: Big Bucks has been a fantastic horse for so long and must have a good chance. Andrew King: I had reservations about his comeback run. But seeing the way he was today (in a racecourse gallop at Exeter) he looked back to his best and will take all the beating. He looked a picture and still got such quality. David Pipe: I hope Annie Power does turn up as it will make it a great race for everyone to watch. FRIDAY: JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE Paul Nicholls: I am confident of a big run from Calipto but he prefers softer ground. ALBERT BARTLETT David Pipe: King’s Palace has done nothing wrong, handles the track, stays well and is in ground form. All roads lead to the Albert Bartlett. Briar Hill is the main danger but I don’t fancy Captain Cutter. Andrew King: Kings Palace is a very nice young horse and is the obvious choice in the race. He is got to go close but I would not take 3/1. GOLD CUP Paul Nicholls: Silviniaco Conti is stronger than last year and stays as we saw at Kempton. He was travelling extremely well and I have never had any doubt he can stay up that hill. He will need a bit of luck in running but is in very good shape. Phillip Hobbs: Captain Chris will run. That is the plan. He is not as good left handed but has won the Arkle and a novice hurdle at Cheltenham. There is no other race to run him in. We have nothing to lose by running. David Pipe: It looks a strong renewal and Bob’s Worth will take all the beating. He is not flashy but is workmanlike. Silviniaco Conti has got a great chance but Bob’s Worth will take all the beating, Nick Scholfield: Silviniaco Conti looked really fresh and well today (in the Exeter gallop) and Noel struggled to hold him. Harry Topper could be a good each way bet. At 20/1 he may run into a place. Andrew King: Silviniaco Conti is one of the best bets of the meeting. Handicap choices Phillip Hobbs: Fingal Bay in the Pertemps. Paul Nicholls: Far West in the Coral Cup David Pipe: Edmund Kean in the Kim Muir. Nick Scholfield: Regal Encore in the Coral Cup. Andrew King: Cheltenian in the County Hurdle.

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Re: cheltenham preview evening reports 2014 Tweets via @trevcummins Under starters orders here in The Stables, Carrigaline for Cheltenham Preview. Panel Andrew Lynch - Jockey Paul Nolan - Trainer Jimmy Mangan - Trainer Kevin O'Ryan - Jockeys Agent / ATR Champion Hurdle Jimmy Mangan with the first of many pearls of wisdom, "Leopardstown and Cheltenham are two different places", glad that's been cleared up. Paul Nolan on The Fly, "greatest hurdler of all time, will have statues built in his honour" TheFly Champion Champion Chase Jimmy Mangan had BJ Geraghty on the blower earlier, the Sprinter is said to be working like a beast at home! Andrew Lynch says Sizing Europe still has it in him to go + win the Champion Chase, worked well up the Old Vic this morning Gold Cup Panel agreed on Last Installment posing biggest threat to Bobs Worths Gold Cup double bid#Cheltenham Other Races Jimmy Mangan, breeder of Deputy Dan, not sure Oliver Sherwoods star will have enough to beat the Irish contenders in the Neptune Cheltenham Davy Russel, absent from the panel, asks to have it made known, Morning Assembly in the RSA may be his best chance of a winner. Cheltenham Andrew Lynch reckons Hidden Cyclone represents value in the Ryanair Cheltenham Paul Nolan speaking today to Gordon Elliott who reckons Tiger Roll in the Triumph is his best chance at Cheltenham Tips/Charity Bets Charity Bets in Aid Of Irish injured Jockeys Fund Andrew Lynch Sizing Gold-JLT Novices Chase #Cheltenham Paul Nolan - The Tullow Tank - Neptune #Cheltenham Jimmy Mangan-Oscar Delta e/w-Foxhunter Chase + Hurricane Fly-Champion Hurdle Kevin O'Ryan-Ted Veale e/w-Grand Annual.