Argento Chase - Big Race Preview

Command Performance - If Cheltenham survives I'm hoping Imperial Commander can roll back the years

It is looking unlikely (5/6 unlikely) that we’ll get Cheltenham’s star-studded trials card on Saturday, and as such assessing the markets for the races and trying to even figure out which horses will line-up at this point looks a minefield.

However one race I have always had a sneaking suspicion for a certain horse in is the Argento Chase, and to me former Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander could be a bit of value against many of the young upstarts looking to cement their place in the festival’s blue ribbon race.

If Bobs Worth is going to win the Gold Cup as the market currently suggests he will, then he should be winning here, but at 8/1 Imperial Commander looks value each-way.

He may have been off the track for nigh on two years since pulling up in the Gold Cup of 2011, but on the back of several successful race course gallops I can’t imagine that the pride and joy of the Twiston-Davies yard won’t be as ripe as he can be.

Other than that blip when he clearly wasn’t right, he has a fantastic record round Cheltenham, including a Paddy Power Gold Cup win and two festival wins in the Ryanair and of course the Gold Cup.

He’s lightly raced for his age and although the stats will probably tell you he’s too old at 12 we’ve seen time and time again how valuable Cheltenham form can be and that not every horse takes to the home of National Hunt racing.

You’re taking a huge leap of faith that he can bounce back after so long off the track but there’s no substitute for class and if connections have any aspirations of him giving them another big day before he retires then he needs to be putting in a bold bid here.

Even if you would rather adopt a wait and see approach on Saturday to clock whether or not Imperial Commander truly still retains any of that old ability there has to be some mileage in a speculative each-way bet on him for the Gold Cup before Saturday at 50/1 Non-Runner Free Bet with Bet Victor, because if he puts in a good round in the Argento you can guarantee that his odds will be half that by the end of Saturday.

If Tidal Bay turns up in the form he’s been in recently and Grands Crus also lines up and runs like he did for a long way in the King George then Imperial Commander will struggle to make a place but the former may go over hurdles instead and the latter isn’t nailed on to run. Take those two out and all of a sudden you’re not left with much else to challenge for a place.

I can’t even think about Hunt Ball until the ground improves after his performances this season and Weird Al also needs to show a huge return to form before he’d be on my radar.

Wayward Prince and Cape Tribulation are two more unsexy horses who could run well in testing conditions but they’d both need to improve further to challenge some of the classier horses slated to line up.

Bobs Worth looks an easy winner of the race and Evens smacks as still being a good price all things considered - you’re really laughing if you got some of the 6/4 available earlier in the week (if the race is on that is).

But for a bit of value against the short-priced favourite, with one eye also on a bit of value for the Gold Cup, the horse that broke my heart when he dethroned Kauto Star and Denman a few years back, albeit temporarily, looks to be a daring (read: stupid) alternative.

Argento Chase 2013 – Selected Best Odds:

Bobs Worth Evens
Tidal Bay 7/2
Grands Crus 8/1
Imperial Commander 8/1
Hunt Ball 12/1
Weird Al 14/1
Cape Tribulation 20/1
Wayward Prince 25/1
Little Josh 40/1
Cappa Bleu 66/1

Recommendation(s):

Back Imperial Commander each-way in the Argento Chase @ 8/1 (Boylesports, Stan James)

Back Imperial Commander each-way in the Gold Cup @ 50/1 [NRFB] (Bet Victor)