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| Tout Infinity and Beyond - Un Temps Pour Tout can justify the hype in the World Hurdle. |
However a look back at my ten to follow post for this national hunt season from last September will show that even back then I was weighing up this horse for the top contests over hurdles this term.
I am of course talking about David Pipe’s expensive French import Un Temps Pout Tout.
Not yet seen this season, Pipe recently announced that he is set to reappear in the Cleeve Hurdle next Saturday with a World Hurdle tilt the aim.
As such, in a wide open looking renewal of the staying contest now looks the time to back him, as a good run – and he does go well fresh – in the Cleeve will surely see his price come in further.
A stand out 20/1 at the moment with Ladbrokes (although they aren’t NRNB at present, but the risk looks worth it) the Pond House inmate built on his high class French form with three good efforts last season after making the switch to Pipe for an astronomical fee.
Beaten just 7l by current JLT favourite Ptit Zig in his native France on his last hurdles start across the channel, he was sent off a short-priced favourite to land the spoils on his first UK start at the same Haydock meeting set to take place this weekend in a typical Lancashire bog.
Turned over there by Zamdy Man, which thanks to that one’s recent good efforts is by no means a terrible run, he lived up to the hype by smashing Cole Harden by 16l at Ascot the following month.
Cole Harden has advertised the form handsomely since and also goes to the World Hurdle as a live outsider. Injury at home sadly ruled out last year’s festival for Un Temps Pour Tout but a very good weight-carrying performance at Punchestown in a typically competitive handicap hurdle at the end of the season only added to the good impression already created.
He’s looked like a step up in trip will bring about further improvement and looks sure to handle whatever the ground throws up at Cheltenham. In a market littered with horses coming back from injuries or sent this route as a plan B after aborted attempts elsewhere, he looks to be one of the unexposed improvers in the field and still remains a very eye catching price, albeit one attached with a fair degree of risk.
Last year’s champion More Of That currently heads the market, but given his lack lustre reappearance and subsequent absence – reportedly to undergo a breathing operation – he makes little appeal at a best price of 4/1.
If he comes back in anything like the form he was in when a very good winner of this race twelve months ago then he’s the most likely winner by a long way, but there are too many question marks there at the moment to suggest he’ll do that with any degree of confidence.
Last year’s runner-up Annie Power is as low as 4/1 too with some of the NRNB bookies but if she makes Cheltenham will almost certainly head to the Mares race instead. Again, if she takes her chance here she will be difficult to kick out of the money but there seems to be little chance of her taking part in Thursday’s feature at this point.
Rock On Ruby has been evergreen this season and has a liking for the course, but his ability to stay 3m is a big stumbling block to World Hurdle glory in my eyes. He’s unproven at the trip so there’s no concrete proof he doesn’t stay but it’d be some effort for a former champion hurdler to win the stayers version, especially given his advancing years.
Saphir Du Rheu’s hurdles form last season would put him right in the mix here but he’s reverting to timber after a less than successful novice chase career. The same connections plotted a similar course with incredible success with the mighty Big Buck’s but, bitterness aside that they’ve pulled the plug on the chasing for now, he doesn’t appeal at present given the route he’s taken this season.
He too could line-up in the Cleeve, and a good effort back over flights could tempt me in to looking at him for this because I do like this horse, but a watching brief is advised until then as Paul Nicholls has suggested they could still look at the RSA for him.
The same trainer also has last year’s fourth Zarkandar for this race, but his tame effort at the finish when reeled in by Reve De Sivola in the Long Walk doesn’t enthuse and he’ll do well to better last year’s effort in this for me.
As for his Long Walk conqueror, he’s been well beaten in this before and unless the ground came up ridiculously testing I can’t see him finally wearing the World Hurdle crown.
Leopardstown’s Christmas Hurdle looks the key piece of form to picking apart the Irish challenge as the first four home in that race will all likely take their chance in the World Hurdle too.
The winner Lieutenant Colonel is currently the shortest price of these horses and is another coming here after an aborted chase campaign. His form for the most part has been very consistent and solid and you can’t argue with two Grade 1 hurdle wins this season, but he just doesn’t appeal to me for some reason.
Lieutenant Colonel and Jetson pretty much dictated matters from the front in the Christmas Hurdle and neither will be able to do so here. The latter in particular has benefitted from some canny rides in the last twelve months and though I do have a lot of time for the horse I can’t help but feel this has flattered to deceive and he’ll struggle to land a blow in a race of this nature.
Fourth at Leopardstown, At Fishers Cross, a former Albert Bartlett winner, has seemingly regressed terribly since and makes little to no appeal on recent efforts.
The horse to take out of the Christmas Hurdle, at least for me, was the returning Monksland. Having his first start for exactly two years he was carefully ridden by Paul Carberry that day and was charging home late on.
It was an encouraging return and if Carberry’s mercurial talents can be secured for the big race by trainer Noel Meade and he puts his best foot forward in an upcoming prep race, after reportedly “bouncing” at home following his return then he could finally deliver on his early career form.
Cole Harden, who we’ve already touched on, built on a promising novice campaign by accounting for At Fishers Cross at Wetherby on his return this season and then finished ahead of More Of That at Newbury when picked off by Medinas having been ridden to beat the favourite.
His effort at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day over an inadequate trip was a solid prep for the World Hurdle and he is not discounted lightly at what still looks a big price considering.
He finished ahead of Beat That in that race, a horse that was making his first start of his sophomore campaign, having landed Grade 1s at both Aintree and Punchestown, beating Cole Harden in the first named and accounting for top novice chaser Don Poli in the latter.
He travelled like the best horse in the race for a long way on the first day of this year before just fading up the hill and with a run under his belt now and the step back up in trip in his favour he looks poised for a big run in the World Hurdle for Nicky Henderson, and is only passed over on value grounds (best price 12/1 at present) as he boasts a very similar profile to the selection.
This year’s World Hurdle looks set to be a fantastic renewal of the race and a case can be made for so many of them, at a stand out price of 20/1 though Un Temps Pour Tout looks an exciting, if somewhat risky, each way bet as things stand and David Pipe’s much hyped horse can make amends for missing last year’s festival by claiming glory in Thursday’s feature.
Recommendation:
Un Temps Pour Tout 0.5pt each-way @ 20/1 (Ladbrokes)
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