JLT Novices' Chase 2016 - Festival Focus

Mai Time - The impressive Bristol De Mai can land the JLT.

Last year’s JLT served up one of the performances of the festival when Vautour slammed his rivals in scintillating style, and this year’s renewal of the novice chase at the intermediate distance had tantalisingly offered the prospect of another Willie Mullins star potentially lighting up Prestbury Park in Thursday’s opener.

Sadly though following his scarcely believable recovery to get back up and win after what ordinarily would have been a race-ending blunder at the last at Leopardstown Killultagh Vic has been ruled out of Cheltenham through injury.

In his place the consistently improving Bristol De Mai has taken favouritism and although with many running scared of Douvan in the Arkle this year’s race could be one of the strongest in a good few years, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ horse looks the rightful market leader at this point and I have no real desire to look elsewhere in the race given he looks a perfectly backable price at 7/2.

This race has been confirmed as his festival target by connections, in spite of an entry in the RSA, and his three wins over middle distances by a combined 45 lengths in winter ground would suggest he will have no trouble getting up that infamous hill.

A Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle winner on his first UK start last season he was subsequently twice placed at Graded level last season over timber.

Chasing has seemingly made a man of him though and he has been busy enough this campaign winning 4 out of 6 and filling the runner up spot behind the smart Garde Le Victoire and Ar Mad (enjoyed the run of the race) on the other two occasions.

He’s unbeaten since stepping up from two miles and his Haydock romp was the first time he looked like he could be destined for the very top, he then came out after only a short break to land the Scilly Isles at Sandown putting smart rival Tea For Two to the sword with his pinpoint jumping.

His jumping is a real asset and will surely be a solid foundation for him going for a festival Grade 1.

He has however, never been to Cheltenham and is still only five. The latter point over the long term is exciting as he could develop in to a real star over the coming years but in the short term it’s a big ask at a young age to win a festival chase.

That said, he has plenty of experience over fences, more so than some of his rivals in fact, and if there is any element of soft in the going description you would have to fancy he will take some stopping.

It should be a hot race with the influx of Arkle defectors but no horse has impressed me as much at this distance this season than Bristol De Mai and he is at least targeting this race rather than it being a fail-safe due to a likely unbeatable opponent in another race.

Recommendation:

Bristol De Mai 1pt win @ 7/2 (Bet365, Paddy Power)