RSA Chase 2016 - Festival Focus

We Could Be Heroes - Bryan Cooper and No More Heroes can land the RSA.

In spite of the fact that generally speaking the thought is that the RSA is a slog of real attrition that can rip the guts out of a horse, in recent years we’ve seen the classiest sorts in the race rise to the top.

With what we’ve seen to date this season only two horses set for the race look genuine top class staying chase prospects, with the remainder of the market made up of strong staying sorts who would want the relentless test of stamina the RSA is often billed as but doesn’t always transpire to be.

No More Heroes and More Of That look well clear of the remainder that are likely to take up their engagement in the race, and although Jonjo O’Neill’s former World Hurdle winner is the bigger price it is Gordon Elliot’s charge that appeals most for the novice staying chase event.

I’ve thought of No More Heroes as a future Gold Cup winner since his Bumper days and his novice chase campaign to date has done nothing but strengthen those thoughts.

He was a good novice hurdler last season and while he looked every inch a chaser killing time until his destiny called, he still managed an unlucky third in last year’s war of an Albert Bartlett.

Festival Focus – RSA Chase 2015

On Top At The Pols - Don Poli can stay on for glory in the RSA.

This year’s RSA picture is muddied by the fact that the two horses at the head of the market at present could both run in different races at the festival.

After Coneygree’s impressive romp at the weekend – and given what an open (read, terrible) renewal of the race it looks – I’d say connections will now go for the Gold Cup with him.

Don Poli on the other hand has long been touted for the four-miler but I for one cannot see Willie Mullins not running his best staying novice in the RSA, regardless of whether that means son Patrick will get to ride him in the amateur event.

I’ve been keen on Don Poli all season – he was one of my horses to follow this season – and he’s done nothing to dampen that enthusiasm in his two chase starts to date, including when winning a good renewal of the Topaz (a solid RSA trial) at Leopardstown over Christmas, the form of which was franked at the weekend by Apache Stronghold.

With Valseur Lido looking more like a horse for which the intermediate trip will be more his bag, Gigginstown don’t really have another representative for the RSA, whereas for the four-miler they have a readymade alternative in Wounded Warrior and could also run Thunder and Roses and Very Wood.

Festival Focus - Jewson

Conan The Destroyer - Captain Conan looks a cut above his potential Jewson rivals

We’re over half way through the big races in Festival Focus now and on to day three of the festival with Thursday’s first race the Jewson Novices’ Chase.

The Jewson might still be in its infancy as a Cheltenham Festival race but with Sir Des Champs taking the race in impressive fashion last year it has already established itself as a breeding ground for future stars.

Much like the Ryanair did for the seasoned chasers the Jewson offers novice chasers an interim distance between the rapid 2 miles of the Arkle and the attritional 3 miles of the RSA.

Ireland have been responsible for both winners of this race thus far with Noble Prince taking the inaugural running in 2011 and Sir Des Champs following up for the raiders from across the Irish Sea twelve months ago.

Although there will once again no doubt be a strong Irish challenge this year it is the home team that look to have the strongest hand in the race courtesy of the Nicky Henderson trained Captain Conan.

Festival Focus - RSA

Boston B Party - Boston Bob looks an ideal sort for the RSA

The RSA is possibly my favourite race at the Cheltenham Festival. I don’t know what it is about it, as it tends to be more of a war of attrition than a display of mercurial talent, but perhaps thanks to Denman’s fantastic win in the race back in 2007 this race is always one I look forward to more than certain others during Cheltenham week.

This year’s race however is looking increasingly sparse on top talent, perhaps due to a rather poor crop of novice chasers. Last year’s novices have proved to have been a vintage bunch through their exploits this season, but with the exception of Dynaste we really haven’t seen anything else worth getting too excited about to date.

So with that said it comes as no surprise that the David Pipe-trained grey is a very short-priced ante-post favourite for the race often called the novice Gold Cup.

Dynaste is a worthy favourite but at 5/2 he looks anything but a good price given how far away from the race we still are and just how many short-priced favourites have been turned over in this race in recent years. There’s still a part of me too that suspects he may not even run, as the RSA has a habit of really ripping horses’ guts out.

Last year’s winner and runner-up Bobs Worth and First Lieutenant have proved that you can come out of the race and kick on as a second season chaser but the list of horses who’ve never quite been the same after the RSA makes for worrying reading.