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 - Champion Bumper 2015

Electric Dreams - Pylonthepressure has been impressive and is a contender in the Bumper.

With the entries finally revealed for the Champion Bumper and Bet365 having recently gone NRNB on all races at the festival the time is right to fire a couple of darts at day two’s final race.

Somewhat of a Willie Mullins benefit in recent years the Bumper is usually a very tricky race to get to the bottom of ante-post, but the two I like the look of will almost certainly start shorter than their current prices if they do line up and with the NRNB concession, if they don’t you lose nothing.

Unlike the other Festival Focus posts I won’t spend lines and lines of text evaluating each likely runner’s chances and why they will or won’t win as there are so many runners in the Bumper coming here with unblemished records made up of wide margin wins I’d be repeating the same things over and over again.

Instead I’m just going to focus on the two horses that have caught my eye for the race, because at the end of the day there’s not much tangible form to go on for the Bumper so visual impression and potential makes up a huge part of the selection process.

As one would expect Willie Mullins’ sextet dominate the market and current favourite Bordini has looked good in two starts under rules to date including winning a Listed event last time out. But it’s actually the horse behind him in the betting, for the same connections, that is my first shout for this year’s Bumper.

Festival Focus - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle 2015

Time For Heroes - No More Heroes can land the Albert Bartlett on his way to superstardom.

Gigginstown House Stud have a wealth of novice hurdling talent this season, perhaps to even rival and maybe surpass that of the Riccis.

Some of these star names however have suffered shock reverses already this campaign, with the likes of Milsean and Tell Us More tasting defeat at skinny prices and thus being labelled as having failed to live up to the hype.

However one Gigginstown novice hurdler has so far this season actually exceeded the lofty expectations that we had for him this campaign and although he is now much shorter than when he was flagged up as one of my ten to follow this season he still looks a good price to me for a race that has been a showcase for top chasers to be to strut their stuff in.

And make no mistake, No More Heroes will be a top chaser – possibly even a Gold Cup winner in time – but for now over the smaller obstacles he will aim to emulate the likes of Bobs Worth and Weapons Amnesty by landing this on the way to Grade 1 success over fences.

Triumph Hurdle Preview - Festival Focus

Ell of a Chance - Tiger Roll can go close in the Triumph for Gordon Elliot

The Triumph was one of the first Cheltenham races I took an ante-post view in this year and after a rather lacklustre effort at Doncaster last time out it looked as though the 16/1 I took about Royal Irish Hussar hadn’t been as shrewd as I thought at the time.

Guitar Pete’s subsequent exploits though have resurrected some shred of hope that Nicky Henderson’s former Ballydoyle inmate can still factor in the final reckoning of Friday’s opening race.

It wasn’t so much the horses that beat him that day that was so off-putting, as Broughton currently sits fourth in the betting for the festival juvenile contest and was an above average flat performer for Mark Johnston while winner Fox Norton also looks a decent sort, but the visual of Royal Irish Hussar’s effort.

He looked all at sea on the run-in and there really weren’t any excuses to be made. You have to just forgive and forget that run, if like me, you’ve already backed him for the Triumph and thankfully Guitar Pete has significantly boosted both his, and in the process, Broughton’s form.