DAY TWO PREVIEW: WHETHER HIS name is pronounced with a 'Loo' or a 'Leff,' First Lieutenant can still be a Cheltenham winner in anyone's language today.
No doubt the Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary doesn’t care less what his horse is called as long as he comes out in front in today’s RSA Chase.
The championship prize for staying novices is the main-support event on Day Two of Cheltenham, a Grade One bonanza that turned into an Irish benefit in 2011. Famously, the first six winners were Irish and it was only the bumper result that prevented a clean-sweep for the visitors.
First Lieutenant memorably played a part in that with a desperately close verdict over Rock On Ruby in the Neptune and now he is back to try and repeat the dose.
Standing in his way, however, is the not inconsiderable presence of Grands Crus, the horse that made Big Buck’s pull out all the stops in last year’s World Hurdle, and whose novice form this term encouraged genuine hopes that he might be a threat to all in the Gold Cup.
David Pipe has opted for the easier option which is bad news for the three Irish hopes which include the Willie Mullins pair, Call The Police and Lambro.
There are plenty who won’t hear of defeat for Grands Crus against other novices, but Mouse Morris hardly seemed perturbed by his presence yesterday.
“Our horse is A1,” said the trainer whose festival record stands the greatest scrutiny. “We discovered First Lieutenant had a back problem early in the season, so we sorted that out and he ran much better and jumped much better at Christmas. He will love the ground, he’s a different horse on it.
“We’re happy to take on Grands Crus – he has to jump them as well as we do. Our horse has a real shout.”
There will be plenty of Irish shouts encouraging him home if he faces the hill in front – and, of course, all of them will be using the correct ‘leff’ pronunciation!
Five Irish hopes will take on another home hotpot in the Neptune as Simonsig attempts to burnish a huge home reputation with the ultimate gloss of a festival victory.
Michael O’Leary’s very public attempt to buy the grey at Fairyhouse last year was predictably turned down and now the Nicky Henderson team are hugely confident of success after a season that has hardly seen Simonsig come off the bridle.
Willie Mullins pitches three against him, while Noel Meade’s Monksland looks very interesting considering the ease with which he dismissed Lyreen Legend at Naas in January.
However, a value alternative to the lot of them could be the course winner Batonnier.
The fourth Grade One of the day is the concluding bumper where Willie Mullins aims for a seventh win in a race that is no longer the Irish preserve that it used to be. Just a quarter of the field are from Ireland this time and, although Mullins’s Champagne Fever has topped the ante-post betting for some time, the best raiding hope could be the four-year-old Jezki.
This is a tough assignment for a four-year-old, but Jessica Harrington hasn’t hesitated to enter the dual-Leopardstown winner in here and she knows what’s required to win having scored with Cork All-Star.
There was no easier winner last year than Carlito Brigante in the usually ultra-competitive Coral Cup and he is back for another crack at the race off topweight.
It must be odds-against another wide-margin winner, however, and in the event of a real oldfashioned cavalry charge, there may be some each way value to be had from Tenor Nivernais who could hardly have easier at Carlisle last month.
Katie Walsh was one of the big stories of Cheltenham 2011 and she will be a popular fancy to repeat her National Hunt Chase success when she teams up with Soll in the four-miler.
Soll looked a real stayer in the making when winning in the mud at Down Royal, but it is the other Willie Mullins hope, Allee Garde, that looks a more likely answer to this amateur puzzle.
Patrick Mullins will carry the Dorans Pride colours on a horse that has Grade One placed form and who should relish the change to good ground conditions.
Brian's Picks
1.30pm – ALLEE GARDE (Nap)
2.05pm – BATONNIER
2.40pm – FIRST LIEUTENANT
4pm – TENOR NIVERNAIS
4.40pm – VENDOR
5.15pm – JEZKI
Nap Double
Allee Garde First Lieutenant
