Paul Townend Cheltenham Festival blog: Day Four preview
Paul Townend Cheltenham Festival blog: Day Four preview
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With the majority of the festival now in the books, Paul Townend Cheltenham Festival blog is back with the leading jockey sharing his thoughts on Gold Cup day to finish things off.
With Sir Gino coming out of this race, it has opened right up. Willie has a strong hand here and it was a huge headache for me. I have gone with Storm Heart who was runner up to Kargese at the Dublin Racing Festival. I thought he ran a little bit green that day and I think he can improve for it. His jumping has been a lot slicker at home and I just think he has the right temperament for the race and he seems to stay well. I hope I can improve past Danny on Kargese and I think I can. Bunting comes into the reckoning as well; he ran a cracker behind Kargese in Dublin as well and stayed very well to win at Limerick at Christmas. Salvator Mundi is the talking horse but I thought it would be very hard for him to come here and win first time, but his form does tie in with Sir Gino in France and he goes nicely at home. I hope I am on the right one but there is not at a lot between some of these.
It is a race I have been lucky enough to win a few times and it is a race where you need a hell of a lot of luck. He is a high class flat horse and ran well behind Ballyburn at Leopardstown. That was an improved run from Christmas. He has been on the go a long time but has been freshened up and comes here in good form. A mark of 138 is workable. It is very hard for a novice in this handicap. Obviously State Man done it a few years ago but he is now a Champion Hurdle winner, so it will be a tough ask for Absurde but I think he can run a nice race.
He stepped up to three miles after winning a G1 at Naas. He beat Ile Atlantique that day. He jumped poor early on so he will need to brush up his jumping. In fact his jumping has improved and his schooling has gone really well at home. High Class Hero is a horse I fancied for the race since he won at Galway. He went on to impress at Listowel and has done nothing wrong since. This is by far the most competitive race he will be running in but his attitude and race style is similar to Readin Tommy Wrong in that they are laid back horses. I have gone for the Grade 1 winner and he is a very smart horse so I hope I am right.
What more can we say about Galopin Des Champs. He has beaten the majority of these before and has proven to stay. Obviously Lucinda Russell’s Corach Rambler stays as well and loves the track. He probably has a little bit to find with Grade 1 horses, but you dismiss him at your peril. Gerri Colombe was disappointing at Christmas and I know Gordon, Jack, and that team think he didn’t fire on the day so he will get a bit closer. Fastoroslow has beaten us on a couple of occasions but was also beaten by Corach Rambler here last year. I wouldn’t swap my horse and I am really looking forward to it. The build up has gone well, he has proven rock solid, so fingers crossed.
She was runner up in this race last year. She won at Clonmel at the start of the season very well and then didn’t turn up at Fairyhouse. She made amends for that back at Naas the last day over two miles. She is a mare we thought had no problem getting two-and-half-miles. I can see an improved run in her again. Dinoblue stands in her way. She’s a high-class mare but I am not sure she is guaranteed to get the trip. The one time she tried it was over hurdles at Fairyhouse and she was 10l behind Brandy Love. She is obviously a stronger mare now and she deserves to be favourite, but my horse will give her something to think about
Paul Townend special bet: Paul Townend to ride two or more winners at Cheltenham on Friday WAS 4/5 NOW 11/10
