Countdown to Cheltenham Festival 2008

There are nine weeks to go for what most National Hunt enthusiasts would call the Main Event, that is the Cheltenham Festival. In my opinion these are the best four days racing in the world and they commence on Tuesday 11th March in the Cotswolds. All training plans are geared towards Cheltenham in March and I would like a fiver for the number of times recently I have heard a trainer state ” he will have one more run before Cheltenham”.
Paul Nicholls is the lucky trainer who has the favourite and second favourite for the main race of the meeting the Cheltenham Gold Cup. They are Kauto Star and Denman who were both very impressive in their races over the Christmas period. They are the two best chasers in training but only one of them can win the Gold Cup. In the sixties Tom Dreaper in Ireland had the two best chasers around in Arkle and Flyingbolt, but they never met in racecourse competition. In 1964, 1965, and 1966 I was at Cheltenham to see Arkle win his three Gold Cups while Flyingbolt won the Gloucester Hurdle, the Cotswold Chase (now the Akle Challenge Trophy) and the Two Mile Champion Chase in successive years while also finishing third in the Champion Hurdle a day after winning the Two Mile Champion Chase. He went on to win the Irish Grand National under top weight that season.
Denman seems to improve with every race and we might not have seen the best of him yet. The bookmakers seem to think the race rests between him and Kauto Star so the each way punter will be looking for a bit of value. If only we knew what the weather and the going will be like in nine weeks time. If it came up really heavy as it was in 1989 when Desert Orchid won the Gold Cup where a huge premium was put on stamina, ability to act on the going and stay at least three and half miles, then Halcon Genelardis could be an interesting contender. He was very impressive in the Welsh National when runner-up to Miko De Beauchene endevouring to give him lumps of weight.
Twist Magic is ante-post favourite for the Two Mile Champion Chase and if he wins at Ascot on the 19th January he will shorten in the betting even more. Another horse from the Paul Nicholls yard.
The Champion Hurdle looks a very open race at the moment. In the World Hurdle Inglis Drever is ante-post favourite to repeat his win of last year. Blazing Bailey might give him more to do this year.
As we know from past years there are no such things as certainties in racing and I am sure we will be in for a few surprises come March at Cheltenham. Lets hope all the horses stay clear of injury beforehand. Heres counting down.

For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".