Must read update and review of Trials Day from Chris Days Ten To Follow this National Hunt season 2014/15

Ten To Follow this National Hunt season 2014/15

Update report and insight from our ten to follow must follow analyst Chris Day @Chrisday100

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Our only runner in the last couple of weeks was Saphir Du Rheu, who lined up in a small but select field for The Cleeve Hurdle on Trials’ Day at Cheltenham on Saturday. Easy to back in the market, he drifted out to 3-1 just before the off but got the better of a sustained duel from the last with reliable yardstick and recent conqueror of Zarkandar, Reve De Sivola in receipt of 4lbs.


Both trainer and jockey were at pains to say they expect improvement in March and that’s perfectly reasonable to expect given that he'd only really had the Exeter race this season. For me, the horse has a real touch of class and a bigger field, faster pace and better ground at the Festival will all see him in a better light.


Any who took the Ante Post advice will be sitting pretty now and it’s hard to see him going off any bigger than 9-2 on the day.


Trials’ Day


This day has become a landmark in the calendar in recent seasons as it gives aspirants to the Festival races a last chance to acquaint themselves with the unique course with just enough time to recover from their exertions and there were some noteworthy performances elsewhere.


None more so than Many Clouds, who won The BetBright Cup in really pleasing fashion by just over a length conceding 8lbs to RSA Chase runner up, Smad Place and Ryanair winner and King George second, Dynaste. The winner has a really progressive profile, is clearly in the form of his life and has demonstrated his versatility in winning over 2 ½ miles at Carlisle, taking a lead in what now appears to be a good Hennessy then winning from the front round Cheltenham. The test of The Gold Cup promises to be right up his street and he'd be my number one choice for the race this year to give Leighton Aspell a fairytale double having won last year’s Grand National on Pineau De Re. Generally this race is won by a horse in receipt of penalties and doesn’t provide the big race winner but he was conceding all round and looks very solid.


I won't recommend him Ante Post as I only do that with horses I believe will shorten significantly in the betting but there’s a favourite there who has strong credentials apart from a Cheltenham victory to his name and I'm pretty sure we'll be able to get a price on the day.


Neil Mulholland has a fast improving young chaser, The Young Master, who has taken the handicap route to The RSA Chase this season and been using the services of probably the best chase jockey around at the moment, Barry Geraghty, in doing so.


It’s not, though, the chances of that horse I wish to highlight, but a horse who ran seventh in Many Clouds’ Hennessy, The Druids Nephew, who ran a half length second to Sam Winner in receipt of 6lbs at the November meeting in his Hennessy warm up over 3 ½ miles. That form as it stands looks red hot with the winner third in The Lexus in Ireland over Christmas and now rated 160 but he ran an eye catching race behind Saphir Du Rheu on Saturday, travelling comfortably to two out before being outpaced yet finishing just a neck behind the 158 rated Cole Harden in receipt of just 8 lbs.


Off 141, he'll go very well in the 3 mile handicap chase on the first day of Cheltenham especially if getting the Irishman’s assistance in the saddle again.


The trainer also ran Carole’s Destrier in the second race, the novices’ handicap chase from a mark of 140, the threshold for getting into the similar race in March. He got into a battle for the lead with favourite, Stellar Notion but, having seen that one off coming into the long straight, was collared on the run to two out and eventually faded into fourth, still over six lengths ahead of the other pace setter. Whether a big field round Cheltenham really suits him is open to question but there’s a 2 ½ mile handicap chase round Newbury a week or two before which he'd look well treated in that doesn’t usually get too competitive and he’s definitely got races in him from his mark.


The other horse to take from yesterday is Dell’ Arca, who I have no idea how he managed to lose the closing 2 mile 1 furlong handicap hurdle on the card. Backing a 2-1 chance at 9-2 the night before is one thing but to see a senior jockey clearly outridden by a much lesser known pilot in the fashion that Tom Scudamore was yesterday by Tom Cannon, always sticks in the throat and hopefully he’ll make amends on a very well handicapped individual on the day which clearly matters most.

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