• HELP US - Become a Patron - Fat Jockey is a horse racing community focused on all the big races in the UK and Ireland. We don't charge users but if you have found the site useful then any support towards the running costs is appreciated ... a small donation each month would be a huge contribution. Become a Patron!

Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase 2018

Alan King is confident he has made the correct decision to put the chasing career of Yanworth on hold for a shot at the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle.

The JP McManus-owned eight-year-old, who has won two of his four starts over fences this season, will revert back to hurdles for the first time since landing a Grade One at Aintree in April in the three-mile contest at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday week.

King said: "It looks a good renewal and there is a fair bit of depth about it this year, but I think it was the right decision.

"I'd been quite keen to do it for some time and JP and Frank (Berry, McManus' racing manager) said 'it's your call'. Hopefully they are pleased with the decision I've made.

"I just felt off his current mark over fences we couldn't run him in an RSA as it would be pointless, so it was either run him in the Ultima or Stayers' so from that point of view it was an easy decision.

"Buveur D'Air successfully switched from fences to hurdles last season, although he had a run before Cheltenham. We will school him on Thursday and possibly Monday, but he has had a lot of schooling over hurdles since his last run."
 
Robbante said:
You sure it wasn't an old Post?! He's not even entered in the ultima. Made my heart skip a beat that
Click to expand...

Sorry lads, must have clicked back through to an old article without even realising it. Apologies :grumpy:
 
So Mala Beach and Alpha DEs Obeaux and The Storyteller pulled out....

WHo can spot the ride for Davy Russell?

It'd be crazy if he didn't have a ride?
 
Space Cadet, 34th on the list for Gordon?
Heron Heights for Henry? 38th?

jono informs me Elliott said he won't run anything in the Ultima...
 
Why is Dingo Dollar such a short price now?

COuple of negatives that I can see straight away...never been to Cheltenham, and beaten the 125 rated Baden by 3L in Feb? (Had previously beaten him 15L)
 
Nico jocked up on Gold Present, James Bowen on Shantou Flyer.
 
Timeform...

The Young Master isn’t no longer so young, but when it comes to the best-handicapped horses at the Festival, he certainly fits the bill. He’s now 13 lb below his last winning mark – something Tyson Fury can only dream about – and though he is yet to fire in four starts this season, his shrewd handler will have him spot on for the Festival. He could land a knockout blow in the Ultima Handicap Chase on the opening day, having finished third and sixth in the last two renewals.
 
Kevloaf said:
Timeform...

The Young Master isn’t no longer so young, but when it comes to the best-handicapped horses at the Festival, he certainly fits the bill. He’s now 13 lb below his last winning mark – something Tyson Fury can only dream about – and though he is yet to fire in four starts this season, his shrewd handler will have him spot on for the Festival. He could land a knockout blow in the Ultima Handicap Chase on the opening day, having finished third and sixth in the last two renewals.
Click to expand...

TYM is surely too low to get into the Ultima?
He’s about 70th in the Handicap for a 24 runner race. He’s well handicapped and I was impressed with how he finished off his last run, rallying again towards the end of the race in tough ground. I backed him for the National that day.
I’ve also backed him in the Kim Muir which hopefully he has a better chance of making.
 
Brital said:
TYM is surely too low to get into the Ultima?
He’s about 70th in the Handicap for a 24 runner race. He’s well handicapped and I was impressed with how he finished off his last run, rallying again towards the end of the race in tough ground. I backed him for the National that day.
I’ve also backed him in the Kim Muir which hopefully he has a better chance of making.
Click to expand...

I backed him for the GN too.

Probably won't get in, you'd think with the owner/jockey combo they'd prefer Kim Muir anyway...
 
Kevloaf said:
Timeform...

The Young Master isn’t no longer so young, but when it comes to the best-handicapped horses at the Festival, he certainly fits the bill. He’s now 13 lb below his last winning mark – something Tyson Fury can only dream about – and though he is yet to fire in four starts this season, his shrewd handler will have him spot on for the Festival. He could land a knockout blow in the Ultima Handicap Chase on the opening day, having finished third and sixth in the last two renewals.
Click to expand...

Had a wind op since his last run but might struggle to get into this. It's touch and go whether he gets into the Kim Muir too.
 
Had my first bet in this last night. Shantou Flyer 33/1.

Highly thought of a couple of years ago, winning the Florida Pearl and falling in THAT 4miler at the Festival.

He then went to Rebecca Curtis before the start of last season and won first time out for her in Cheltenham’s big new year’s day handicap over 2m 5f off a mark of 149. He was then raised to 156 and ran another decent race over that same C&D, being outpaced before staying on to take 4th in another grade 3 handicap. He was then 2nd (albeit a long way back) in the grade 1 Ascot Chase when Cue Card trounced them, beating high 150s-low 160s rivals in the process. He finished last season pulling up in the National, which can be forgiven.

He then left Curtis for Richard Hobson and was highly tried for the first part of the season finishing last of the finishers in the Charlie Hall, then pulling up in the Betfair and Rowland Meyrick. He then had cheekpieces fitted and went back to handicap company for the same new year’s day Cheltenham race he won last year and ran a good race finishing 2nd to Ballyhill after again being outpaced but rallying. He then went back to Cheltenham again at the end of Jan finishing 2nd in the race that Frodon made a mockery of – this day he stayed on well up the hill to take 2nd finishing 3½L ahead of Coo Star Sivola in the process giving him 18lb (now only has to give 10lb). He then went to Kelso and finished 2nd to Big River in a 4-runner affair after going off favourite. This was arguably a disappointing effort as he was weighted to win but he was a clear 2nd and Big River is an unexposed type that the Russell’s quite like, so it wasn’t an awful performance by any means.

Most his recent form is over 2m 5f but has won over 3m 1/2f (which was in fact at Cheltenham) in his novice chase year and, on more than one occasion over the shorter distance, he’s been noted as outpaced and staying on.

Hobson commented earlier this year that he’d appreciate better ground than the he’s been encountering which only makes some of the recent performances on proper heavy winter ground look better. In reality he’s got decent form on all kinds of ground.

He comes into this race off a mark of 152 and James Bowen is booked to ride. I think most people agree he’s value for his claim so the effective mark is 149, the exact mark off which he won that decent Cheltenham handicap last year.

In summary:
- Really good course form - reads 1F1422
- Looks on a winnable mark
- Has hit some consistency this season
- Beat the favourite for this race just over a month ago and is 8lb better off
- Not ground dependent

I think those are enough positives for me to take some 33/1 in a race that I’m happy to take a couple of flyers.
 
I think you make a good case there VF.

Certainly like the Coo Star Sivola angle, as that is one I've already backed.

I did take note when James Bowen was booked, as I thought he'd be used on Gold PResent to take some of the weight off his back... I suppose NdB will be on in the GN and already knows that horse and James Bowen has never ridden him...so probably just makes more sense all round.

I might wait and see if he's 33s when extra places turn up.... but good case.
 
I can 100% see a case for him too VF, but the Coo Star Sivola form for me, is weak, I think CSS is a poor price too if I am being perfectly honest, so personally am ignoring that point and looking at the rest of the evidence you have supplied, which in fairness is pretty strong, there will certainly be worse 33/1 pokes around for sure.

I love course form for Cheltenham, just something I always have in the back of my mind, especially for the handicaps.

I do think he is massively exposed which would be a worry, but like you have said he seems to have come in to some sort of form, which is a bonus, as he looked like he had lost his way this season before the turn of the new year. He does have a couple of these held, including CSS on that running at Cheltenham in January, and given the price discrepancy between them he is now one I am contemplating.
 
Main bet is on Traffic Fluide but fear he'll be heading to the Close Brothers, if so, I'll be lumping on more dosh!

This race tends to be kind to horses coming back again, and I like horses who have ran in the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase. So I'm taking the 10/1's on offer for Singlefarmpayment who was running a decent race in the Ladbrokes before falling, think he could have placed. Remember a lot of talk of this horse and quite a few backing him early for that race

Would have liked a little bit more in terms of price, but given I'm struggling to find anything else...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom