Novice chasers have never had it so good. 2011 sees the addition of a twenty-seventh race at the Cheltenham Festival, the Grade 2 Jewson Novices' Chase (registered as the Golden Miller), run over two and a half miles.
While the new contest will no doubt be appreciated come March 17th, it has muddied the waters incredibly for ante-post backers who now have to work out just which of the three races for novice chasers their fancies will run in. While the speedsters will line up in Tuesday's Arkle over two miles, those with stamina to burn will head for the three-mile RSA Chase.
Hopefully these selections won't settle for the middle ground!
Time for Rupert has been at the head of the ante-post market since it was formed in the summer and he's strengthened that position with a couple of really impressive performances in novice chases at Cheltenham this term. Last season's World Hurdle runner-up has always looked the type to make just as good a chaser and he's done nothing to suggest that he can't match his top-class form over timber in this discipline, readily accounting for Hell's Bay on his reappearance and well suited by the step up in trip when getting the better of Chicago Grey there a month later. Time for Rupert already looks a sound jumper, and his hurdles form promises quite a bit more to come, so he looks very much the one they all have to beat.
Jessies Dream still qualifies for the race despite being in his second season over fences and he's really got the hang of things over the larger obstacles this time around. An exciting novice hurdler when in the care of Willie Mullins, Jessies Dream has shown smart form in novice events the last twice, beating Realt Dubh in the Grade 1 Drinmore at Fairyhouse and only narrowly failing to defy a penalty when runner-up to Magnanimity at Leopardstown the following month. He is one of just a few that have the race confirmed as his intended target, but doesn't look open as much progress as some, and current prices of 15.0 look to sum up his chance.
Willie Mullins is responsible for four of those prominent in the betting, but with question marks hanging over most of the quartet, they make very limited ante-post appeal. The lightly raced Fiveforthree would be a leading player if making it to the race, but he's yet to be seen over fences in public and his fragile nature means he can't be considered as a betting proposition. Options for Mikael d'Haguenet are completely up in the air, quoted in the market for all three novice chases, whilst he has something to prove after a tame effort last time. Quel Esprit appeals as the most likely of the quartet to go down the RSA route, though he's currently favourite for the Jewson, and his next run looks set to be in the Dr PJ Moriarty Chase over 2m 5f at Leopardstown in February.
One that is likely to have the RSA as his Festival target is the Donald McCain-trained Wymott. A progressive hurdler last season, he has created a good impression when successful both chase starts this term, value more than the winning margin suggests when beating a couple of subsequent winners in a novice at Exeter in December. Wymott lacks the class of some of his more fancied rivals, but his jumping already looks an asset and he should relish the emphasis on stamina.
Reve de Sivola was one of the leading novice hurdlers last season, runner-up to Peddlers Cross in the Neptune prior to winning a Grade 1 at Punchestown on his final start. Nick Williams' representative has enjoyed mixed fortunes since switched to chasing, winning a novice at Cheltenham in December but then only third behind Hell's Bay in a similar contest there on New Year's Day. He's failed to impress with his jumping so far (also a sketchy jumper of hurdles) and makes little appeal at current odds of 21.0.
In summary, Time For Rupert looks a solid bet at prices around 3.8 on Betfair. He already looks a sound jumper, has an excellent record around Cheltenham and Paul Webber's classy hurdler has stamina in abundance.
