BOOKMAKERS don’t quote Il Est Francais for the Queen Mother Champion Chase but, if I was lucky enough to own him, that’s where I’d be heading.
On that bombshell, I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!
PAIl Est Francais jumped for fun in the King George but was just pipped late by Banbridge[/caption]
I did, although it would have been even merrier if Il Est Francais had done in the final two furlongs of the King George VI Chase what he had done in the previous 22!
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For the second consecutive year at Kempton on Boxing Day, Il Est Francais suggested he has freakish ability.
But, whereas last year he romped home in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, this time he was picked up by Banbridge.
Afterwards, the immediate suggestion was the Ryanair Chase would now become the French raider’s ultimate target.
But when I took jockey James Reveley to one side and asked him about the Champion chase, he didn’t dismiss it in any way whatsoever.
He might be a different colour, and ultimately he has a slightly different running style, but there’s a bit of One Man about Il Est Francais.
The former King George winner, who took the festive prize in both 1995 and 1996, tried his luck in two Gold Cups, finishing a well beaten sixth as the 11-8 favourite in 1996 and the same position in 1997.
On both occasions, and not for the first time in his career, he folded tamely when push came to shove.
One Man was dropped back to the minimum trip for the 1998 Champion Chase and denied Or Royal.
Again, his finishing kick was far from strong, but he was able to hold on for a famous success.
Il Est Francais would put a lot of pressure on his rivals in the Champion. He’d go off hard. He jumps for fun.
And he proved against Banbridge — the one speed horse who wasn’t taken out of a comfort zone — that he can keep on, even though he’s run two shockers in France relatively recently.
Jonbon, Gaelic Warrior, Energumene — who beat Banbridge on his return but who is getting on in years — plus El Fabiolo are all good horses. But none of them are unstoppable.
It purely comes down to the objective of owners Richard Kelvin-Hughes and Haras de Saint-Voir.
If it’s just to win any race at the Cheltenham Festival, then Il Est Francais will probably end up in the Ryanair.
But if you have a horse you think is really special, and you have the guts to take a chance, then you should always go for the ultimate goal. That’s the Champion Chase.
Speaking of things out of the ordinary, former Champion Hurdle worldy Constitution Hill lifted Kempton to a new level of excitement Thursday when becoming the first horse to land three renewals of the Christmas Hurdle.
I have no doubt main rival Lossiemouth was not her usual zestful self, but after a long layoff I won’t have been alone in thinking Constitution Hill could have been pulled up and his career over so it was still magical to see him romp him.
He travelled with enthusiasm and jumped for fun, and he’s now short odds to regain his Champion Hurdle title in March.
Owner Michael Buckley once dreamed he had the horse who could win the Champion four times, and he might still do so. He’s a machine.
Lossiemouth will surely now head to the Mares’ Hurdle, which I loathe but I can quite see why.
She’s about the same price for that as Brighterdaysahead, but I’d be stunned if the Willie Mullins runner was not hot favourite on the day should she go that route.
Today, at Newbury, the Grade 1 Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle features a massive smash up between The New Lion and Regent’s Stroll.
They are both unbeaten in three races and both looked high class when scoring at Newbury when they last ran.
The New Lion perhaps wasn’t quite as impressive as some hoped he would be, while Regent’s Stroll made one bad jumping error.
It’s not just the two horses that go head to head. Their trainers Dan Skelton (The New Lion) and Paul Nicholls (Regent’s Stroll) also eyeball each other.
So do their jockeys, in former champion Harry Skelton who will be on The New Lion, and reigning top dog Harry Cobden who is on Regent’s Stroll.
It’s the latter who gets my vote, but I suspect it won’t be a stroll at all.
These kind of clashes are what racing is all about. What a week it’s been.
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