IT’S not long now people. A week on Tuesday the waiting is over and Cheltenham 2022 will be up and running.
That’s why I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you all that taking into account previous Festival form is one of the best ways of finding a horse who will give you a decent run for your money.
Chappers has some advice ahead of the Cheltenham Festival
Away from the big Grade 1 races, which I’ll come to in a minute, the best example of this was a little hurdler once trained by Martin and then David Pipe called Buena Vista.
In a career of 50 races, the son of In the Wings ran at Cheltenham no less than 21 times. It has to be some sort of record.
But it was at the Festival that Buena Vista came alive, and I’m sure that’s because the races run there often take place at a decent gallop.
It was in 2005 that Buena Vista first experienced the Cheltenham Festival, finishing a fine sixth behind Missed That in the bumper.
A year later he was back doing even better, with a classy third – beaten less than two lengths – by Noland in the Supreme.
In 2007, Buena Vista was sixth in the Arkle behind My Way de Solzen before a fifth to Ballyfitz in the 2008 Pertemps Final.
He was back for the 2009 renewal, chasing home Kayf Aramis, before taking the prize in 2010 by five lengths from Prince Erik.
In 2011 Buena Vista retained his crown when banging in another Pertemps from Son Amix before rounding off his Festival career with a unplaced effort in 2012.
David Pipe told me: “Why was he so good at Cheltenham Matt? Well number one, he was a talented horse from the beginning. He came from Ballydoyle and ran very well in the bumper and Supreme.
Buena Vista came alive at the Cheltenham Festival
“He ended up winning the Pertemps twice and had class about him. He was always a good mover and we got him at the right weight for the Pertemps each year. He just came alive in the spring.”
Buena Vista is an unsung Cheltenham hero. His story needs to be told. Here it has been.
Pipe hits on a crucial point. It’s not just the way the races are run, perhaps not surprisingly natural ability is also key.
That’s seen so clearly in the Champion Chase with returning stars doing well time and time again – and not always in victory.
Back in the 1980s Badsworth Boy landed three Champion Chase successes, but during that period Very Promising was runner-up on two occasions and third to Pearlyman in 1988.
Katabatic scored in 1991, but was also placed twice, which was also the case with Deep Sensation, the 1993 hero.
Viking Flagship took the prize in 1994 and 1995 and was second in 1996 and third in 1997. Sizing Europe was the hero in 2011 and placed twice, while even Special Tiara, who shouldn’t really have been good enough for the race, landed the contest in 2017 after two minor placed efforts.
The message is loud and clear about the Cheltenham factor.
Meanwhile, coming back to this year Energumene drifted like a barge for the Betway Queen Mother Champion on Thursday night and it subsequently emerged he had suffered from a stone bruise.
It appears all is well now with Shishkin’s big rival and his price has reduced once again, so it’s impossible to know how serious the issue has really been.
We will all get a major clue, however, when jockeys are declared for the Champion Chase.
At this stage Ireland’s champion rider Paul Townend is expected to take the mount on Energumene, but if he ends up partnering his Willie Mullins-handled stable companion Chacun Pour Soi it will massively worry supporters of the former.
The general feeling is that Chacun Pour Soi doesn’t like travelling. He flopped badly in the 2021 Champion Chase, and was desperate in the Tingle Creek earlier in the campaign.
That said, Mullins is taking steps to try and confuse Chacun Pour Soi about being away from home, and on his best form there’s no doubt he’s a hugely talented performer.
I want both horses to take on Shishkin, but as far as the result is concerned it won’t make shred of difference. The Supreme and Arkle hero is for me the banker of Cheltenham 2022. In Nico de Boinville and Nicky Henderson I trust.
Cheltenham is nearly here. Yeeehaaa with bells on!
