myracing.com Road to Cheltenham 30th January 2017

What started off a week full of promise, expectation and excitement ended in tragedy as we sadly lost one of our true great national hunt horses’, Many Clouds. We have written a tribute article for Many Clouds and everyone here at myracing.com send our deepest condolences to all involved with the horse. He passed away doing what he loved and he always gave absolutely everything on the racecourse. To beat the best chaser in training at present in Thistlecrack just shows what steel he was made of and he will be sorely missed by everyone. RIP boy, you are in a better place now.

This Week’s Racing

Even though we are well into the jumps’ season now, we have a brilliant card at Lingfield to look forward to on the All-Weather on Saturday. The Listed Cleves Stakes and Winter Derby Trial take place, great prize-money up for grabs and always very competitive. The Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase is the feature race at Sandown whilst Wetherby host the Grade 2 Towtown Novices’ Chase. Moving further north to Scotland, the Scottish County Hurdle takes place at Musselburgh, an action packed Saturday. Our ITV Racing Tips will be published on Friday evening so don’t miss out.

Performance Of The Week – Many Clouds

Triumph to tragedy within 40 seconds. How fragile life is. Many Clouds may be gone from this earth but he will be forever in our hearts. His legacy will live on forever in the horse racing world. Nobody will ever forget his performance in the Cotswold Chase. Trainer after trainer ran scared of Thistlecrack all season. The horse that “could not be beaten” to many. Oliver Sherwood, we tip our hat to you sir. You didn’t shy away, you had a go, you weren’t afraid and that is what horse racing is all about.

If any horse could expose Thistlecrack’s weaknesses, it was Many Clouds. The former Grand National winner and winner of the Cotswold Chase in the past was an immaculate jumper and never knew when he was beat. Sherwood wanted to test Thistlecrack’s stamina because he had it all his own way up until this point, and test him he did. A fantastic jumping display drew a mistake out of Thistlecrack on the back straight before the turn for home which took 3 lengths out of him. Tom Scudamore still rode the favourite with a huge amount of confidence and he breezed back up alongside Many Clouds approaching the second last. It looked like Tizzard’s horse was getting the better of it approaching the last but Many Clouds produced one of his finest leaps at the final flight and they went head to head up the hill. Thistlecrack could not get past him, Many Clouds wanted it more, he was the proven stayer of the two and he hung on to win by a head. An amazing performance. Sadly, 40 seconds later, Many Clouds collapsed and passed away. He passed away a hero, a warrior, an inspiration. We love you dearly, Many Clouds.

“Many Clouds had all the qualities we find so bewitching” @StevoGG reflects on how horses capture our hearts >>> https://t.co/po6dDOekSb pic.twitter.com/9MydoH3bHb

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) January 29, 2017

Champion Chase or Ryanair Chase for Un De Sceaux?

Un De Sceaux won the Clarence House Chase in grand style at Cheltenham in the hands of Ruby Walsh. The race was meant to be run at Ascot a week prior but that meeting was called off due to a frozen track. Mullins’ will be the first to admit that he jumped poorly when he won the Tingle Creek but this was a much better performance. Uxizandre ran an absolute belter in second after two years off the track, he is one to watch for the festival. Does Un De Sceaux run against Douvan in the Champion Chase? If we owned him, we would opt for the Ryanair Chase as we don’t think he’d stand a chance against Douvan.

FULL REPLAY & REACTION: Willie Mullins says Ryanair likely for Un De Sceaux after Clarence House Chase success. >>> https://t.co/UFY2bLznww pic.twitter.com/ydZjfTCz1P

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) January 28, 2017

Harry Maintains Winning Streak

Unowhatimeanharry showed people once again why he is rightly at the front of the Stayers’ Hurdle market with a very impressive victory in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday. In the hands of Barry Geraghty, he travelled like a dream throughout, jumped impeccably and surged to the front when asked to go on and win the race in style. Big shout out to Warren Greatrex who seems to have trained Cole Harden to back near his best, he ran a corker in second.

FULL REPLAY & REACTION: Unowhatimeanharry does just enough to keep up winning sequence in Cleeve >>> https://t.co/CUXlhmA996 pic.twitter.com/FR1bUGt3We

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) January 28, 2017

The Irish Angle

Vroum Vroum Mag was sent over to Doncaster to run in the Grade 2 Mares’ Hurdle and it was a poor performance, even if she did win. Midnight Jazz made her work all the way to the line and she just got up right on the line in what was probably her worst performance to date for Mullins. She has to be given credit too as she looked an unlikely winner two out and battled back so well to win. Surely she needs a step up in trip again? Two miles is not what she wants on that evidence.

Stablemate Shaneshill won the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park on Thursday and is now a 12/1 shot for the Stayers’ Hurdle in March whilst Getabird had to battle hard to win his bumper, sent off the 1/10 favourite. Champagne West won the valuable Thyestes Chase for Henry De Bromhead and is now a live each way contender for the Gold Cup.

On Sunday at Leopardstown, Petit Mouchoir won the Irish Champion Hurdle which was a very weak renewal as Faugheen was a late absentee. Beating Footpad by a length isn’t great form in the scheme of things so it’s hard to weigh up how impressive that win was. The well talked about Melon is now the 11/2 favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after an emphatic success, he looks the real deal. Some Plan won an eventful four runner Irish Arkle after Identity Thief and Bleu Et Rouge unseated rider and Ruby Walsh fell at the last when he looked a winner on Royal Caviar.

First 5 Cheltenham Festival Tips Launched

Who doesn’t love a Cheltenham Festival ante post bet? Well, we have released our tips for the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle and Gold Cup. Read our Cheltenham Festival article where you can avail of the FREE tips and we also give you full details about the NRNB offers with Paddy Power and bet365.