Rest of Cheltenham Preview: A proven festival pedigree has always been regarded as priceless among the horses at Cheltenham but Nicky Henderson and Mick Fitzgerald can prove again they are the human team to reckon with around the famous track on this afternoon's opening session.
Fitzgerald's greatest Cheltenham victories, on board See More Business in the Gold Cup and Call Equiname in the Champion Chase, were for Paul Nicholls, but it is his association with Henderson that has provided the Cork-born jockey with the numerical ammunition for a number of leading rider titles at the festival over the years.
With Martin Pipe's retirement, Henderson is now the most successful current Cheltenham trainer having notched up 25 victories since 1985 and his fingerprints look to be all over the opening Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices Hurdle courtesy of the top mare Amaretto Rose. Henderson is already a dual winner of the race with River Ceiriog and Flown but they were surprise results compared to what is widely expected of Amaretto Rose, who is unbeaten in three this season and is sure to relish the soft ground conditions.
Winning distances of 13 and 18 lengths on her last two starts hardly do justice to the impression Amaretto Rose has made and while earlier in the season, she was being dismissed as a soft-ground specialist, that speciality now looks like paying off, especially with a 7lb mares allowance thrown in.
A total of nine Irish horses line up for what is always a crucial race in terms of novice form for the rest of the festival and the highly rated De Valira is regarded by many as being the most likely of them to set the right tone for the week. Disappointing on his last start, there remains some doubt as to how much he might find off the bridle when facing the notorious hill and of the high-profile Irish horses, maybe the Grade One winner Hide The Evidence looks more tempting.
Those looking for a long-priced option could do worse than check out Kalderon whose flat form makes a mockery of his 33 to 1 odds. But the big-hitters look like coming out in force for Amaretto Rose in a race where mares traditionally more than hold their own.
Far From Trouble's absence from the William Hill Trophy Chase means no Irish runner and it could also mean the Henderson-Fitzgerald combination playing a big part with the former festival winner Juveigneur. Today he has his trip and his track and while better ground might be better, we are still talking about a horse able to be placed in a Welsh National and win on the heavy last time out.
Gemini Lucy and Vintage Treasure are the visiting hopes in the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy and a place for either would be a colossal effort on what we have seen this season.
In contrast nothing but a win will suffice for Alan King who has ignored the Ryanair and the SunAlliance to allow My Way De Solzen take his chance in the two mile championship.
It's a brave call for a horse with enough stamina to have landed last year's World Hurdle but the soft ground conditions have swayed King this way.
Fair Along looks guaranteed to set a scorching gallop which will help My Way De Solzen whose jumping has been generally excellent this season. If he is within shouting distance of the pace coming down the hill, then nothing will come home better.
Nina Carberry will be chasing a second festival success on the apparently well handicapped Heads Onthe Ground in the cross country chase but stamina is a worry for the stable companion of Spot Thedifference who again has to concede weight all around. The former Welsh National winner Silver Birch might be a value alternative to both.
When it comes to festival pedigree, no Irish trainer comes even close to Edward O'Grady with 18 wins and a big-price option for 19 could well be Shazand in the concluding Fred Winter Hurdle.Proven on testing ground, he looks a reasonable option off bottom weight in a race that has thrown up big-priced winners.
Selections:
2.00 Amaretto Rose (nap)
2.35 May Way de Solzen
4.00 Juveigneur (double)
4.40 Silver Birch
5.20 Shazand
