Big Fella Thanks is one of only a small number of horses who have successfully completed the Grand National on three difference occasions.
With another shot at the big race on the cards for April, the 11-year old is aiming to improve on his best finish of fourth place he achieved in 2010 when Don't Push It was successful at Aintree in a race remembered more for the winning jockey as Tony McCoy won the 'people's race' in his 15th attempt at trying.
Big Fella Thanks has proven himself as an excellent jumper, he has only fallen once in his career so far, that was at Newbury in the Hennessy Gold Cup in 2010. Those searching for Grand National free bets online will know he seems to be cut out for the race.
The Ferdy Murphy-trained runner has not run since finishing seventh in last year's Grand National, however, he is expected to appear again before going to Aintree in April. The Grade One Ascot Chase is a possible target in February, the 11-year old finished fourth in the race last season in what usually is a competitive contest over 2m5f.
Graham Lee has ridden the British horse on four of the last five occasions and should keep the ride once again this year. Lee won the big race on Amberleigh House in 2004 to give Ginger McCain his fourth Grand National success. It also ensured that McCain had trained two different horses to victory in the famous steeplechase after Red Rum had made history by winning 4m4f contest on three different occasions.
Murphy, on the other hand, has yet to win the Grand National as a trainer and will be hoping it is fourth time lucky with Big Fella Thanks this year.
National Hunt fans from both sides of the Irish Sea will finally get their eagerly awaited opportunity to take a look at reigning Champion Hurdler, Hurricane Fly, for the first time this season when the eight year old will take on five rivals in the Irish Champion Hurdle over two miles on Sunday; a race that he won 12 months ago and for which he is the 4/7 odds on favourite to do so again.
Trainer Willie Mullins has made no secret of the fact that it has taken Hurricane Fly some time this season to get him race ready, which is why he was withdrawn from two races earlier on this season. However, he is reportedly close to being back to his best and will use this race as his preparation ahead of a bid to win back-to-back renewals of the Champion Hurdle in March.
Hurricane Fly has won his last six starts which have all been at Grade One level. In his last race, The Rabobank Champion Hurdle, at the Punchestown Festival last May he had stablemate Thousand Stars five lengths behind in second place and he opposes again in this but cannot be expected to reverse form.
Thousand Stars of course was fourth in the Champion Hurdle last season and has been out twice so far this term. He started the season by winning the Grade One Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November but he was then beaten into second place, 1½ lengths behind by the Dermot Weld trained Unaccompanied in the Grade One Istabraq Hurdle at Leopardstown last month. He was giving 10lbs away to Unaccompanied, who also opposes in this and will be giving him 9lbs as will the rest of the field on Sunday.
With the weights to his advantage and improvement expected, it is little wonder that Unaccompanied has been well supported to upset the odds in this race. He is the 4/1 second favourite and Weld will be using this race as a guide as to whether or not he goes for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham himself.
Oscars Well from the Jessie Harrington stable will be looking to reverse the form shown in the Istabraq Hurdle where he found both Unaccompanied and Thousand Stars too good. Jockey Robbie Power however believes that the seven year old has improved considerably over the last few weeks and he is expecting him to run a big race.
Although only six runners, this should be a competitive race where on paper it should be won by the Champion. That said, it is his first run for almost nine months and whist that has not proved a problem in the past, he will need to have improved from the gallops to win this which is why you'd have to be brave to snap up the 4/7 but if anywhere near his best, he should have his rivals strung out behind him.
2009 Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup winner Cappa Bleu is set to have his first run in the Grand National in April at the age of 10.
The Evan Williams-trained runner showed his class by winning at the Cheltenham Festival two years ago but connections now have their sights on the most famous steeplechase race in the world.
Cappa Bleu appeared at Chepstow on December 27 in the Welsh equivalent of the race and looked in good form as he came home in third place, behind winner La Beau Bai and Giles Cross. The contest was a good market for the Aintree race as the gelding got every yard of the 3m5f contest on heavy ground. Those placing an ante-post Grand National bet certainly can't rule him out.
The season started in the best possible manner for Williams’ chaser as he won a handicap chase at Haydock in November ahead of Killyglen and Chief Dan George, who both took part in last year’s Grand National.
Cappa Bleu is no stranger to big races. In 2009 he took part in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury at the age of seven, in the contest that will be remembered by the performance of Denman who carried top weight of 11-12 to win the Grade Three handicap race.
Cappa Bleu returned to the Cheltenham Festival in 2010 for his second appearance, but this time it was over hurdles in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. The Irish bred horse did fail to deliver though last year in the biggest meeting on the National Hunt Calendar and a return to chasing looks the route connections will go with Cappa Bleu for the remainder of his career.
Irish trainer Conor O'Dwyer looks to have a nice horse on his hands in the shape of the upwardly mobile Folsom Blue who stepped up in trip to record an impressive successive at Thurles on January 19 and could now be given the green light to take his chance in the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, writes Elliot Slater.
Sent off a 9/2 shot under Davy Russell, the five-year-old was tackling two-miles-six-furlongs for the first time having been campaigned solely at the minimum trip in his two previous hurdles outings, and after being settled towards the rear of the eight-runner field began to make eye-catching headway after the fourth from home. Quickening up well on the turn into the home straight, the gelded son of Old Vic poured it on after the last to record a nine-and-a-half-length victory over Star Neuville (a winner at Leopardstown last time out), who himself came nicely clear of Castle Wings.
O'Dwyer's charge was instantly made 25/1 in the latest Cheltenham betting odds for the 'Neptune' by one of Ireland's leading layers and looks the sort who could be something of a dark horse in the contest as it is hard to tell just how much more improvement there might be in the youngster who is clearly is thriving at present. Owned by the all-conquering Gigginstown House Stud, Folsom Blue had previously landed the odds in a maiden hurdle at Limerick having gone close on his initial outing over timber when failing by just a length-an-a-half to catch the decent Willie Mullins-trained Turban. Fans of Betfair Cheltenham races will have marked him out as one to watch.
A son of the very smart hurdling mare Spirit Leader who won both the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury and the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle at the 2003 Cheltenham Festival, Folsom Blue is certainly bred along the right lines to make a name for himself on the biggest jumps stage of all.
Middleham-based handler Ferdy Murphy passes on encouraging news of his stable star Kalahari King who has been on the easy list since being pulled up when bidding for the Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot in November won by Master Minded, writes Elliot Slater.
Fancied to run a big race in the Grade 2 Ascot contest, Kalahari King was tracking the leaders at the half-way stage of the contest when jockey Graham Lee felt the horse go wrong. He immediately pulled up the 11-year-old who was later diagnosed to have sustained a crack to a splint bone. Murphy is convinced that Lee’s swift action in immediately realising the problem saved the horse suffering a much worse injury and now reports the gelded son of Derby winner Kahyasi is back cantering and appears recovered from his setback. Anyone looking at the ante-post Cheltenham betting will be keeping an eye on his progress.
Murphy is hopeful that his 12-time winner might be ready to tackle a race in mid-February that would serve as a warm-up for a possible bid for the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival a month later, but if the horse fails to reach fitness in time then Murphy will abandon the plan to run in February and will aim to take his horse straight to Cheltenham without a prior outing.
Kalahari King remains a smart performer despite having failed to reach the winners enclosure since April 2009 when he landed the Grade 1 John Smith’s Maghull Novices Chase at Aintree, but ran a fine third to Big Zeb in the Queen Mother Champion Chase the following season and was a very brave one-length runner-up to Albertas Run in the Ryanair Chase last term, keeping on stoutly at the finish.
Due to concerns about his injury bookmakers offer a myriad of ante-post prices about Murphy’s veteran going one better this season, some making him as short as 14/1 whilst at least one firm appear to have totally written him off in going as big as 28/1.
News that both Big Zeb and Sizing Europe, winners of the last two renewals of the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival will have their final prep race for this year's renewal in the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on February 5 has been greeted with tremendous excitement by Irish racing fans, and with much interest by those planning an investment on the main event on March 14, writes Elliot Slater.
Both horses have already been in tremendous form this term, Sizing Europe, winner of last year's Champion Chase where he defeated Big Zeb by five-lengths, having won impressively at Sandown on his most recent start when slamming Kauto Stone to land the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase. Henry de Bromhead, trainer of the reigning champion, reports the horse to be working well ahead of the Punchestown clash having been given a little time off after his thundering success at the Esher course in December. Those looking at the Cheltenham tipping should remember this.
For his part Big Zeb has proved that he remains just as smart at the age of 11 as ever before, the 2010 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner having twice beaten Noble Prince this season, most recently in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas fixture. Colm Murphy's tremendously popular chaser gained his revenge on Sizing Europe for losing his Cheltenham crown to de Bromhead's horse when running out a brave three-quarters-of-a-length winner of the Grade 1 Boylesports Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival on their respective final start last term in May. People following the Cheltenham betting at betfair will be keeping an eye on things.
Sizing Europe is currently the bookies' favourite to retain his title at Cheltenham being priced up the 5/2 ante-post favourite, whilst Big Zeb can be backed at up to 5/1 to win back his crown in what could prove to be one of the best clashes of the whole four-day fixture.
Fears that reigning champion hurdler Hurricane Fly might not be seen this term after being repeatedly withdrawn from a number of high profile contests in the last couple of months have receded after the Willie Mullins-trained gelding came through a racecourse gallop at Leopardstown on January 5 with flying colours and now seems set to make his seasonal return at the track on January 29, writes Elliot Slater.
The eight-year-old son of Montjeu will now be prepared for a return to action in the Grade 1 BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle, a race he won last year when confirming his superiority over regular rival Solwhit in running out a comfortable three-and-a-half-length winner. Mullins observed after the racecourse gallop that for the first time in some while the horse had moved well and he appeared very pleased with what he had seen and confident the horse will be seen back in action before the end of the month. Those looking at the best online Cheltenham Festival betting will be keeping an eye on him.
Last term Hurricane Fly carried all before him winning three Grade 1 contests in his native Ireland prior to crossing the Irish Sea for the first time to tackle the cream of the British two-mile hurdles division. Sent off the 11/4 market leader under the hugely popular Ruby Walsh, Mullins’ charge travelled with purpose throughout before joining the previously unbeaten Peddlers Cross between the final two flights. Edging into the lead at the last another good leap saw the Irish horse forge ahead, and despite Peddlers Cross staying on bravely in his bid to bridge the gap, Hurricane Fly crossed the line a length-and-a-quarter clear of the Donald McCain-trained runner-up to claim the title of champion hurdler.
A subsequent repeat performance in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown in May when beating stable companion and subsequent French Champion Hurdle winner Thousand Stars by five-lengths rounded off an unbeaten campaign for the horse who remains a solid 5/2 favourite to successfully defend his title.
It would appear that champion trainer Paul Nicholls will be using the Grade 1 Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on 21st January to trial two of his young stable stars for their respective targets at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
The 2011 Supreme Novice Hurdle winner, Al Ferof, who has made an impressive start to chasing, winning his first two starts over bigger obstacles this season, will step out of novice company for the first time, including victory in the Markel Insurance Henry VIII Novices Chase last time out. This change of emphasis has led to speculation that Nicholls and owner, John Hales, will be aiming the seven year old at the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival rather than his original novice target of the Arkle Challenge Trophy.
Meanwhile stablemate, Kauto Stone, who ran valiantly when second behind current champion chase winner, Sizing Europe, in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek over two miles at Sandown last month, will also be in the Victor Chandler Chase field. However, his target for Cheltenham is almost certainly the Ryanair Chase over 2m5f, a distance that is far more likely to suit both his ability and pedigree. That said, he too does hold an entry for the Champion Chase but as proven at Sandown, the two miles good well be too sharp for him.
As it stands currently, Al Ferof is the third favourite to win the Arkle at 7/1 but has been installed as a general 14/1 shot for the Champion Chase, suggesting that the former still remains his target. Ahead of him in the Arkle betting is Spirit Sacre at 5/2 and Peddlers Cross at 6/1, while in the Queen Mother, he is headed by favourite Sizing Europe, 2010 winner, Big Zeb and the hugely talented Finians Rainbow.
Finians Rainbow in fact, who is trained by Nicky Henderson will also be lining up in the Victor Chandler Chase as a final preparation for his Festival bid. A winner last time out in the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton Park at Christmas on his seasonal debut, the 9 year old looked like he needed the run but he was still too good for the likes of the talented Wishfull Thinking despite a bad blunder three fences from home.
Wishfull Thinking, who is trained by Phillip Hobbs, will also be in the Victor Chandler Chase field as will several other top names including Henrietta Knight’s Somersby, Peterborough Chase winner, Gauvain, from the Nick Williams yard and 2009 Arkle Trophy winner, Forpadydeplasterer.
The Victor Chandler Chase therefore looks set to be a top quality renewal and should be a race that provides plenty of clues ahead of March's Festival. The betting has Finians Rainbow at the top of the market with odds of 2/1, while Al Ferof is a 3/1 shot; he is followed by Kauto Stone and Somersby, both on 6/1 with Wishfull Thinking at 9/1 and Forpadydeplasterer at 10/1.
David Pipe and the connections of the hugely talented Grade 1 Feltham Novices Chase winner Grand Crus have some serious thinking to do over the next few weeks as they ponder whether or not to let the seven-year-old have a crack at the big guns in the Cheltenham Gold Cup or go for the RSA Chase, a race for which their charge is a rock solid 2/1 favourite, writes Elliot Slater.
Grand Crus could hardly have been more impressive in beating the very useful Silviniaco Conti by an easy two-and-a-quarter-lengths with last year’s leading staying novice hurdler Bobs Worth a further three-lengths away in third, having never been able to go the pace with the winner. Jumping like an old hand, the son of Dom Alco barely put a foot wrong and looks an absolute natural chaser, promising to be even better than he achieved over hurdles last season when he was the only horse to make a race of it with the legendary Big Buck’s in finishing runner-up to Paul Nicholls’ superstar in both the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and a few weeks later at the Aintree Festival in the Liverpool Hurdle. Those following the Cheltenham ante post betting should remember this.
Now a winner of all three starts over fences this term, Pipe will have to decided if he should risk running the relatively inexperienced French bred gelding against the likes of the mighty Kauto Star and defending champion Long Run in the Gold Cup, remembering of course the ill-fated Gloria Victis, (an outstanding young novice chaser trained by his father Martin), who was re-routed from the RSA Chase to the Gold Cup but who suffered a fatal injury at Cheltenham races.
After Pipe admitted he is now considering the Gold Cup for the horse owned jointly by Roger Stanley and Yvonne Reynolds, bookmakers slashed his odds for the blue riband event from 16/1 to 8/1, making the novice the current third favourite for the race behind Long Run,(11/4) and Kauto Star (9/2).
Sachin Tendulkar is still searching for his one-hundredth international century in cricket, following his dismissal in the Boxing Day test against Australia. The Little Master this time fell short by 27 runs.
Throughout last summer’s series with England, casinos android punters were betting on when 38-year-old Tendulkar would eventually reach his historic milestone, but instead they were left to wait.
The series with Australia appeared to present the ideal opportunity for the Indian legend to finally reach the landmark, but he still remains on 99, having lost his wicket to Peter Siddle in the final over of the second day.
Rahul Dravid remained at the crease on 68 not out, and India on 214-3 as they looked to close down Australia’s first innings score of 333.
And Tendulkar was in fine form it appeared, hitting his 73 runs from just 98 deliveries before finally being dismissed late in the day.
“It's unfortunate he didn't get his hundred, but his batting performance today really put us out of pressure, we're very happy,” said Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, at the close of play.
Nothing was to take the shine of what was an otherwise masterful performance from Tendulkar. In front of a crowd of almost 53,000, he put on a display of truly magnificent stroke play.
It was a performance that looked to have Australia on the ropes, before Siddle finally got his break-through. That brought night watchman, Ishant Sharma to the crease.
However, the third day was not to go so well for India, as they collapsed to 282 all out, before Australia put on 240 in their second innings.
Tendulkar was once again unable to get a century as India were then bowled out for a dismal 169, giving Australia a 122 run victory.
Throughout his highly successful career, Tendulkar has now amassed an incredible 185 test appearances – a world record.
In that time, he has scored 15,256 test runs – more than any other batsman, and has 51 test centuries to his name.
In one day cricket, he has scored over 18,000 runs, and currently has a total of 48 ODI centuries.
His bowling figures have not been bad, either. In the shortened form of the game he has taken 154 wickets.
Tendulkar may well be running out of opportunities to pick up that elusive 100th hundred, but another opportunity will not be far away. India’s next game is the second test of the series against Australia in Sydney on January 3.
After that, they have two more test matches in the series – first at the WACA in Perth before the series finale at the Adelaide Oval.
Whether Tendulkar can reach that incredible milestone remains to be seen, but India will be keen to get back to winning ways quickly.
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