Preparations for this year's Cheltenham Festival have been thrown into total disarray by an unexpected telephone call and the EBF Final at Sandown.
Earlier this week I was offered the chance of a ticket for Wrexham's FA Cup fifth round home tie against Chelsea on Saturday - the club's highest profile fixture since they beat Arsenal in the same competition back in 1992.
As a lifelong fan I jumped at the chance and immediately after the call rushed off to check prices: Wrexham 6/1 in places, 4/1 the draw.
I was tempted too, but after watching highlights of Chelsea's win at Villa Park on Wednesday evening, I decided I was never all that keen on football betting anyway...
And then, bless my old boots, two caught my eye in the European Breeders' Fund Betfair "National Hunt" Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final, handily shortened in racing parlance to the EBF Final (1.50 Sandown).
The two in question are Tennessee Tango and Cinquenta.
18 months ago, after attending Ludlow's second October meeting, I bumped into a gentleman in a local hostelry who tried to sell me a share in a horse for £2,000. 'Unusual that for a Thursday,' I remember thinking to myself afterwards. The horse in question was Tennessee Tango.
At the time the gelding was unraced under rules but held an entry in a Wincanton bumper the following Sunday. The gent concerned clearly held the horse in high regard - a possible entry in the Festival bumper was mentioned - but I don't regularly carry that amount of cash inside the inside lining of my faux tweed jacket and, anyway, I'd done my dough at the races, so I politely declined his kind offer.
Still, I had enough about me to monitor the market for that Wincanton bumper all the same.
Now, as a general rule, Sunday markets can be quite static early doors, no doubt bookmakers still busy counting their winnings from the day before. At around ten o'clock the opening price of 12/1 about Tennessee Tango started to contract quite sharply. By roughly midday, as I recall, he was half the price so I decided to leave well alone. In the event, Tennessee Tango drifted back out to 12/1 at the off and beat Neil Mulholland's well-backed filly Pollyana's Dream two and a half lengths.
I've followed the fortunes of Tennessee Tango ever since that bumper, which, incidentally, was run on good ground. He has further bumper form behind Windbeneathmywings, and hurdle form behind Sinchi Roca (beat Wolf Walker at Wincanton in January), Sober Glory (14/1 for the Supreme on Tuesday), Gentleman Toboot (gave subsequent Dovecote winner Klub De Reve six pounds and a beating at Exeter in December) and Mossy Fen Road.
In complete contrast Cinquenta only came on the radar five weeks ago.
My hairdresser was due to go the Wetherby races at the end of January and, in what can only be described as a blatant breach of self discipline, she asked me to mark her card.
I did the necessary and thought I'd managed to get away scot-free when the fixture was (un)fortunately abandoned but a timeous email the following morning indicated her party were en route to Market Rasen instead so updated selections were required - as quickly as possible.
Initially Gee Force Flyer was priced up favourite in the two and a half mile novice hurdle with Cinquenta his market rival but by the off the pair had flip-flopped; the market called it correctly too with Cinquenta coming home eight and a half lengths clear.
After the race handler Jamie Snowden said:
"It was a nice performance. Cinquenta stepped up for the step up in trip and a bit of softer ground. The penny is beginning to drop, but he's a big backward baby and he's learning all of the time. Today was a slightly easier race than the ones he's been competing in. We won the EBF Final last year with Laurens Bay [off 123] and I'd say he's in a similar mould, he's a future staying chaser."
Of the pair marginal preference is for Cinquenta who has won over the distance while Tennessee Tango tries the trip for the first time.
Of course, as always, the EBF Final is a highly competitive affair; 18 have been declared for this year's renewal with the going on the hurdles track currently described as soft, good to soft in places.
Favourite Scorpio Rising is unbeaten this term, last time finishing one and threequarters lengths ahead of Top Jimmy at Windsor (Top Jimmy contests the Imperial Cup at 2.27). Readers may recall the brouhaha that followed when Harry (Skelton) met Sean (Bowen) - not Sally - on the way back to the unsaddling enclosure.
Formerly with Willie Mullins, Unknown Entity is probably well-named but remains a maiden in five starts and looks short enough in the market.
Kaka's Cousin was bought for £160,000 after being pipped a short head in an Irish point 15 months ago. He finished 15 lengths behind Starzand at Wetherby in January but looked impressive next time beating even money favourite Kocktail Bleu (second behind Klub De Reve in the Dovecote) eight and a half lengths at Kelso.
Four Springs jumped right on occasions when second behind Sinnatra at Warwick the last day. He should prefer Sandown and sports cheekpieces for the first time; Sinnatra is currently quoted a 12/1 chance for the County Hurdle at Cheltenham next week.
Laguna Beach finished behind Hurricane Pat - holds an entry in the Turners at Cheltenham - in November and wasn't foot perfect at his hurdles when second behind Whiskey Yankee at Ascot over an extended two miles five furlongs seven weeks ago; the slightly shorter trip here should help his cause.
I'd be prepared to forgive top weight Gentleman Toboot his last run at Leicester. David Pipe's charge proved he stays the trip when beating A Pai De Nom - subsequently third in the Lanzarote and currently holding entries for the Albert Bartlett and the Martin Pipe - at Newton Abbot at the end of October. Stable form is a concern.
Race To Base finished fifth in a Uttoxeter maiden at the beginning of October and, for what it's worth, I wasn't the only one to mark that particular race up as well above average: winner De Temps En Temps went on to claim a Cheltenham novice and looked to have benefitted from wind surgery when third in a competitive Ascot handicap next time; second Tiptoptim finished third in the Challow behind No Drama This End; third Loriko has form behind Give It To Me Oj and Kripticjim while fourth Marsiac went on to beat Big Ticket in an Aintree novice.
After winning his novice at Hereford - on decent ground - Race To Base's jockey Sam-Twiston-Davies said: 'He's very quick, one of the pacier ones at home...' The gelding has his first run for new connections here and wears a tongue-tie for the first time.
Draco Malfoy can turn on the magic in the jumping department and looks a stayer in the making; he was beaten by Get On George at Doncaster just after Christmas.
Get On George is better than he showed when pulled up behind Thedeviluno in the River Don. In their Straight from the Stable article [RP Weekender 28.01-01.02.26] Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith say:
"He's a lovely horse who's definitely one to watch. He could be the one to go chasing and do something similar to what Grand Geste has done this season - and better. He's got everything - he's fast, he stays, he jumps and he's got a good attitude - and this is his first season in training. It was a very good race at Doncaster last Saturday [River Don] and it wasn't our day. He's going to be better over a fence."
On his penultimate start Rathkenny, owned by Robert Waley-Cohen, made all to beat West Hill Verde at Doncaster. That reads well now given that West Hill Verde finished third in the Premier Novices' Hurdle at Kelso last Saturday, despite nearly coming to grief four from home. In a Straight from the Stable article [RP Weekender 04-08.02.26] trainer Neil Mulholland says:
"He'd won his point-to-point when we bought him. He then won his bumper first time out for us at Uttoxeter. He ran at Fontwell the second time but pulled a front shoe off, so you can put a line through that run. He then went to Doncaster and ran a lovely race to win nicely [West Hill Verde second]. He's got a great attitude and jumps well. He'll be a nice chaser next season and would be my trainer's pick."
The two Henrietta Knight trained runners have form with Cinquenta.
Conceding three pounds Precious Metal beat Cinquenta a neck over two miles at Lingfield but didn't appear to stay behind Bollin Thou over this course and distance next time while Roi Du Risk was struggling with a circuit to go behind Cinquenta at Market Rasen but then kept on to finish third.
Jury's In finished fourth behind Starzand at Ffos Las in the autumn (Gee Force Flyer third). It was an open and shut case at Fakenham three weeks ago when Stuart Edmunds' charge beat The Boss Bear 20 lengths at Fakenham; the penalty is an 11 pound hike in the weights.
As always a very competitive renewal - it's possible to make a case for a couple of these at a price. I'm going stick with Cinquenta who hurdled fluently for the most part last time and stayed on strongly to the line.
Cinquenta is the each-way suggestion, generally 12/1 at the time of writing with some firms paying five places including bet365 and Unibet.
Footnote: Harry Redknapp is on record saying he's found himself dreaming about The Jukebox Man winning next week's Gold Cup. I haven't had any dreams about Wrexham beating Chelsea tomorrow, basically because I haven't been able to get much sleep. In time honoured fashion, I'll aim to post some selections for each of the four days at Cheltenham.
