Chances at Cheltenham this week-end with both The Doyen Chief and Es Perfecto

December 10

Cheltenham might be Alan’s favourite jumps track, but he is also pretty keen on Warwick and we look to have chances at both tracks over the next three days.

We have won the maiden hurdle on the Midlands track twice in the last four years, and Lightfingered Jack has sound prospects of emulating the success of I’m A Lumberjack 12 months ago when he takes on 10 rivals at Warwick tomorrow.

Runner-up on his jumping debut over two an a half miles at Aintree, Lightfingered Jack, whose dam, Polly Peachum, was a smart mare with Nicky Henderson, both in bumpers and over hurdles, is related to Gold Cup winner Denman further down the line, so owner-breeder Robert Waley-Cohen is as excited as we are at Barbury to see Lightfingered Jack playing “catch up” just short of his seventh birthday.

We have runners at three meetings on Friday, but Alan will be at Cheltenham to see The Doyen Chief hopefully erase the memory of the Coral Gold Cup when he runs in the Turners Premier Handicap Chase.

Newbury is best forgotten – The Doyen Chief was caught flat-footed in a farcical standing start to their most prestigious steeplechase of the season, and, though he now has to race off a 3lb higher mark, he has an obvious chance of compensation here.”

Alan said:”The Doyen Chief worked very well this morning, so we are very hopeful he can put Newbury behind him. He was previously unlucky not to win on his seasonal debut at Bangor when Tom (Bellamy) lost an iron after the final fence and was only headed in the last 100 yards,”

And on Saturday Es Perfecto could well outrun his odds in the December Gold Cup, still known to all us coffin-dodgers as the Massey-Ferguson.

Es Perfecto always seems to grow in stature when he runs at Cheltenham, and there was a lot to like about his comeback run in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month, even though he was eventually pulled up.

Alan said:”Es Perfecto was probably a touch short for that race, but he travelled really well all the way round and just emptied going to the second last. He has been in good form at home since, so, hopefully, he’ll be in the mix at the finish this time.”

Es Perfecto has never won at Cheltenham, but he was twice placed behind the useful Ginny’s Destiny in big handicaps there. while at last year’s Festival he was bravely hanging on to eventual winner Caldwell Potter after the last fence of the Grade 2 Novices Handicap Chase, only for earlier exertions to take their toll up the run-in.

We also have chances on Friday with both Castle Carrock at Doncaster and Blazeonfive at Southwell. Alan added:”I was disappointed with Castle Carrock in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham, but that race ought to bring him on after an absence of more than seven months, and stepping back up in distance could also bring about improvement.

“Blazeonfive, who joined the Barbury team this time last year, won twice on the Flat for us in October, at Ascot and Nottingham, but he also won on at Southwell when with Roger Teal, so we are running here to see if it is worth persevering with the all-weather, or instead have another crack over hurdles.”