Britain’s chances of a second winner in the Baring Bingham, run this year as the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, since 2013 seem enhanced rather than diminished by Sixmilebridge beating Potters Charm.
Six weeks out from the 2m 5f Grade 1 that opens Style Wednesday on the Cheltenham schedule, there are three UK runners at 16/1 or shorter. The result of the AIS Novices’ Hurdle on Festival Trials Day, a Grade 2 race registered as the Classic Novices’ Hurdle, suggest the home team has hope.
While Potters Charm lost his unbeaten record in the contest for the local Nigel Twiston-Davies stable, he ran flat. Connections believe there are valid excuses for his eight-length defeat by Sixmilebridge and he has plenty of time to bounce back.
Potters Charm saw his price pushed out by Cheltenham betting sites for the Turners to as big as 16/1. Not all bookies reacted so negatively to his Trials Day loss, however, with 12/1 the general price. Potters Charm is as short as 10/1 to make amends comes the Festival.
Sixmilebridge, named after a village in County Clare, has a 14lb rise from the handicapper, meanwhile. After switching stables from Ben Pauling’s yard to the Fergal O’Brien team over the summer, this six-year-old Affinisea gelding has won three of four hurdles starts.
Unbeaten since stepping up to two-and-a-half miles, Sixmilebridge now bids to give his trainer a breakthrough Cheltenham winner at the Festival. O’Brien hoped that talented mare Dysart Enos would deliver in the Dawn Run last season only to suffer a last-minute setback.
Turners the “Obvious Race” for Sixmilebridge
Speaking after the career-best Grade 2 success on Trials Day, connections confirmed the Turners Novices’ Hurdle as the Festival target. “We will leave him in the Supreme, but the obvious race for him is the Turners,” O’Brien told the racing media.
“He went to the Festival [last season] for the Champion Bumper, but didn’t really handle the occasion. We feel he will fare much better with it all now. We are really look forward to it and hope we can get him there in one piece, especially as that Festival winner is the one thing we want to get under our belt.”
Sixmilebridge ranges in ante-post price in the Cheltenham odds for the Turners from 16/1 down to 10/1. After receiving weight for Potters Charm on Trials Day, some firms rate their chances of Festival success as equal.
Only one British-trained horse has won the Turners / Baring Bingham in the last decade with Willoughby Court prevailing in a photo finish at the 2017 Festival. In each of the last three seasons, first, second and third place have all been Irish horses.
The presence of JP McManus purchase The New Lion, alongside Sixmilebridge and Potters Charm, who have all won graded races, give the home team claims. As ever, standing in the way of British middle-distance novice hurdlers are the Irish contingent.
Shortest among those is Gordon Elliott’s Naas Grade 1 scorer The Yellow Clay. For what it’s worth, however, that horse is also favourite for the Albert Bartlett on Gold Cup day.
Willie Mullins also has plenty of Cheltenham horses entered and quoted for the Turners. The likes of Kopek Des Bordes, Kaid d’Authie and Final Demand could all run at the Dublin Racing Festival en route.
McManus Set for Divide & Conquer Strategy
Leading Irish owner McManus will shuffle his pack and likely keep his horses apart come Cheltenham, so Kel Histoire, Kawaboomga and Irancy could end up in the Supreme instead. With the bookies strongly fancying him to be top Festival owner again, he will spread runners out to try and capture as much prize money as possible.
McManus has had four seconds in the Turners / Baring Bingham since the mighty Istabraq landed the spoils in 1997. Yanworth and Champ both went close in his famous colours for British trainers in recent years.
Dan Skelton inmate The New Lion tops official ratings at present for McManus in this off a mark of 147. The handicapper dropped Potters Charm 1lb to a revised 145 following his Festival Trials Day second. Sixmilebridge is next best of the British on a 142 rating.
There is cautious optimism that such British horses can break an Irish stranglehold on the Turners after seven consecutive wins. McManus has a hand in both camps, however, and that’s why he’s one of the Cheltenham favourites for another rewarding Festival.
