Cheltenham Day One: Wayne Bailey’s race-by-race guide as Epatante gets set for double

Epatante, seen here with Jockey Barry Geraghty and trainer Nicky Henderson after winning last year's Champion Hurdle, is a good shout for making it two wins on the trot today. Photo: Sportsfile

Wayne Bailey

March 15 2021 08:32 PM

We won’t have the famous roar from the crowd when Cheltenham kicks off this year, and it’s going to be one of the strangest in memory, although we’ve got used to racing behind closed doors and I for one am extremely thankful that sport is continuing.

I’m thinking back to 2001 when I was 20 years of age and beginning to have a few decent-sized bets. I remember how disappointed I was when the Festival was cancelled due to foot and mouth disease, robbing my favourite horse at the time, Istabraq, the chance to become the first four-time winner of the Champion Hurdle.

Crowds or not, the Festival will give all sports fans a lift this week and, once again, it’s the Champion Hurdle I’m most looking forward to with Honeysuckle, Goshen and Epatante all trading at 4/1 or below. There’s the potential for some great racing stories here.

Goshen was about to win the Triumph Hurdle last year and traded below 1/20 in-running before unseating Jamie Moore at the last.

He was devastated afterwards and it was the beginning of an awful year for Moore – he later broke his back in a career-threatening injury, and had to get two rods inserted – but worst of all, his wife got cancer.

Thankfully, she’s now recovered, as has Jamie, and I don’t think there’ll be a dry eye in the house if Goshen takes this race this afternoon. But if you put sentiment aside, he’s not great value at 7/2. He got back on track by winning the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton last time but he had three poor runs after the Triumph Hurdle, had fibrillating heart issues, and he may be inconsistent.

Henry de Bromhead’s Honeysuckle is a very likeable mare and puts her unbeaten record on the line.

In what would be another amazing story, Rachael Blackmore attempts to become the first female jockey to win the Champion Hurdle, and it’s hard to say anything bad about Honeysuckle other than 15/8 is a little short in what is her biggest test to date.

I’ll feel a little sorry for my Irish Independent colleague Patrick Mullins if last year’s runner-up Sharjah wins this under Paul Townend (amateur jockeys can’t race at Cheltenham this year).

He can be hit-and-miss but is capable of winning big races on a good day, and I wouldn’t put anyone off backing him each-way around 11/1.

But at 4/1, Epatante is the value horse for me.

She’s proven at the top, winning this race last year and also the Fighting Fifth in November, and although it was a major shock to see her beaten priced 1/5 in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, she just wasn’t herself on the day and I’m going to overlook that blot on the copybook.

Henderson says she’s back to her best at home, and this race has shaped up to be an absolute cracker.

Wayne Bailey’s race-by-race guide to Cheltenham Day One

1.20

Appreciate It is set to go off as favourite for Willie Mullins, but this is an open-looking race and his price is a little short. Instead, Harry Fry’s Metier gets the nod under Sean Bowen. A decent sort on the Flat in Ireland, he looked very smart when winning the Tolworth. Ballyadam and Soaring Glory are others for the shortlist.

1.55

Shiskin is the banker of day one, although he’ll be very short and was trading as low as 8/15 yesterday evening. It looks like Nicky Henderson could have yet another smart one in the style of Altior and Sprinter Sacre. Allmankind and Captain Guinness will be waiting to strike should the favourite somehow fluff his lines.

2.30

Happygolucky heads the early betting around 100/30 but there are plenty in with chances here, and Cepage catches the eye as an each-way bet around 20/1. Seventh in this last year, Venetia Williams’ charge won a handicap in January off just 4lb lower than Tuesday’s rating of 158. Aye Right is another one worth a mention for trainer Harriet Graham under Richard Johnson.

3.05

This year’s Champion Hurdle is a belter of a race and a strong case could be made for Honeysuckle and Goshen – but Epatante is better value around 4/1. She has the form in the book having won this last year, and her mare’s allowance will come in useful again. Last year’s runner-up Sharjah is the each-way dark horse and often goes off at a bigger price than he should.

3.40

Willie Mullins’ Concertista has very strong claims but is a little skinny in the betting – so the vote instead goes to Roksana which won this in 2019 for Dan Skelton, expected to go off around 5/2. Last year’s Coral Cup winner Dame De Compagnie has a great record at the course and is another to consider.

4.15

Saint Sam is a worthy favourite around 9/2 for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend. He’s high enough in the ratings at 139 but he was placed in a Grade One last time out and has winning form from his days in France.

4.50

Next Destination can finish the day on a high note for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden. He has won some Grade One hurdles when trained by Willie Mullins, and is shaping up to be a smart chaser for Nicholls with a couple of Grade Two wins to date. Galvin and Escaria Ten are the main dangers.

Lay of the day

With a record six wins in this race, you have to be brave, or some would say stupid, to take on the Willie Mullins hotpot – but I just can’t have him at 11/10 in a race where the favourite can be overbacked. People tend to get carried away with the fun of the Festival, particularly on the first race before they’ve lost any cash.

Fair enough, there’s not a lot he’s done wrong over timber, winning all three races, but he’s not the only one with very good form in the book and this is more open than the market suggests. Mullins’ Douvan was the last jolly to win in 2015 but he’s trained three losing favourites since.

Stat attack

Owner JP McManus holds the record for the most wins in the Champion Hurdle at nine. It all started with Istabraq, which won in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Binocular claimed the prize ten years later in 2010. We later had Jezki (2014), Buveur D’Air (2017, 2018), Espoir D’Allen (2019) and, most recently, Epatante (2020).
Some of those were trained by Nicky Henderson, who is the most successful trainer in the race with eight wins. Willie Mullins has also had a big say in recent years with four winners, namely Hurricane Fly (2011, 2013), Faugheen (2015) and Annie Power (2016).