Defi dominance, staying contenders enhance claims and Mullins getting into gear

Defi Du Seuil's dominant Clarence House Chase win at Ascot was the headline-grabbing run at the weekend, but there were also smart performances to dissect at Haydock and in Ireland.

Matt Butler picks apart four key stories from the weekend action with the remainder of the season in mind.

Defi weaknesses few and far between

If there were questions about Defi Du Seuil's suitability for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, they were surely answered when he won the Clarence House Chase at Ascot impressively.

He beat one of the division's most reliable benchmarks Un De Sceaux for the second time this season but this was a more emphatic success than his Tingle Creek victory at Sandown last month.

Although Philip Hobbs brushed off concerns about heavy going in the build-up to the big rematch, it was an indisputable fact he had not proven his ability on a going officially as testing.

Hobbs was proven right to be unconcerned as Defi Du Seuil showed a striking turn of foot despite the underfoot conditions to effectively seal the race in a matter of strides at Ascot.

Defi Du Seuil: coped with heavy ground fine in the Clarence House ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst

So what questions remain about Defi Du Seuil and his path to Champion Chase glory? Not many, in truth. His ability to jump slickly at two-mile pace is proven, as is his deadly turn of foot. As a Triumph, JLT and Shloer winner his Cheltenham credentials are unquestionable, while sufficient stamina over further is another strong asset.

Aside from connections continued insistence to not entirely rule out the Ryanair Chase – surely a highly improbable switch now – unknown opponents Altior and A Plus Tard, plus Defi Du Seuil's Punchestown conqueror Chacun Pour Soi, are the real factors to consider for Cheltenham. And two of those potential rivals, Altior and Chacun Pour Soi, have far more questions to answer.

Strong staying novice contenders
enhance claims

The staying races for novice hurdlers and chasers at the Cheltenham Festival often take their shape slowly through the jumps campaign, but one contender in each category enhanced their claims in Ireland this weekend.

Minella Indo is the general second favourite behind Champ in the RSA Chase market following his first win over fences at Navan, and for all it proved relatively hard work to beat Captain Cj – the winning margin was a length and a half – it was hard to pick fault with the jumping of last season's Albert Bartlett winner.

Minella Indo: got off the mark over fences at NavanCredit: Patrick McCann

Henry de Bromhead suggested Minella Indo would go straight to Cheltenham after his second chase run, with neither coming in Graded company. There might be a slight concern about experience there, but both Topofthegame (2019) and Don Poli (2015) had just two runs before the festival over fences in the season of their RSA wins.

At Thurles, Monkfish moved into a prominent position in the Albert Bartlett market with a wide-margin win.

His chief market rivals disappointed but Monkfish could only win as he did, and experience is a valuable asset considering the typically attritional nature of the Albert Bartlett. Rich and Susannah Ricci's six-year-old now has three runs under his belt over hurdles and another good performance between now and the festival would only further his prospects.

Mullins team gearing up for fruitful spring

Ireland's champion trainer Willie Mullins had an inconsistent series of results over Christmas, with Faugheen and Sharjah winning Grade 1s but Klassical Dream and Laurina featured among some high-profile disappointments.

Monkfish: one of three winners for Willie Mullins at Thurles on SundayCredit: Patrick McCann

His runners winning strike-rate in December (16 per cent) was the lowest for the festive month since 2005, but the team at Closutton have started strongly in 2020 with 17 winners from 54 runners (31 per cent).

The momentum continued on Sunday with three winners at Thurles, including Graded wins for Real Steel and Elimay, and with Mullins well known for getting his runners to peak for the big spring festivals at Cheltenham and Punchestown in particular, this period seems to serve as a warning of what is to come.

Ballyandy a live each-way contender for the Champion Hurdle

No-one is denying the current crop of Champion Hurdle contenders is far from a vintage bunch, a notion epitomised by the first three in Saturday's trial at Haydock finishing within three-quarters of a length of each other.

However, Ballyandy perhaps deserves more credit than he is currently receiving for his performances this campaign since Nigel Twiston-Davies returned the nine-year-old to trips around two miles.

Ballyandy (nearside): has been consistent at trips of around two milesCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

In most seasons a horse who finished a neck second in the International Hurdle, a respectable third in the Christmas Hurdle and winner of the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock would be considered a live threat at Cheltenham, but Ballyandy is widely available at prices of 20-1 and bigger.

In 13 runs over 2m1f or shorter, Ballyandy has never finished worse than fourth and for all the defeat of favourite Pentland Hills at Haydock attracted suspicion for its merit, his consistent efforts over trips around the two-mile mark should not be belittled in a poor Champion Hurdle division.

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