Five potential big storylines that may take centre stage in 2022

There is never a dull week in this great sport and 2021 was full of highs and lows in the horseracing world. With that in mind, here are five potential storylines that may - or may not - happen in 2022 . . .

One last hurrah

Memorable sporting comebacks are not restricted to one Tiger. I’m thinking Roll rather than Woods and what better place for the ever-popular Gigginstown chaser to burst right back to form than Cheltenham’s cross country course. He has history on that front.

Form figures of 1121 in this race tell you Tiger Roll rather likes this unique test and his form going into the event can often be ignored.

Bar 2018-19 when Tiger Roll was at the peak of his powers and went on from the festival to win his second Grand National, the redoubtable veteran has been largely uninspiring in his early season runs leading up to Cheltenham.

Prior to winning this race for the first time in 2018, Tiger Roll had been beaten in three starts, including in a handicap chase on his first start over Cheltenham’s cross country fences.

He finished second to Easysland in the 2020 running but reversed that form last season, despite a Navan maiden sixth, pulling up over course and distance at the November meeting and trailing in a 65-length last of sixth in the Boyne Hurdle on his previous starts.

Tiger Roll turns 12 on Saturday and a third Grand National is most likely beyond him, but it would be no surprise to see him have one last – and deserved – hurrah in the Cross Country Chase, for which he is a best price 7-1 second favourite with William Hill.

The Irish edge

While history at Aintree may not beckon for Tiger Roll, the ante-post betting still makes scary reading for the home challenge.

Prior to Monday’s Welsh National, just Secret Reprieve and Snow Leopardess featured in the top ten of the Grand National betting, with Galvin, Any Second Now, Run Wild Fred and Minella Times at the head of the market. Even with Chepstow scorer Iwilldoit added in there at 20-1, it is still heavily weighted towards the Irish challenge.

Minella Times: a third consecutive Grand National winner for Ireland last seasonCredit: Tim Goode (Getty Images)

This was a race won for the third consecutive year by Ireland last season courtesy of the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Minella Times, who led home a 1-2-3-4-5 for the Irish challenge. 15 horses completed and 12 of those were trained in Ireland.

That followed a 1-2-3 in 2019, with four of the first six trained in Ireland, and a 1-2-3-4 the year before. There is little to suggest that trend will be changing any time soon.

Unique title tussle?

Has a sporting championship ever been battled out between fiancees? That is a scenario we potentially could follow through the Flat season.

Reigning three-time champion Oisin Murphy has handed in his licence to focus on his rehabilitation and faces multiple disciplinary charges following a breach of Covid-19 travel protocols in 2020 and two failed breath tests over the last eight months.

It is hoped Murphy benefits greatly from his time out and rehabilitation efforts and returns at the peak of his powers in the saddle, but with uncertainty over the severity of his potential suspension, it may just open the door for others in the Flat jockeys’ championship.

Tom Marquand has finished third in the last two seasons and is one of the top riders best placed to make a serious challenge. He hit triple figures in the condensed championship campaign for a second time in 2021, riding a career-best 117 winners from 2,000 Guineas day to Qipco British Champions Day.

Just as importantly, no rider showed a greater endeavour than Marquand, who had the most rides of any jockey in that period courtesy of 737 mounts, 20 more than his nearest rival. Marquand did the same in 2020 when he rode 114 winners from a mammoth 822 rides.

That proves he has the work rate and desire to ride winners wherever and whenever they come – a key attribute for a title race that can only be described as a physical and mental slog.

Marquand’s record-breaking partner Hollie Doyle has finished fourth and fifth in the last two seasons and is regarded by many as a future first female champion. Doyle’s career continues to go from strength to strength and she can certainly have a leading say. Game on!

Appleby aces

William Buick will no doubt have his say in the championship again after such a gallant effort when second to Murphy last campaign. Title talk aside, Buick, Charlie Appleby and Godolphin are in for a very exciting 2022 if this year was anything to go by.

Adayar, Hurricane Lane, Creative Force and Yibir were among the top-level winners for Appleby, but it was the exploits of the trainer’s two-year-olds that will really excite those at Moulton Paddocks.

Appleby boasted a 29 per cent strike-rate with juveniles in Britain in 2021 with 49 winners and 81 other first-four finishers from 169 runners. He is responsible for the 2022 2,000 Guineas favourite and second favourite, the unbeaten Native Trail and Autumn Stakes winner Coroebus, and there is considerable depth to his armoury.

Native Trail: 2,000 Guineas favourite after his two-year-old exploitsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero Modern Games, fellow Grade 1 scorers Albahr and Wild Beauty, Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere second Noble Truth, Zetland Stakes winner Goldspur and Listed winner New Science are among others to note from the power-packed stable.

They are just the more precocious types to go about their business at two. Stablemate Manobo, a three-year-old who only started out in May and looks super talented, proves there will be one or two three-year-olds to emerge from the stable that we may not even be aware of yet.

With that in mind, it promises to be another stellar year for Appleby and that means more big-race success awaits Buick.

Time for change

In the spirit of Christmas miracles, could this be the year racing’s stakeholders work together and bring meaningful and much-needed change for the better of the sport?

Improving prize-money would be top of the wishlist. Positive steps have been made in recent weeks, with news of purse boosts at Jockey Club and Arena Racing Company-owned tracks, while Chelmsford committed to boosting grassroots prize-money by £350,000 from February.

The fixture list, small fields and weighing room facilities are other areas that need addressing. Is it too much to ask for progress on all fronts? Time will tell.

Fun can deliver at Cheltenham

Solwara One
12.40 Exeter, Saturday
1pt win

Funambule Sivola
2.00 Cheltenham, Saturday
2pts win

Class can prevail in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase as Peterborough Chase second Funambule Sivola is fancied to score for Venetia Williams at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The Grand National-winning trainer landed this race with topweight Aso two years ago and Funambule Sivola bids to repeat the dose off a 3lb lower mark.

This six-year-old finished closest to Shishkin of any horse last season when posting a career-best second in the Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April and there was plenty to like about his return at Huntingdon.

He travelled strongly through the race and looked the likeliest winner turning into the straight before giving best to First Flow approaching the last.

His jumping is a great asset, he handles most ground and should stay this 2m4½f trip at this more demanding track. If coming on even slightly for his return, Funambule Sivola would have a massive chance.

I would not make a regular habit of tipping a horse on his third chase start after two falls but my belief in Solwara One does not wane and he can bounce back in the opener at Exeter on the same day.

Solwara One was in the process of battling it out with subsequent Grade 2 winner Pic D’Orhy when falling four out on his chase debut at Ffos Las and came a cropper at the fourth fence at Doncaster most recently.

He took off far too early when exiting on Town Moor, but there were extenuating circumstances with riders reporting the low sun after that contest with the next two hurdle races taking place without the three flights in the home straight.

Neil Mulholland must have confidence in his jumping to enter him for another chase and that is good enough for me, so hopefully this smooth traveller can return to winning ways off what remains a workable mark.

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