Rather Be tasked with proving there's nowhere he'd rather be than Cheltenham

IN A NUTSHELL

If there is any justice in racing’s self-contained little world, Rather Be is surely due a change of fortune at Cheltenham.

The Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old tackles the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup after being brought down in a horrible incident at the ditch on top of the hill in last month’s BetVictor-sponsored Gold Cup when still tanking along.

On his previous start, he was nailed on the line by Mister Whitaker in the Close Brothers Handicap Chase at the festival in March.

The Cheltenham card

A year earlier, Rather Be had also been hampered when unseating his rider in the Martin Pipe race. After those three experiences, he might rather be anywhere but Cheltenham, but atonement is always sweet.

Gary Moore’s Baron Alco, who laid to rest a few ghosts of his own when soaring to BetVictor glory, is back for more, as is Frodon, runner-up in November having been successful in this in 2016. Guitar Pete, the 2017 hero who finished third 28 days ago also re-opposes.

Lots of familiar faces, then, but you have to go back to 2009 to find the last winning favourite and this 15-runner edition looks in keeping with that deeply competitive tradition. Contrastingly, six of the last ten Unibet International Hurdles went the way of the market leader, and a seventh to a joint-favourite.

Last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Summerville Boy will be tasked with maintaining that trend here after an indifferent reappearance behind Buveur D’Air in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle. He returns to the scene of his finest hour for the final card of the year in the Cotswolds.

Alco and Ginge vie to join select band of dual Cheltenham handicap winners

Should Baron Alco prevail, he would become just the fourth horse to win both the BetVictor Gold Cup and Caspian Caviar Handicap Chases in the same year.

Eight horses have won the two races at some stage, and Splash Of Ginge also has the opportunity to add his name to that list.

Splash Of Ginge lands the 2017 BetVictor Gold CupCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained contender won the November race in 2017 and is around 25-1 to add the December version now, having been pulled up when endeavouring to defy a 7lb higher rating a month ago.

Baron Alco was due to be ridden by Joshua Moore in the BetVictor event, only for his brother to become available when stablemate Benatar was withdrawn. This time, the younger sibling is on his father’s Casse Tete, who unseated Jamie on his Aintree reappearance but remains an unexposed sort.

The New One encounters new foes in International

In 2017, My Tent Or Yours denied his fellow International Hurdle stalwart The New One en route to an emotive triumph in the Cheltenham Grade 2.

JP McManus and Nicky Henderson retired the three-time Champion Hurdle runner-up My Tent Or Yours during the week, and a similar fate may soon beckon for The New One.

Nigel Twiston-Davies’ brave charge has won the two-miler on three occasions, but he has lost his mojo on his last three starts. If a fifth appearance in the race doesn’t reignite the spark, The New One’s racing future could well be over.

Will it be a farewell kiss for The New One or a winning kiss?Credit: John Grossick

If it does revitalise his love for the game, expect more poignant Prestbury Park scenes. With Laurina absent, there isn’t the same depth of quality to proceedings as we’ve been treated to on the last few Saturdays.

Still, Summerville Boy remains an exciting emerging force, and Vision Des Flos, who finished in front of him when third in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, is also in opposition.

Bryony Frost, who partners Frodon in the featured handicap, has another decent mount here in the 2015 winner Old Guard, while last season’s Racing Post Arkle Trophy runner-up Brain Power returns to hurdles after failing to lay a glove on Sceau Royal here last month. He has plenty to prove.

Bartlett trial is always a fine festival pointer

The subsequent Gold Cup hero Coneygree dotted up in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in 2012 and twice in the last three years the three-miler has thrown up the winner of its festival equivalent in March.

Kilbricken Storm plundered both races last term, and in 2014 Unowhatimeanharry had done the same under Noel Fehily, who is on today’s likely favourite Doux Pretender for Nicky Henderson.

Nicky Henderson: trains Doux Pretender, favourite for the 3m Albert Bartlett Hurdle trialCredit: Steve Davies

Nigel Twiston-Davies has won two of the last four runnings of the three-mile Grade 2, Wholestone scoring in 2016 following Blaklion in 2014. He and son Sam rely on Rocco, while Paddy Brennan, who rode two of his three Friday winners on last month’s Friday card for Fergal O’Brien, combines with the locally-based handler for the recent runaway Kelso winner Aye Aye Charlie.

Other live contenders include Supremely Lucky for Dan and Harry Skelton and the Colin Tizzard-trained Rockpoint under Tom Scudamore in the distinctive Thistlecrack colours of John and Heather Snook.

Fret among latest Triumph Hurdle contenders to stake claims

We’ve seen the JCB Triumph Hurdle market begin to take shape over the past couple of weeks and there will likely be more movement on that front this afternoon.

None of the current market leaders are out, but in the trial at Cheltenham Fret D’Estruval makes his British bow for Alan King and Daryl Jacob after being acquired from France by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, so the dual hurdle winner will sport the same two-tone green silks carried to success by Sceau Royal for the firm in 2015.

Winning partnership: Fret D’Estruval's owner Simon Munir and jockey Daryl JacobCredit: Edward Whitaker

Later in the afternoon at Doncaster, Wayne Hutchinson combines with the same owner-trainer combination when partnering Cracker Factory in the Grade 2 Bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle.

Beaten by Quel Destin at Cheltenham last month, Cracker Factory again faces that rival for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden. King, always such an indomitable force with juvenile hurdlers, will also be represented by the hat-trick-seeking Elysees.

Two more exciting newcomers for growing Cheveley jumps team

The sight of Cheveley Park’s colours at Irish jumps tracks in recent months has been something of a novelty but it has also proved highly lucrative.

Of their ten runners since linking up with Gordon Elliott, seven have won and the other three have finished second. Malone Road and Envoi Allen, who is declared for the winners’ bumper at Navan on Sunday, have stolen the headlines so far, but two more smart prospects could be unleashed at Fairyhouse today.

The three-year-old Lethal Steps, a 300,000gns acquisition from Andrew Balding’s stable, who won twice for Ger Lyons in 2017, makes his jumping bow in the juvenile hurdle, while Larquebuse, a Saddler Maker filly who was sourced after landing a Durrow point-to-point for Colin Bowe, tackles the bumper under Jamie Codd.

It will be short odds Cheveley Park’s fine record endures a bit longer.

Williams represented as Hereford hosts valuable mares' final

Cheltenham and Doncaster might be taking centre stage but it’s worth noting that there is a £35,000 mares’ series final at Hereford.It’s only two years since the venue reopened after being closed down for four years, and the George Smith Horsebox Mares’ Handicap Chase is the sort of race that justifies the efforts that went into salvaging what had been a lamentable situation for a tremendous regional track with a great history.

A competitive field of 12 looks set to go to post for the extended three-miler, with Laura Mongan’s impressive Lingfield winner Miss Yeats among those who could start favourite.

Top And Drop was behind Miss Yeats that day, but you can be sure her trainer Venetia Williams will be among those especially keen to claim such a significant prize at her local track.

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