Champion Chase Lowdown: Edwardstone can strike again for King
Champion Chase Lowdown: Edwardstone impressed in the Arkle and can strike again on jumping’s biggest stage for trainer Alan King but rival Energumene is capable of brilliance on his day
- CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL: Day 2 tips including Queen Mother Champion Chase
Edwardstone ended a Festival drought of seven years for trainer Alan King in last season’s Arkle Chase and the nine-year-old can strike again on jumping’s biggest stage.
The Arkle has often proved a profitable pointer for this event, and the selection warmed up for this assignment with an encouraging effort in the rearranged Clarence House Chase at the end of January.
Reported to be in need of the run, Edwardstone was set a stiff task by rider Tom Cannon, who afforded the front-running Editeur Du Gite plenty of rope at the head of affairs and was forced to expend valuable petrol to close down the pacesetter late on. That effort took its toll in the dying strides, but it was a highly encouraging display, and he should strip sharper mentally and physically.
ENERGUMENE, a further six-and-a-half lengths adrift, was left trailing by a bad error at the final fence, but he is capable of brilliance on his day and that deficit looks sure to be narrowed granted a better round of fencing.
Last year’s runner-up FUNAMBULE SIVOLA could pick up some pieces late on.
Edwardstone can strike again on jumping’s biggest stage for trainer Alan King
SELECTION: EDWARDSTONE 6-4
MAIN DANGER: ENERGUMENE 13-8
LIVE OUTSIDER: FUNAMBULE SIVOLA 40-1
ROBIN GOODFELLOW
EDWARDSTONE
PETER SCUDAMORE
EDITEUR DU GITE
LIZZIE KELLY
EDWARDSTONE (nap)
MICK FITZGERALD
EDWARDSTONE (nap)
MARCUS TOWNEND
ENERGUMENE
GIMCRACK
EDWARDSTONE
HORSE-BY-HORSE GUIDE
CAPTAIN GUINNESS
Useful two miler who had no answer to Blue Lord in a Leopardstown Grade One at Christmas. Last couple of wins have been recorded in small fields and looks likely to find this company a little too hot to handle.
EDITEUR DU GITE
Terrific front-running chaser who has improved beyond recognition in the last couple of seasons. Not certain to dominate as in recent starts but could still be tough to overhaul at the business end of proceedings.
EDWARDSTONE
Boasts an excellent strike rate over fences when completing and looked in need of the outing when narrowly failing to overhaul Editeur Du Gite here in January. Sure to be sharper for the outing and the one to beat.
ENERGUMENE
Failed to fire in the rearranged Clarence House Chase here last time but had previously won his three races by an aggregate of 32 lengths and much too early to write off his chance of successfully defending his crown.
FUNAMBULE SIVOLA
Ran on for the silver medal in this event 12 months ago, but well in arrears of winner Energumene and hard to see him troubling the main protagonists, despite a cosy Newbury win last time.
GREANETEEN
Has established himself as a Sandown specialist and again failed to fire in his Newbury prep for this event. Fourth in this race two years ago but top-five career efforts all on right-handed tracks.
NUBE NEGRA
Goes well fresh, loves this track and placed in this race previously, but ideally would prefer faster ground and confidence in his chance would subside with each rain drop.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
PETER SCUDAMORE
The majority of pundits have concluded that Editeur Du Gite won the Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham’s Trials meeting in January only because of injudicious rides on his two main rivals Edwardstone and Energumene.
But that runs the risk of seriously underestimating Gary Moore’s nine-year-old.
He gets on extremely well with his young rider Niall Houlihan and has a very good track record, having won three of his five Cheltenham starts.
The fact Willie Mullins-trained frontrunner Gentleman De Mee is a non-runner is also a plus, as he might have been a thorn in Editeur Du Gite’s side by hassling him for the lead.
1. Editeur Du Gite
2. Edwardstone
3. Energumene
LIZZIE KELLY
Things have not gone to plan for Edwardstone in his last two runs, unseating his jockey at Kempton over Christmas and then giving Editeur Du Gite too much rope in front when that rival beat him in the Clarence House Chase at this track.
Edwardstone was beaten a head that day and actually got to the front after the last before the exertions of making up too much ground paid in the end.
The Alan King-trained gelding won at the meeting last year.
He goes well at the track and his running style suits, sitting off the pace before being launched for a late run.
1. Edwardstone
2. Energumene
3.FunaMbule Sivola
MICK FITZGERALD
This race could be set up perfectly for Edwardstone to travel in behind the leaders and then pounce before the final fence and stride away to the line.
1. Edwardstone
2. Editeur du Gite
3. Energumene
- 9 of the past 11 winners returned at 6-1 or shorter
- 16 of the past 18 winners had run 2-3 times this season
- 7 of the past 12 Arkle winners (from last season) to have run have won
- 7 of the past 11 winners contested the Clarence House Chase
HOW THE RACE WILL BE RUN
There appears no lack of early pace, with Editeur Du Gite, Funambule Sivola and Greaneteen all happy to be ridden aggressively. The prospect of a pace collapse late on should suit Edwardstone, who looks sure to arrive with a major challenge at some point in the straight.
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