The finale to the jumps season is here, as permutations may happen over the course of seven races. Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton are neck and neck in the trainers championship with the Irishman sending a battalion over to retain the crown. Who will emerge victorious after a long and enduring jumps season?
The First Warrior
2:25 – Oaksey Chase (Grade Two) – Gaelic Warrior @ 5/4 (Betfred)
If you have a Grade One horse, who’s still full of running at the end of the jumps season, why not utilise him? Gaelic Warrior was a bit hit and miss over the Winter, but when stepping up to three miles he relished every inch of ground to win the Aintree Bowl. This trip may be a little shorter, but that won’t be to any consequence as he seems to get any trip Mullins throws at him. The title by this point will be halfway across the Irish Sea.
Jumps Fitz
3:00 – Select Hurdle (Grade Two) – Kitzbuhel @ 6/4 (Betfred)
Kitzbuhel looked awesome on Irish debut and then followed up in a Grade Three before markedly stepping up in trip and finishing fifth in the Liverpool Hurdle three weeks back. The hood is applied for the first time and stepping back in trip will be more suitable, but will take on a Dan Skelton mare who is more used to these sorts of trip. But Mullins horses can do incredible things when asked.
Just The Usual
3:35 – Celebration Chase (Grade One) – Jonbon @ 4/7 (William Hill)
The mad statistic that will forever follow Jonbon around is that he has won at every track outside of Cheltenham. And Sandown is more than just a happy hunting ground for him after scoring here five times and landing two Celebration Chases. This time he’ll be partnered with Mark Walsh, who is a multiple Grade One winner and a revered name in jockeys in Ireland. Not a bad way to try and go for a hat-trick of Celebration Chases.
Dancing For Gold
4:10 – bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier H’cap) – Dancing City @ 7/1 (William Hill)
Willie Mullins has 10 runners in this race. TEN. Half The Field. If that doesn’t tell you that he wants to win the trainers championship again, nothing will. So who has his best chance. Is it Paul Townend on High Class Hero? Rachael Blackmore on Lombron? Klarc Kent going one better than his Scottish National second?
Dancing City, I believe, is his best chance and the horse that fits the bill out of all the others. He’s a Grade One winner, and makes handicap debut too so will bring a mountain of form into this race. He was last seen falling behind Caldwell Potter and made a bit of a mess to the race to leave the Nicholls’ horse out in front. There’s no doubting he will have been schooled for this jumping test of epic proportions. And if he gets it right, there might not be any stopping him.
The Brits can’t be discounted too rightly. Handicapper extraordinaire Victorrino makes a first appearance since the Cheltenham Festival, when pulling up in the Ultima Chase. However, he loves going right-handed on a track given his heroics at Ascot in the early part of the season. Surprisingly, this is a first visit to Esher btu will enjoy it’s jumping test and it’s good ground, which is of high importance. 14/1 (Betfred).
Good old Monbeg Genius has put a decent shift in this season. Second in the mud at Haydock at the start of the season, fourth in the foggiest of Welsh Grand Nationals and blitzing the field in the Midlands Grand National. He pulled up at Aintree and didn’t particularly like to jump the unique fences. Back to normality, he’s down to a nice mark of 145, within the handicap, and will enjoy a marathon trip. 33/1 (General).
The very best of luck!
