The International Meeting kicked off at Cheltenham on Friday, beginning the flurry of predictions and build-up towards the famous Cheltenham Festival in mid-March. Even at this early stage, the International may provide an insight into the form of the favourites heading into the racecourse’s showpiece event.
It was, after all, at this meeting last year that Summerville Boy gave a strong showing in the Friday opening race before storming to the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the Festival later that March. Ms Parfois too demonstrated a strong showing at the 2017 International, winning the Mares’ Handicap Chase in the run-up to a bitterly-close second place finish at the National Hunt Chase later in the spring.
One to watch will be seven year-old The Worlds End, who stormed home on his own in the Novices’ Chase on the opening day of this International. The Tom George-trained winner laid down a clear marker for March with an emphatic victory over Lil Rockerfeller, with the bookies slashing his odds for victory in the RSA Chase at the Festival come Spring.
Josies Orders, however, will need to provide a better showing in March if he is to live up to his status of early Paddy Power Festival favourite, after a disappointing third place finish in the Cross Country Handicap Chase on the International opening Friday.
With Cheltenham rival Tiger Roll not entered, trainer Enda Bolger will see the meeting as an opportunity lost.
Another cracking finish in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase as
Fact Of The Matter beats My HometownResults 👉👉 https://t.co/7iJOPsdIyZ pic.twitter.com/5emv1HZK05
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 14, 2018
Coo Star Sivola also disappointed on a course he typically performs well on, having been victorious in the Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase in 2018. The six-year-old could finish only 7th on the opening day of the International, however, after falling behind on the 10th. The Nick Williams-trained horse is still predicted to provide a genuine challenge in retaining the Ultima come March.
Away from the International, Gold Cup favourite Presenting Percy has had to contend with a stilted end-of-year race schedule.
The 2018 RSA Chase Winner was due to have started his campaign with the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown last week but was pulled when the going was deemed not soft enough by trainer Pat Kelly.
Those looking to see how he fares before Cheltenham may have to wait until the end of December and the Savills Chase at Leopardstown or – as owner Phillip Reynolds has hinted – potentially as a supplementary entry at the King George VI Chase a couple of days before that.
“We’re running out of time, we’re running out of places…we’ve got to get him out” said Reynolds of his championship favourite.
Between uneven form and protracted preparation for the early favourites, it remains a wide-open field in the build-up to the Festival. With the added factor of additional rule changes coming into effect, the 2019 edition may prove to be one of the most memorable yet.
The Cheltenham Festival begins on March 12th and runs until March 15th.
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