Cheltenham Festival News: Pipe weighs up Grands Crus options

Latest News / Timeform / 21 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Will it be the RSA Chase of the Gold Cup for Grands Crus?

"It's not that we're not telling people - we're keeping our options open - and if anyone wants to back him, they should back him 'with a run' for either race."

David Pipe continues to give very little away about the likely Cheltenham Festival target for the dashing grey Grands Crus...

The trainer continues to weigh up the options of the novice either sticking to his own experience division in the RSA Chase, or to go for the ultimate shot at glory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Pipe played his best poker face when he was questioned more deeply at a media open morning on Tuesday and maintains he will continue to monitor the situation.

"We will decide nearer the time," he said.

"We have to see what's in the races and look at ground conditions and everything else.

"Horses do miss Cheltenham for various reasons, not that we want that to happen, and that will make an impact on which race he runs in.

"I'm just keeping an open mind and we'll all sit down and have a chat. I'm sure a decision won't be made until seven to 10 days before the race, and we've still got until the five-day declaration stage.

"It's not that we're not telling people - we're keeping our options open - and if anyone wants to back him, they should back him 'with a run' for either race."

Grands Crus shook up the incredible Big Buck's in the last World Hurdle, when running to a Timeform rating of 171, and his progress has continued unabated over fences with three consecutive wins at Cheltenham, Newbury and in the Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton - Grands Crus has a Timeform rating of 157p over fences.

And Pipe says any decision will not be affected by the death of Gloria Victis, an immensely promising novice of his father Martin's, who died when pitched straight into the 2000 Gold Cup.

"I remember Gloria Victis, and it was a sad day as he was a very talented horse," he went on.

"But you have to treat every horse as an individual and make a decision on that."

But on the flip-side, he added: "Is Grands Crus going to be fit and well next year? Is he going to be sound? There are pros and cons and we'll decide nearer the time."

He went on: "We have to decide if he's ready for it and look at the opposition. Those are two things.

"Can he travel at the pace of the Gold Cup? I would say yes.

"Can he jump at the pace of the Gold Cup? I'd say that's the only issue.

"He has jumped well and was impressive at Kempton. That's what we're looking into."

Grands Crus is the [3.3] favourite for the RSA Chase and [14.0] for the Gold Cup.

Raya Star will be given an entry in the Coral Cup as well as the Country Hurdle at Cheltenham after his fine run at Newbury......

Owner Raymond Mould has moved to quash any speculation that his brilliant novice Sprinter Sacre could be supplemented for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham......

Jockey Barry Geraghty believes Sprinter Sacre's flamboyance makes him an entirely different proposition to the legendary Moscow Flyer......

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Cue Card and Grands Crus in Newbury rematch

News / Timeform / 22 November 2011 / Leave a Comment

Cue Card and Grands Crus could meet at Newbury.

"The Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card made a most impressive start to life over fences"

Cue Card will bid to make amends for his Cheltenham mishap at Newbury on Friday, where he could clash once again with Grands Crus...

The Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card made a most impressive start to life over fences when easily landing the odds at Chepstow, but parted company with jockey Joe Tizzard at the eleventh fence at Cheltenham's Open meeting.

Grands Crus, making his chasing debut, went on to comfortably win that race, achieving a Timeform rating of 149P, but it would have been fascinating to see what Cue Card had to offer at the business end against David Pipe's grey.

Also entered in the Newbury contest is Bobs Worth, trained by Nicky Henderson, who would be making his debut over the larger obstacles. The six year-old was an impressive winner of the Albert Bartlett novices' hurdle at the Cheltenham festival last season, and is currently second favourite behind Grands Crus for the RSA chase at [11.0], a price which will surely contract if he were to demonstrate his ability on Friday.

Great Endeavour is on course in his bid to complete a November Gold Cup double in the Hennessy at Newbury on Saturday following his win in the PP Gold Cup at Cheltenham......

Melbourne star Craig Williams gained a Group 1 consolation win of sorts in Perth on Saturday when he rode top class mare Ortensia to her second win in the $500,000 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot......

Two more European-trained fillies attempt to follow up Snow Fairy's success in Japan last weekend when they tackle the Mile Championship at Kyoto on Sunday......

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Festival Trials Weekend Review: Can Grands Crus topple Big Buck's?

Results & Reviews / Timeform / 31 January 2011 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet View Market

Grands Crus pulls a long way clear of Knockara Beau

Timeform look back over the major talking points to emerge from Trials day at Cheltenham...

"The bare form Grands Crus achieved in beating Knockara Beau 10 lengths is not a great deal better than he achieved in a handicap the time before, but the really exciting thing about him is the promise of how much more there is still to come"

Festival Trials day at Cheltenham on Saturday certainly lived up to its billing, producing several performances that are sure to have implications for the big one in March. The undoubted star was Grands Crus, who laid down his claims as a more-than-credible challenger to Big Buck's in the World Hurdle when destroying the field in the three-mile Cleeve Hurdle. The bare form Grands Crus achieved in beating Knockara Beau 10 lengths is not a great deal better than he achieved in a handicap the time before, but the really exciting thing about him is the promise of how much more there is still to come. On Timeform ratings, Grands Crus is rated just 2 lb below Big Buck's, with a 'p' on his rating signifying the likelihood of further improvement.

In terms of having implications on the Festival, the day's next most significant race was the two-and-a-half mile Classic Novices' Hurdle, which was won by the Nicky Henderson-trained Bobs Worth. In beating Rock On Ruby by two and a quarter lengths, Bobs Worth ran to a level of form more or less on a par with what most Baring Bingham winners achieve, and he is rightly now the favourite for that race. The runner-up Rock On Ruby shaped almost as well as the winner and will certainly be worth his place in a Grade 1 at the Festival. The disappointment of the race was Backspin, whose below-form fourth resulted in his displacement at the head of the ante-post market for the Baring Bingham.

The day's most valuable event was the Grade 2 Argento (Cotswold) Chase over three and a quarter miles. The race has tended to be a Gold Cup trial in name only in recent seasons, and this year's renewal is unlikely to buck that trend. Nevertheless, Neptune Collonges produced a high-class performance, returning to something like his best, in beating the mercurial Tidal Bay by a length and a quarter. While anything more than a minor placing will likely prove beyond Neptune Collonges in the Gold Cup, he is reportedly under consideration for the Grand National, and appeals as the type to take to the unique demands of that race. The disappointment of the race was Punchestowns, who is yet to approach his top-class hurdles form as a chaser, not finding much having made mistakes on Saturday.

Elsewhere on the card at Cheltenham, Local Hero maintained his unbeaten record over timber in the Triumph Hurdle Trial, putting himself firmly in the picture for the main event at the Festival, while Philip Hobbs's novice chaser Wishfull Thinking put up a much improved performance to win the valuable Murphy Group Handicap, in so doing confirming himself a leading contender for the new Jewson Novices' Chase at the Festival.

Sunday's most interesting racing took place at Punchestown, where the highlight was a five-timer for Willie Mullins. The best of those five winners was Golden Silver, who upset hot favourite and reigning Champion Chaser Big Zeb in the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase. It is worth remembering that Golden Silver has disappointed both times he has run at Cheltenham, but the level of form he achieved at Punchestown puts him right in the mix for the Champion Chase. Big Zeb met with his first defeat since last season's Tingle Creek, but ran creditably all the same and probably didn't do his Champion Chase prospects too much harm, arguably hitting the front soon enough as Paul Townend delivered Golden Silver with a perfectly judged challenge to lead close home.

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