WE’RE getting a bit close to Cheltenham now to be spotting potential Festival winners but there was a really eyecatching performance at Kempton on Saturday.
NO ORDINARY JOE is the horse who seemed to be putting the finishing touches to his warm-up for Prestbury Park in a fortnight.
He was an excellent second in the Martin Pipe last season for JP McManus before trainer Nicky Henderson tried him over fences at Newbury in December.
He was clearly held in high regard because he was pitched into a Grade 2 for that first chase spin.
But it was quickly clear that the bigger obstacles are not for him.
Hendo switched him back to hurdles for what we can safely call a quiet run at Doncaster in January.
I have consulted my big book of diplomatic racing phrases to say his effort in the Coral Racing Club hurdle at Kempton on Saturday was ‘eyecatching’.
He travelled nicely through the race and picked up well from the final hurdle to run into third.
He’s just 1lb higher than his Martin Pipe (10-1 to follow up) second last season and also has an entry in the Coral Cup (16-1).
Pay close attention wherever he turns up at the Festival.
BACK NO ORDINARY JOE in the Martin Pipe Hurdle and Coral Cup with a non-runner, no bet bookie.
Champion Odds in a right state
CONSTITUTION HILL’S grizzly gallop has thrown the Champion Hurdle market into chaos.
Because of the non-runner, no bet most bookies offer for the Festival, they can’t lengthen Nicky Henderson’s defending champ too much.
While he’s touching 3-1 on the exchanges – where you’ll lose your dough if he doesn’t turn up at Cheltenham – he’s still as short as 1-2 with the bookies.
But they have also had to slash State Man who would look like a penalty kick without Con Hill in the line-up.
So we have the bizarre situation where there are two 1-2 favourites for the race with at least one firm. Absolute madness.
Lossiemouth is suddenly 3-1 too with Irish Point 6s and a strong possible to come here rather than the Stayers’.
That makes the over-round on the front four in the market a frankly ridiculous 173 per cent.
That’s 25 per cent more than last year’s entire Grand National field!
So keep your hands on your cash until we have the final line-up – when Hendo’s stand-in Luccia could be each-way value judged on her Greatwood Hurdle third over course and distance.
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