it's just around the corner, folks.

​The clock is now ticking louder than ever; the National Hunt Festival is just a month away. This is the time jockeys have nightmares about men in white coats asking ‘where does it hurt most?’; trainers dread the hours after their horses have galloped, imagining injuries occurring even as their horses stand at ease; with owners, too, especially those with only one hope for Cheltenham glory, finding sleep less easy to achieve as the calendar knocks off the days to that famous Cheltenham roar. The horses, bless them, don’t really care. I doubt if Bob Ollinger has given Galopin des Champ as much as a single thought.
Unlike Bob Ollinger, I have given Galopin des Champ quite a lot of thought and as with others I believe he might be the latest second-coming and I hope Willie Mullins doesn’t have one of his infamous last-second change of plans and diverts Galopin to the 3-mile novice as Bravemansgame is my banker for the meeting.
As Ruby Walsh commented, pay less attention to what the horse does in the race, even if at times he is a wonder to behold, but the struggle Paul Townend has in pulling up after the winning post. The horse loves what he does, that is obvious. It is also obvious that he’ll get every yard of 3-miles, with nothing yet seen to suggest he’ll not get every yard of the two-extra furlongs of the Gold Cup itself next season. As mighty as the experts described Bob Ollinger after the Ballymore last season, I think the only part of Galopin he’ll be seeing come Cheltenham will be his backside. Rachael Blackmore will have to have more than the superpower to see around corners to find a way of beating Galopin des Champ. I would not be surprised if it is Henry de Bromhead who has the last second change of plan and diverts Bob to the 3-mile novice and a clash with Bravemansgame, thinking him the lesser of two evils. If that situation manifests, I will still be siding with Paul Nicholls’ latest star chaser.
It is my opinion that Bravemansgame was more impressive last Saturday than Edwardstone at Warwick, even if he only did win a handicap. He beat two fair horses at Newbury, giving them lumps of weight, when not 100% straight according to his trainer and when his string is only just emerging from the doldrums of a poor run. It shouldn’t be missed that though Nicholls had two winners on Saturday, more of his horses disappointed than won, so his poor form cannot be categorially said to be over.
I hope Edwardstone wins the Arkle, I really do. It would be a great result for Alan King and a career-defining moment for Tom Cannon, a rider who has added big-race success to dependability since his elevation to first jockey at Barbury Castle. It’s just that it’s hard to believe that Mullins, Elliott, de Bromhead or some other Irish trainer hasn’t got one better. Just because Ferny Hollow will not be there, does not mean the Arkle is a shoo-in for the home team.
I would not be at all surprised to see Glory and Fortune chase home Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle, after all someone has to come second. But Honeysuckle will have to suffer a major reverse for him to stand any chance of getting within a dozen-lengths of the great mare. He was, though, a satisfying winner of the Betfair Hurdle, shining the spotlight on a jockey and trainer enjoying breakthrough seasons.
If the connections believe they can beat Allaho in the Ryanair, then please remain with plan B. Eldorado Allen can’t though, can he, on all known form? On Saturday, in the Denman, on his first try at close on 3-miles (2m 7-furlongs and 86 yards to be precise) he displayed a level of ability way above anything he has shown in the past. I didn’t see a horse that was flagging as the finishing-line loomed-up. I saw a horse doing enough to win and in Royal Pagaille, a horse I would fancy in the Gold Cup if the ground came up very soft, and Clan des Obeaux, the best 3-mile chaser in the country when in the mood, he defeated two horses of the highest rank. No one knows if Eldorado Allen will stay the Gold Cup distance and no one will ever know if they don’t give it a go. The Tizzards other two, though I quite like Fiddlerontheroof as an each-way bet, are more likely to turn up trumps in the Grand National, so why not buy a ticket and chance your luck. As Ted Walsh said talking about Conflated, some real poor horses have won the Gold Cup in the past and Eldorado Allen is better than most of those Gold Cup winners to fall into that category.
And do you know what, if they are going to run Clan des Obeaux in blinkers next time, and given the openness of this year’s race, I would give some thought, and, yes I know the whole of Ditcheat believe Clan has a dislike of the Cheltenham hill, to supplementing him for the Gold Cup. He wouldn’t be the first horse to stun his connections by running a blinder in first-time blinkers.