Sunday 17th November 2019
Author: Jordan Yates
Images: Jordan Yates
The Sunday of the November Meeting at Cheltenham is always a top-class card and that’s no different this year and I’ll be taking a look at the graded chases on the card which come in the form of the Arkle Trial and the Shloer Chase.
Arkle Trial
Up first is the Arkle Trial at 1:50 which is a Grade 2 Novices’ Chase and a race that see’s a rematch between Getaway Trump and Al Dancer. Starting with Getaway Trump for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden, he currently just heads the market at a general 6/4. He was a very smart novice hurdler with his final start of the season coming with a win in a Grade 2 at Sandown. He got underway over the bigger obstacles here last month when finishing third behind today’s rival where he travelled and jumped well throughout the race before tiring up the hill. Al Dancer won that day and quite surprisingly finds himself as the second favourite for this race. On the whole he jumped well on chasing debut and put the race to bed in assertive style powering away up the hill, Sam Twiston-Davies is once again on board here.
Harry Whittington sends Rouge Vif to take his place in the line up, he’s currently trading at around the 5/1 mark and is to be ridden by Gavin Sheehan. He made his chase debut at Market Rasen last month and ran away a very decisive seven length winner, and as a consequence looks a serious recruit to this sphere. Put The Kettle On concludes the field for Henry de Bromhead and Aidan Coleman. He rattled up a four-timer throughout the summer and was second by half a length in a Grade 3 behind Robin De Carlow at Tipperary when last seen.
Race Verdict:
Getaway Trump will likely be a lot more tuned up for this and this is possibly the reason he’s currently at the top of the market. It’s likely he’ll be a lot closer this time around race fit but I still can’t get away from AL DANCER for the Twiston-Davies team. He was visually very impressive on chasing debut and it’s likely he will have come on a lot from that outing as well, it’s set up for a great clash between both of the market principals but I think Nigel’s six-year-old will just come out on top again. Rouge Vif can’t be ruled out and could well play a serious part.
Shloer Chase
The Schloer Chase takes place at 2:25 and is a Grade 2 event that’s contested over two miles. JLT winner Defi Du Seuil currently sits at the top of the market for Phillip Hobbs and Barry Geraghty sporting the McManus silks. He really found his form again last season over the bigger obstacles culminating with a win at The Festival and finishing the campaign with a second placed effort behind Chacun Pour Soi at Punchestown. His main rival here according to the market comes in the form of Politologue for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden. Also trading at a general 13/8 he was last seen when finishing second behind Min in a Grade 1 at Aintree and before that ran an absolutely outstanding race when runner-up in the Champion Chase here in March behind Altior. That without doubt is the form of the race.
Saint Calvados is set to take his place here for Harry Whittington and Gavin Sheehan. He got back to winning ways here last month in a handicap and is tried once more in Graded company, he’s around the 4/1 mark. Concluding the line-up is Simply Ned for Nicky Richards and Brian Hughes. He’s now reached the veteran age of his career as a 12 year-old but he still retains a lot of ability as he proved when an impressive second in this race last year behind Sceau Royal.
Race Verdict:
Another fascinating contest here which also looks like it could turn into a battle between the two at the top of the market. I’m going to side with DEFI DU SEUIL to just edge out Politologue here. He seems to love it around here as he’s shown with his win at The Festival in the Triumph and the JLT and I think he can use that to best effect once more to claim another graded success over fences.
Everything Racing 