Allaho the one to beat again

Dave Orton weighs up a division that has a superstar at the top but lacks strength in depth unless a curveball is thrown

CAUGHT in between paths to the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup, the intermediate division often takes time to develop, with second-season chasers having to step up to take on the big boys and establish their optimum distance.

Last season, however, it was lit up and fully established from early December when the brilliant Allaho began what was to be an unbeaten campaign in the Grade 1 John Durkan Chase at Punchestown.

It was apparent that day, when the Willie Mullins-trained star saw off smart stablemate Janadil by two lengths, that it would be extremely hard to stop him bagging another Ryanair Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.

This was further highlighted when Irish raider Fakir D’Oudairies, twice thrashed by Allaho, came out best in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase in February.

With the domestic challenge lacking high-class performers, Allaho justified odds of 4-7 with another imperious display of front-running in the Ryanair, seeing off Janadil again in a 14-length romp.

The question this season for Allaho’s legion of fans is whether he will be sent out to test his Gold Cup credentials.

After signing off with a career-best effort over 3m at the Punchestown festival, with the top-class Clan Des Obeaux 14 lengths behind in second, he must have tempted his connections into having a go.

On the other hand, they could follow the easier path by keeping him in a division where credible challengers to his Ryanair dominance look thin on the ground. Bookmakers make him a general 6-4 shot to complete a hat-trick in March.

Allaho

Eight-year-old bay gelding

Trainer Willie Mullins

Chase form 213641121111

(Best RPR 181)

Left-handed 23411 (179)

Right-handed 1612111 (181)

Has been turned inside out by front-running tactics over intermediate distances, landing back-to-back Ryanair Chases at the Cheltenham Festival.

Last season’s reappearance in the John Durkan was the first time he had managed to win first time out in his career and his jumping is hard to fault.

He seems at his absolute best on a right-handed track and it’s fair to think he’ll resume again at Punchestown on the second weekend of December.

The conundrum then will be whether Willie Mullins takes a punt and sends him for the

King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Having proved he stays 3m at the end of last season, Allaho is the ante-post favourite and there must be every chance he’ll make a Christmas visit to Britain. The stable won the King George last year with Tornado Flyer, who is officially rated a stone inferior to Allaho.

Victory at Kempton would see Allaho’s Gold Cup odds tumble and potentially leave a big hole in this division.

Come what may, there are no signs of weakness and he’s surely set for another sparkling campaign.

Going preference Has plenty of form with soft in the description but he’s deadly on a sound surface. ✪✪✪✪✪

Bravemansgame 7bg

Trainer Paul Nicholls

Chase form 11114 (165)

LH 1114 (165)

RH 1 (162) Although he was a top-level novice hurdle winner, Bravemansgame always looked likely to make a big improvement over fences.

That played out spectacularly well when he won his first four chases last term, including an impressive success over old rival Ahoy Senor in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

It went to pot in the spring, however. Bottomless ground meant the RSA at Cheltenham was swerved and then his performance was too bad to be true when he flopped in the Grade 1 Mildmay at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

The big target is the King George VI Chase at Kempton, with his liking for that track established, but with his high cruising speed it wouldn’t be a surprise if he kicked off over an intermediate test.

Bravemansgame could well emerge as the biggest domestic hope come the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, as it’s highly likely the best of him is still to be seen.

Going preference Wouldn’t want it hock-deep through the winter.

✪✪✪✪✪ Conflated

8bg

Trainer Gordon Elliott

Chase form 321314U211F2 (172)

LH 131U211F2 (172)

RH 334 (146)

Took his form to a new level when springing a 40-1 surprise in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, beating Minella Indo by six and a half lengths. Just behind in third that day was Janidil and it is likely Conflated would have confirmed the form but for falling at the last when trying to chase home Allaho in the Ryanair next time out, which left Janidil to finish runner-up.

Conflated showed little sign of any after-effects from that tumble when going back up in trip to 3m1f at Aintree and finishing second to Clan Des Obeaux in the Grade 1

Betway Bowl, hitting a careerhigh Racing Post Rating of

172.

It’s surprising to see odds as high as 25-1 in the ante-post market for the Ryanair, considering plenty ahead of him in the betting probably won’t run, and he ought to pick up another big prize or two before embarking on another trip to Cheltenham in March. Going preference Probably happiest away from heavy going.

✪✪✪✪✪ Bob Olinger 7bg

Trainer Henry de Bromhead

Chase form 111P (162)

LH 1 (160)

RH 11P (162)

Had the world at his feet when running away with the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2021 and, despite a less than fluent start when landing a beginners’ chase at Gowran on his resumption last term, he again looked the real deal in sprinting clear of the classy Capodanno in Grade 3 company at Punchestown in January.

Having disputed favouritism for the Grade 1 Turners

Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham with Galopin Des Champs, Bob Olinger came home a fortunate winner. He would have been beaten more than ten lengths if that rival hadn’t fallen at the last.

In a first-time tongue-tie, he was never going and was pulled up on his final novice outing at Punchestown in April, leaving him with plenty to prove in his second season over fences.

If Henry de Bromhead can get him back in a groove, however, ante-post odds of 25-1 for the Ryanair could look extremely generous.

Going preference Best with plenty of cut underfoot.

✪✪✪✪✪ Fakir D’Oudairies 7bg Trainer Joseph O’Brien Chase form

4B11222P2213142115 (171)

LH 1222P2211 (171)

RH 4B1314215 (168)

Although he is 0-4 in his meetings with Allaho, this rock-solid performer still has time on his side and looks sure to add to his four

Grade 1 chase wins this season.

A defence of the Ascot Chase in February is surely a plan, along with attempting to land the Melling Chase at Aintree in April for the third season in a row.

He swerved the Ryanair last term and his ante-post price as short as 11-1 is one indication of the difficulty involved in weighing up this division.

Going preference Handles good to soft well but loves it when the mud is flying too. ✪✪✪✪✪

My Drogo

7bg

Trainer Dan Skelton

Chase form F1 (154)

LH F1 (154) RH -

Unbeaten in four starts over hurdles, My Drogo went into last season with plenty of excitement about what he could achieve over fences.

He reappeared in the

2m4f novice chase at Cheltenham’s November meeting in what was a remarkable two-horse race against Gin On Lime.

My Drogo appeared to be warming to his task nicely before falling two out, while at the same time Gin On Lime also made a mistake and slithered to a halt. Crucially Rachael Blackmore managed to stay on board and was able to bring Gin On Lime home alone for the win.

My Drogo bounced back in fine style with a professional jumping performance over the Ryanair course and distance on his next start before injury ruled him out for the season.

Dan Skelton has reported that we probably won’t see My Drogo until later in the season but fingers crossed he makes the big spring festivals as he has a huge engine and looks born to jump fences.

He has been described as a Gold Cup horse of the future by his trainer but, given that he is coming off a lengthy layoff, perhaps keeping him at the intermediate trip will be the most likely option this season.

Going preference Most starts have been on good to soft or better. Was beaten first time out in a bumper on soft. ✪✪✪✪✪

Janidil 8bg

Trainer Willie Mullins

Chase form 13F122532FP (166)

LH 1F532 (166) RH 3122FP (166)

Hard to believe Janidil has won only two from 11 starts over fences given his talent and he is without a win since April 2021. That said, he was second in the Ryanair last season, which in theory puts him in a good position to strike if anything happens to stablemate Allaho.

However, as his form suggests, he falls just short of being a proper Grade 1 chaser but often fills the places. It will be interesting to see what connections do with him tripwise, as they tried 3m last season and it didn’t really work out. I suspect he will stick to the intermediate distance this campaign.

A strongly run 2m4f is what he needs and that is what he will get when Allaho is in the race. The problem is, time has proved Allaho is simply not for catching.

Going preference No real bias but prefers a bit of cut ✪✪✪✪✪

Others to consider

Another with his reputation to restore is the exciting Shishkin, who has yet to race beyond two and a quarter miles over fences. He won over 2m3½f as a hurdler and graduated from the Irish point field, so it’s far from beyond the realms of imagination that he might step up from the Champion Chase division. The eight-year-old boasts a top RPR of 181, just like Allaho.

Galopin Des Champs looks set to go down the Gold Cup route, but Willie Mullins has long talked of him having the speed for a Champion Chase and therefore he’s a potential Ryanair player too if it turns out that a stiff stamina test doesn’t suit him.

Throw in last year’s Arkle winner Edwardstone, whose trainer Alan King believes moving up to 2m4f wouldn’t be a bother, and this division could yet turn out to be red hot come the spring festivals.

VERDICT

Although of all the divisions the intermediate is the most likely to throw up some curveballs along the way, so long as Allaho keeps on the 2m4f trail then it’ll be a shock if the brilliant front-runner doesn’t dominate again.

With owners Cheveley Park Stud also housing last season’s imperious Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard, they will surely be pushing Willie Mullins to stick with the tried-and-tested formula too.

Mullins also trains rising star Galopin Des Champs, who seems likely to set off on a staying campaign.

So while it’s nigh-on impossible with this top stable to be confident Allaho will attempt to become the first horse to land three in a row since the Ryanair’s inception in 2005, odds of 6-4 about him doing so are fair value.

It will be fascinating to see what second-season chasers Bravemansgame and Bob Olinger can do against the big boys. The former is said to be back where Paul Nicholls wants him and he can emerge as the biggest threat to Allaho’s dominance.