The Big Names on Show at Cheltenham on Wednesday/Thursday
Cheltenham returns on Wednesday as the track plays host to its two-day April Meeting, the first time that Prestbury Park has been in action since last month’s Cheltenham Festival and its last conventional meeting of the season. We have identified some of the big names on show at this year’s April Meeting, which includes a Festival winner.
Coole Cody (2.05 Cheltenham, Wednesday)
It’s rare that you see a Cheltenham Festival winner returning for the following month’s April Meeting, yet there aren’t many horses like COOLE CODY.
Evan Williams’ charge has looked better than ever this season, supplementing December’s Racing Post Gold Cup course victory when landing the Plate at last month’s Festival.
That was the fourth success for Coole Cody here at Cheltenham, and the now 11yo is close to accumulating £300,000 for connections in his glittering career to date. Last month’s Festival success has pushed Coole Cody up to a career-high mark of 152, yet he’s in the form of his life at present and loves it here at Prestbury Park, so if that recent success hasn’t taken too much out of him then another big run surely beckons.
Coole Cody took the Plate at last month’s Cheltenham Festival and returns to the track on Wednesday.
Icone D’Aubrelle (2.40 Cheltenham, Wednesday)
It was a poignant weekend for the Waley-Cohen’s with Noble Yeats providing Grand National glory, and owner Robert Waley-Cohen sends out his first runner since at Cheltenham on Wednesday in ICONE D’AUBRELLE.
Son Sam is now retired from the saddle, but a fellow Sam is booked here in Sam Twiston-Davies, who was aboard the 4yo for his stable debut at Doncaster in February, where Icone D’Aubrelle finished second to the useful Geometrical.
Icone D’Aubrelle has been seen just the once since, falling when held at Newbury last month. He held Cheltenham Festival entries at one stage, so is evidently well thought of, and receives a 10lb weight for age allowance, but he looks more of a long-term prospect at this stage and this looks quite a hot novice for the time of year.
Lisnagar Oscar (4.25 Cheltenham, Wednesday)
Rebecca Curtis’s LISNAGAR OSCAR had his day in the sun when running out a 50/1 winner of the Stayers Hurdle at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.
Now a 9yo, Lisnagar Oscar has failed to add to that victory in ten subsequent outings, pulling up before the last in this year’s renewal of the Stayers.
Lisnagar Oscar clearly has questions to answer on the back of that showing, but Wednesday’s race represents a significant drop in class, and it’s worth noting that Lisnagar Oscar wasn’t beaten far into third in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle on penultimate outing and if back to that level of form here he should go well.
2020 Stayers Hurdle winner Lisnagar Oscar takes to the track on Wednesday.
The Glancing Queen (4.25 Cheltenham, Thursday)
Thursday’s mares only card sees a number of exciting names hit the track, none more so than THE GLANCING QUEEN, who holds an official rating of 140 over fences.
Alan King’s 8yo finished mid-field when a 4/1 shot for the Plate here last month, and on her start prior was seen chasing home Brown Advisory winner L’Homme Presse in the Grade 2 Dipper Novices’ Chase.
Those efforts came against the boys, but The Glancing Queen had landed back-to-back mares novices in Listed company prior, and her overall form figures when taking on her own sex currently read an impressive 11111511. Although dropping back to an extended 2m on good ground asks a question, The Glancing Queen holds a class edge on these rivals and should be up to landing Thursday’s contest.
Mullenbeg (5.00 Cheltenham, Thursday)
The concluding mares bumper on Thursday has attracted a competitive field, with MULLENBEG, in particular, a fascinating runner.
This daughter of Walk In The Park was an impressive Ludlow bumper winner in January and she supplemented that with victory in Listed company at this track on Trials Day.
Mullenbeg was one of the shortest-priced British-trained runners for the Champion Bumper on the back of that success, but she bypassed that engagement in favour of a tilt at a Listed bumper at Sandown where, despite being sent off the 11/8F, Mullenbeg could only finish a distant fourth behind the potentially useful Luccia.
The testing ground was potentially to blame for that showing, and Mullenbeg looks a likely improver now back on a better surface, so although she must concede weight all round she remains a big player for Thursday’s contest.
Milton Harris’s Mullenbeg looked one of the best British bumper prospects when scoring at Cheltenham on Trials Day.