TOP chaser, Kauto Star will be the headline act when Paul Nicholls’ dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner lines up in the Grade 1 JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.
Kauto Star needs no introduction to jump racing fans with the French-bred set to go head-to-head with Sizing Europe, who is very much the young pretender having looked a future star when claiming the Arkle at Prestbury Park back in March.
Ruby Walsh will be on board Kauto Star, who has not been seen in public since suffering a crashing fall four out in last season’s Gold Cup and, coming from Nicholls’ powerful Ditcheat yard, Clive Smith’s charge is sure to be ready for his seasonal re-appearance.
There is no doubt that Kauto Star’s early season priority is the King George over Christmas where the now 10-year-old will be bidding for a record-breaking fifth success in-a-row in the Kempton showpiece but speaking ahead of Saturday’s race, Nicholls reported, “Kauto Star is as fit as he was for his first run in the Betfair Chase last season and I’m expecting a big showing. He won this race for us two years ago and has to start off somewhere, so Down Royal is as good a place as any.”
While Nicholls and Walsh will be expecting to add to their big-race tally on Saturday, they face a serious rival in Sizing Europe, with Henry De Bromhead’s charge having the added bonus of a prep-run at Punchestown recently.
On that occasion, Andrew Lynch’s mount had to settle for the runner-up berth when well beaten by a clever front-running ride from Ruby Walsh aboard Mouse Morris’ China Rock. Sizing Europe didn’t fence with his usual fluency on that occasion and he should have come on a ton in terms of fitness but the doubt still exists as to whether he will get three miles in a truly run contest.
China Rock is also an interesting contender. He definitely stays, jumps for fun and Mouse Morris knows what it takes to win this event, having scored with Foxchapel King nine years ago. He is potentially smart but this represents his stiffest test to date.
Other likely contenders for Saturday’s race are Trafford Lad, who would have quite a bit to find if he was to trouble the big boys, while Coolcashin from Michael Bowe’s Tipperary yard and Tom Taffee’s Galway Plate winner Finger On The Pulse are also among the nine entries for the €140,000 three-mile contest.
Michael Hourigan, who won this race twice in its nine-year history with Beef Or Salmon (2004, 2006), has Mossbank engaged but Michael O’Leary’s chaser has it all to do, having been off the track for over two years with injury.
All in all, it’s nigh on impossible to oppose Kauto Star given the question marks that exist over so many of his rivals. China Rock and Sizing Europe are nominated to chase the UK raider home.
Friday afternoon at Down Royal sees the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle take centre stage. This €50,000 two-mile test can also proves informative with Willie Mullins’ Blackstairmountain set to return to action.
Mullins, whose legendary father Paddy passed away last weekend at the age of 91, holds this five-year-old in high regard and, having disappointed when only 10th behind Menorah in the Supreme Novices at Cheltenham last March, he showed his real form when slamming a good field in the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in April. Shark Hanlon’s Luska Lad and Gimli’s Rock from Jessica Harrington’s Kildare yard are also intended runners.

Captain Cee Bee makes a winning return

THERE were quite a few eye-catching performances over the past week, none more so than that of Captain Cee Bee at Naas last Saturday. JP McManus’ son of Germany faced just three rivals in the Grade 3 Poplar Square Chase and he went off a well-backed 9/10 favourite to make a winning start to his 2010/11 campaign.
Having been settled in second behind Archie Boy for most of this two-mile event, Mark Walsh sent Captain Cee Bee up to challenge at the second-last.
He soon had that rival’s measure and the classy nine-year-old only had to be shaken up to beat that rival by four lengths.
The winner was clipped to 10/1 (from16s) for the Champion Chase at Cheltenham as a result of his easy win.
“That was just what the doctor ordered,” said winning trainer Eddie Harty. “He jumped very well today, which is nice to see. There are a lot of races for him but the ultimate aim is the Queen Mother.
“I’ll have a look at something for him in the next few weeks and the Tingle Creek at Sandown or the Durkan Chase (at Punchestown) are possible targets.”
Earlier in the afternoon at the Kildare track, Wexford trainer, Paul Nolan continued his excellent run when claiming the opening Tipper Road Hurdle with 3/1 shot Shinrock Paddy.
Galway jockey, Alain Cawley was on board this Barry Connell-owned six-year-old, who overcame a 224-day absence when beating 5/4 favourite Son Amix by a length-and-a-quarter.
Nolan has his team in terrific shape at present and his Noble Prince also impressed when scoring at Punchestown the previous Wednesday. Paul Carberry was on board this French import, who won three times over hurdles for Nolan last season and the 9/10 favourite made the perfect start to his chasing career with registering a silky smooth length and three quarters victory over runner-up Healys Bar.
Meanwhile, the O’Connor brothers from Tubber continued their blistering start to the point-to-point season when featuring strongly at last Saturday’s East Antrim fixture at Loughanmore.
Tyrone Golden Rain, owned and trained by Paurick and ridden by Derek, justified strong support (5/4-4/5F) when maintaining his unbeaten run this season in the open lightweight.
A good winner at Castletown-Geoghegan on his seasonal bow at the start of the month, Tyrone Golden Rain underlined his potential with another cracking effort that saw him pass the post a length to the good over the Chris Cully-ridden 10/1 shot Donati. The winner will now be aimed at a hunter chase at Limerick over their upcoming four-day Christmas meeting.
Tyrone Golden Rain’s was providing O’Connor with his fifth training success of the season, leaving him just one adrift of last year’s champion Colin Bowe at the head of the 2010/11 handlers’ championship.
Six-time champion jockey, Derek wasn’t finished, however, and he went on to make it a double at the northern venue when steering Connie Del Mar (3/1) to success in the concluding mares’ maiden.
Trained by Stuart Crawford, Connie Del Mar was put to sleep in customary O’Connor fashion during the early stages of this 17-runner contest, before edging closer to the business end at the penultimate fence.
From here, the winner always travelling best and was full value for her three-length verdict over Mark O’Hare aboard runner-up Ishlana.