DON COSSACK: Ireland’s top chaser gets the chance to make amends for his unlucky fall in the King George at Kempton with his attempt to win the Ladbrokes Ireland Kinloch Brae Chase for the second year running at Thurles this afternoon.
For the second year running, the Ladbrokes Ireland Kinloch Brae Chase (Grade 2) has attracted just a quartet of runners but last year’s winner Don Cossack looks to have a much easier task than he did when winning last year.
We were robbed of a thrilling finish in 2015 when Champagne Fever (4/5 FAV) fell at the last leaving Don Cossack (6/4) to coast home alone to a 44 length win. It was impossible to say, for sure, which one would have won.
Don Cossack went on to finish third in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival before notching up a splendid sequence of four wins in a row including three Grade 1’s – the Melling Chase at Aintree, Punchestown Gold Cup and the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.
That winning run could easily have been extended last time out at Kempton where, for many, he looked the likeliest winner of the King George before falling two leaving the coast clear for Cue Card and Vautour to battle out the finish.
Trainer Gordon Elliott said: “Looking at the re-run of the King George, I don’t think he got the best run through the race, he never got into a rhythm, he was in, he was out, he was up, he was down – he never got into a rhythm. At the time he fell I thought Ruby (Walsh) looked to be going very well (on Vautour), what happened after happened, I can’t say whether we would have won or not, but I don’t think we would have been far away as the one thing I know my horse does is he gallops to the line.”
Elliott also reports Don Cossack to have schooled well since Kempton and a clear round should be all that’s needed for him to see off chief rival Wounded Warrior – he is getting on for a TWO STONE advantage on official ratings but the price says it all !
There will also be a short priced favourite in the other big race on the card in the shape of the English raider Bitofapuzzle in the Grade 2 Ocovango Coolmore National Hunt Sires E.B.F. Mares Novice Chase at 2.40.
The Harry Fry trained runner is a multiple bumper and hurdles winner who finished a close up third to Glens Melody in the mares hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and went on to win a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse. She made a highly satisfactory chasing debut when winning at Exeter and looks different class to these rivals.
Against the odds, Willie Mullins doesn’t have any runners in the two Graded races on the card but should still be among the winners with Indien Rouge in the opener. He was second at Pau on debut and should relish the testing ground. Some of Mullins’ very best winners have been French imports.
SHAMROCK’S BETS:
NAP: Indien Rouge (12.40 Thurles)
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