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racing news |
Chase Bursts Back into Gold Cup Reckoning
03/02/12
Neil Mulholland was undoubtedly one of the proudest men at Cheltenham's high-quality January fixture after his stable star Midnight Chase once again showed his liking for the undulating Prestbury track by putting up a tremendous performance to beat smart opposition in the Grade 2 Argento Chase, a key trial for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup back at the course on March 16, writes Elliot Slater.
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Lady Clarke's admirable 10-year-old has always shown his best form at Cheltenham and landed his fifth course victory in making every yard of the running to see off the enigmatic Tidal Bay, with northern raider Knockara Beau running on well late in the day to come home third ahead of the disappointing pair of Diamond Harry and Time For Rupert. Setting a scorching gallop from the outset the son of Midnight Legend barely touched a twig as he put in a superb round of jumping in the three-and-a-quarter-mile contest, powering away from his rivals from the third last under a fine ride from Dougie Costelloe. People following the best Cheltenham Gold Cup odds will have been impressed.
Mulholland's pride and joy was back to his very best having made a slow start to the term in the wake of last season's heroics where he rattled up a Cheltenham hattrick before running a cracker to be fifth to Long Run in the Gold Cup. Sent to Ireland for his first outing of this term in the Grade 1 JNwine.com Chase, Midnight Chase was toiling in the deep ground and was beaten in fourth place when falling at the second last, the first tumble of his career.
A better effort when third to According To Pete in the valuable Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day suggested the horse was coming back to his best, and so it proved at Cheltenham as he well and truly placed himself in the reckoning for each-way consideration for the biggest race of all. Bookmakers trimmed his ante-post odds for the Gold Cup from a pre-race 66/1 to a best price 25's (some firms go as short as 14/1 now), in the wake of his fine Argento Chase performance.
