1.30 Cheltenham
JLT Novices' Chase (Registered As The Golden Miller Novices'
Chase) (Grade 1) (Class 1) (5YO plus)
Winner £68,340
Advice: 1 pt win Felix Yonger (7/2 general), 1 pt win
Wonderful Charm (11/2 general)
Captain Ocana: Looks out of his depth here.
Double Ross: Like many from this yard, game and bold jumping
front runner and one of the most consistent handicappers of the season, bombing
from the front to win December Gold Cup, feature chase on New Year’s Day, and
close second on trials’ day here; All that form tacks up well and mark of 152
actually not all that far of being involved but needs to find more again against unexposed rivals
Felix Yonger: Progressed hand over first to land Grade 2
hurdle (same one Defy Logic was second in last year) and then finish second in
Neptune; Exemplary start to chasing,
beating off subsequent Grade 1 winner Defy Logic before dealing out good
thrashing to Trifolium at Navan; Those were only chase starts he’s had on sound
surface and twice disappointed on testing surface, unable to give penalty to
stablemate at Christmas and then beaten out of sight by Trifolium latest
although still ahead of Molotov; Would need more on that form but ground has
come right for him today and big chance on right surface as earlier form shows;
Can go very close. 
Mozoltlov: Still a sense of the unexposed about him after
just three chase runs but well behind Felix Yonger in Irish Arkle latest and
then won practical walkover latest at Navan; Hard to see him reversing that
form today. 
Off the Ground: Fast improving handicapper, twice a deeply
impressive winner of 2m3f handicaps at Doncaster; Likely that he can improve
again even with a long absence since but this is a different level and may find
going too tough here today. 
Oscar Whisky: The best hurler in the field, fourth in
Champion Hurdle before two attempts at World Hurdle didn’t work out but almost
unbeaten outside of festival; Has three wins from four starts as a chaser even
if he made extremely hard work of winning Scilly Isles at Sandown latest
(ground may have had a lot to do with that); Beat Taquin Du Seuil on worse
terms on New Year’s Day the time before that but weights massively in favour
when he nosed out Wonderful Charm in December; Can go well but is now 8lbs
worse off with that rival. 
Sizing Gold: Always a chaser in the making and good start
when wining well at Navan but no match for Foxrock in Ten Up Chase latest and
that form took a knock on Tuesday; Needs significantly more and not sure that
he wants this ground. 
Taquin Du Seuil: Top class novice hurdler, and made
excellent start to chasing when giving weight and quite a conclusive beating to
Oscar Whisky at Open Meeting; 2 miles too short for him, and nosed out on New
Year’s Day; Deeply impressive winner latest and can go well if handling the
quick ground that’s prevailed. 
Uixandre: Good start chasing (Fifth in Aintree Grade 1) when
getting better of 123 rated runner up giving away weight at Plumpton and
notably more impressive on better ground there the next time but made
significant, frequent mistakes and those saw him disappoint at Haydock latest 
Wonderful Charm: Didn’t spend much time hurdling but easy to
see why with four wins over fences so far, including 2 graded races, and huge
effort to give 8lbs to Oscar Whisky and go down by less than a length in December;
Not seen since but been kept fresh, precious little on the clocks, and should
post a big effort. 
Djakadam: Only two starts over fences but super impressive
when last seen beating Bright New Dawn at Leopardstown; Bare form of that reads
well and huge potential over fences, although receiving plenty of weight that
day; Not sure how he will handle this ground but did handle yielding. 
Vukovar: Beat Greatwood winner and top handicapper (fifth
yesterday) Dell’ Arca on last French start and while Mr Mole outsped him at
Warwick over shorter trip but when making all, seemed to have new lease of life
at Newbury; This trip should be right up his street and massive potential.
VERDICT: A competitive and strong looking renewal of a race
that has quickly established itself as a leading fixture. Both 5 year olds,
especially Djakadam, have massive potential, but the ground has come right for
his stablemate FELIX YONGER and if showing the pre Christmas form he had on a
decent surface, it will take a very big performance to beat him. Easily next
best is WONDERFUL CHARM, whose latest effort was a particularly strong one when
giving 8lbs to the principal form player Oscar Whisky, while Taquin Du Seuil
will be a major player if handling the ground.
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