Cape Tribulation looking to prosper from drying ground

CAPE Tribulation and Countrywide Flame, two standard-bearers of Malton jump racing, both go for Grade One glory on the opening day of the John Smith’s Grand National meeting.

First up is Cape Tribulation, who was a very creditable fifth in last month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. Drying conditions will certainly help Malcolm Jefferson’s charge win the top-class Betfred Bowl that features Gold Cup fourth The Giant Bolster and Charlie Hall winner Silviniaco Conti, who fell when in contention in the National Hunt Festival’s signature race.

“The ground drying up shouldn’t bother him, he goes on anything, he’s pretty versatile with regards to tracks and ground,” said Jefferson.

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“He was a bit quiet for a week after the Gold Cup so we left him alone but he had a little blow yesterday and looks fantastic again.

“What’s in the back of my mind is that the Gold Cup was only three weeks ago and horses have harder races on soft ground than good ground like it was last year.

“There’s not as many Gold Cup class horses in this and he has nothing else to go for really. I think he’s better left-handed so we couldn’t really take him to Punchestown.”

Cape Tribulation will, once again, be ridden by the mercurial Denis O’Regan who will get the leg up 35 minutes later on John Quinn’s Champion Hurdle third Countrywide Flame in a high-class renewal of the John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle.

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Though the five-year-old is stepping up in trip to two-and-a-half miles, O’Regan intimated after Cheltenham that Countrywide Flame could be suited by a longer trip.

“We were delighted with him at Cheltenham and he has come out of the race well,” said Quinn.

“It’s a very good race, but he likes the track and he’s in good form, so I expect a good run out of him.

“He was second in the Cesarewitch over two mile two on the Flat and wasn’t stopping.

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“He ran well at Aintree last year, we are hoping for a good run and are looking forward to it.”

As well as Nicky Henderson’s Grandouet, who fell at Cheltenham last month when poised to challenge, the most intriguing runner is the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained The New One who will be ridden by the trainer’s son Sam.

A convincing winner of the Neptune Investment Hurdle for novices at Cheltenham, Twiston-Davies is sufficiently confident to pitch their very promising five-year-old against seasoned hurdlers that also include Henderson’s Aintree specialist Oscar Whisky who failed to shine in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle last month.

Meanwhile, jump racing’s superstar Sprinter Sacre will bid to take his unbeaten record over fences to nine in the John Smith’s Melling Chase tomorrow.

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His latest success came in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham where he treated a quality field with contempt, brushing aside the 2011 winner Sizing Europe by 19 lengths.

However, this is a different test as he is stepping up to two and a half miles for the first time over the bigger obstacles and his five rivals include two talented performers in Cue Card and Flemenstar.

Cue Card got within seven lengths of Sprinter Sacre in the Arkle Trophy last year and won the Ryanair Chase on his last start while Flemenstar missed Cheltenham with a lung infection.

Potentially, this could be the race of the National Hunt season – one which will confirm if the hype surrounding Sprinter Sacre is justifiable or not.