East Tycoon to start Cheltenham Week

LONDON: Jonjo O’Neill can get Cheltenham Week off to a great start by taking the opening race at Stratford today with East Tycoon.

The Bigstone gelding looked a smart prospect when a smooth winner on his debut but found things against him in a hot race last time. However, he can redeem his reputation in the gg.com Series Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle. O’Neill has a mighty team assembled for the Festival and this one had Triumph Hurdle aspirations after scoring with some authority at Doncaster, justifying strong support with real ease. He then ran in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton won by Martin Pipe’s Well Chief but that race turned into a sprint after the runners dawdled embarrassingly early on and he actually finished well enough after finding himself outpaced.

Today’s contest represents a huge drop in class. Henry Daly’s team for Cheltenham is not in the same league as O’Neill’s but he too can enjoy a confidence-boosting start to the week courtesy of Jakari in the Irish Field Novices’ Chase. He is lightly raced but has plenty of scope and looked pretty good last time when jumping well to account for Iris Collonges at Hereford. He missed most of last year with a problem but things look to be coming right now and it may pay to keep on the right side of him. Ruby Walsh looks a very interesting booking by Gary Moore for Bhutan in the Ian Williams Handicap Hurdle. The eight-year-old has been in good heart on the all-weather recently and has plenty of winning form to his name over hurdles. Thesis was a beaten favourite behind Well Chief last time but that form has obviously been boosted by the winner’s exploits since. Expect the Venetia Williams-trained runner to go one better in the C Brewer & Sons Novices’ Hurdle at Plumpton with Tony McCoy once again in the plate. Island Sound can gain a deserved victory for David Elsworth in the Malt Whisky Novices’ Chase at Taunton.

The six-year-old has been coming up against some truly top-class company this season and he was certainly not disgraced when finishing some way adrift of Arkle Chase favourite Azertyuiop at Wincanton. Previously he had unseated his rider when running against another Paul Nicholls hotpot, Epervier D’Or, at Kempton. Island Sound faces nothing of that class here and this former smart Flat performer can get off the mark.

SELECTIONS: PLUMPTON: 10.00 Buckby Lane; 10.30 Villair; 11.00 Ressource; 11.30 It’s Beyond Belief; 12.00 Thesis; 12.30 Irbee, 1.00 Major Shark. STRATFORD: 10.20 EAST TYCOON (NAP); 10.50 Jakari; 11.20 Carnoustie; 11.50 Scotia Nostra; 12.20 Bhutan; 12.50 Splash And Das; 1.20 Thieves’glen. TAUNTON: 10.10 Maiden Voyage; 10.40 Island Sound; 11.10 Dispol Rock; 11.40 Danimas; 12.10 Salford; 12.40 Charlies Future. DAY’S DOUBLE: East Tycoon and Island Sound.