Walsh opts for Scottish flavour to Cheltenham feature

Young gun preferred over old friend Fakir D’oudairies.

JP McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry admitted Mark Walsh found it tough to choose between top-weight Fakir D’oudairies and So Scottish in the Virgin Bet December Gold Cup, before coming down on the side of the latter.

Perhaps not appropriately named given he is owned, trained and will be ridden by an Irishman, So Scottish is only six and followed a very typical softly-softly campaign favoured by his trainer Emmet Mullins last season.

He won a maiden hurdle at Kilbeggan, a novice chase at Tipperary and a three-runner event at Carlisle, before finishing second to Boothill in a GBP 100,000 race at Ascot.

The winner is now rated 18lb higher, while So Scottish went on to finish unplaced at Cheltenham and Aintree before a quiet comeback at Gowran.

Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies, on the other hand, has provided Walsh with Grade One wins at Ascot, Aintree and Fairyhouse.

Berry said: “It was a difficult choice for Mark, as he’s had some great days on Fakir, and he’s in great form and Joseph is happy with him, but he decided to go with Emmet’s.

“It’s hard to choose a top-weight when you’ve got the option of one younger with less weight. Fakir has been very good to Mark and it was hard, but he’s gone with So Scottish.

“I certainly wouldn’t rule out the top-weight, his last run was in a Grade One and now he’s in a handicap. Joseph is happy and he goes there in good order.

“With the other one, we’ll learn a little bit more on Saturday, hopefully he puts in a good round and runs well. His run with Boothill looks good form now.”

Jonjo O’Neill jnr rides Fakir D’oudairies.

Thunder Rock holds solid claims for Olly Murphy
Thunder Rock holds solid claims for Olly Murphy (Steve Welsh/PA)

Olly Murphy’s Thunder Rock has been favourite all week and the trainer feels he has enjoyed the perfect preparation.

“He ticks a lot of boxes, but that being said, it is still a very competitive handicap worth a lot of money,” said the Wilmcote handler.

“This is his first run in a handicap, he’s very well in himself and schooled well on Thursday morning and I’m looking forward to running him. Hopefully, we get a bit of luck in running, and hopefully he’ll run very well.

“You’d maybe think the handicapper wouldn’t let him run off 146 given how his Carlisle run has worked out.

“He’s in good form, I’m really glad he’s got a run under his belt, he’s coming into it a relatively fresh horse and I really think this outer track will suit him really well, it’s more of a staying track.

“He ran well in the Dipper there last year and stayed on strongly, so hopefully he can get into a rhythm early and we’ll see how he gets on.”

Harry Cobden has stuck with Monmiral
Harry Cobden has stuck with Monmiral (David Davies/PA)

Paul Nicholls runs two in Il Ridoto and Monmiral, with Harry Cobden choosing the latter.

“He’s a Grade One winner over hurdles and ran very well over fences last season against some top horses like Jonbon and The Real Whacker,” Nicholls told Betfair of Monmiral.

“But he probably wasn’t quite right last winter, so we gave him a wind op in the summer because we felt he was struggling with his breathing. His homework this autumn has been really good and he also pleased us in a recent away day.

“I’m going down the handicap route and targeting this race because he is a class horse on an attractive mark of 145. Harry Cobden was keen to ride Monmiral after partnering him in a piece of work.”

On Il Ridoto, Nicholls said: “He is consistent and always runs well, but the task is a bit harder now running off a 5lb higher mark.

“Il Ridoto again ran a solid race in finishing third behind Stage Star in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month. He might improve plenty from that first run of the season, but will need to if he is to win this.”

Lower down the weights is Alan King’s Grandeur D’Ame, a wide-margin winner at Wetherby last time out.

“I would have liked the weights to have gone up,” said King.

“It’s a big step up for him, but we’ll let him have a crack and see where we are.”

Grandeur D’Ame is 1lb out of the handicap, with Gavin Cromwell’s Railway Hurricane is even further out of the weights.

“Unfortunately, he’s 5lb out of the handicap, but we have a 5lb claimer (Connor Stone-Walsh),” said Cromwell.

“He’s pretty consistent and runs well without winning. It’s a nice pot and he’ll take his chance.”

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