Tour Runs Solid Cheltenham Trial

Although he eventually finished third, David Pipe must have been very pleased with the run of his smart handicapper Notus De La Tour in Friday’s rescheduled Totesport Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Newbury, his horse having given weight to both the winner Recession Proof and the runner-up Bothy in a race that looks as if it will provide plenty of future winners, writes Elliot Slater.

Pipe’s horses have been in good form since the turn of the year and Notus D La Tour came to the bug Newbury handicap hurdle having finished fourth at Ascot on his seasonal bow in a Grade 2 handicap hurdle over two-and-half-miles, his first attempt at the outing. It’s hard to say whether he goes that trip as that was his seasonal outing after an eight month break, so it is conceivable that he was in need of the run and possibly blew up.

Returned to what appears to be his optimum trip of two miles however, the ex-French gelding bowled along at the head of the 15-strong field at Newbury and had plenty of his rivals in trouble by the second last. Headed only at the final flight, Tom Scudamore’s mount kept on bravely to the line, eventually failing by just a length-and-a-quarter to peg back the front two, and it was a decent effort for a horse clearly focused on the forthcoming Cheltenham races.

Runner-up to the useful Sanctuaire in last season’s Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham over two-miles, the most likely race for the five-year-old this time around would appear to be the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle on the final day of the four day extravaganza, a race for which he is generally offered at odds of between 12/1 and 16/1.

Pipe’s charge still holds an entry though in the Champion Hurdle itself (for which he is freely available at 100/1), and as yet no final decision has been taken as to which race he will contest, although the County Hurdle does appear a much more likely proposition.

Tags: betting, cheltenham, festival, run, trail, wagerShare