Donn McClean

ARZAL could be the answer to the tricky puzzle that is today’s William Hill Imperial Cup at Sandown.

There were a few horses to note from the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month, but none caught the eye more than Harry Whittington’s horse.

Usually a front-runner, the Vendangeur gelding completely missed the break in the Newbury race. He literally stood still when the tapes went up, and he only moved off after those around him had gone.

That really wasn’t ideal for two reasons. Firstly, he is a prominent racer, he does seem to enjoy getting out there in front. In all three of his previous races since he arrived in Britain, he had made the running.

Secondly, as things transpired, the Betfair Hurdle was dominated by the prominent racers this year. The first two home, Violet Dancer and Cheltenian, were never out of the first five, with the winner disputing the lead from flagfall, while the third horse, Activial, raced in mid-division from early, but had moved into the first five by the time they raced out of the back straight.

The three of them finished nine lengths clear of the rest of the field. It was a race in which it was really difficult to make ground from the rear.

To compound matters, just as Arzal had settled into a nice even rhythm towards the back of the field and on the inside, he was badly hampered by Chieftain’s Choice at the fifth flight.

Two others were slightly hampered also, but neither as badly as Arzal. It was remarkable that he was able to get back into the race at all.

But he did. He was well back in the field as they moved into the home straight on the outside, and Paul O’Brien actually didn’t ask him to pick up until they approached the second last. Presumably he was resigned to the probability that it was a lost cause up until that point.

Still only 13th or 14th jumping the second last, he stayed on from there all the way to the line. He was never going to get close to the leaders, but he kept on well enough to take sixth place, just two lengths behind Calipto in fourth.

Calipto came from back in the field also to finish fourth, and he has a chance today, but Paul Nicholls’ horse didn’t have nearly as much go against him in the race as Arzal did, they meet on identical terms and Calipto is a much shorter price for today’s race.

That was just Arzal’s fourth run over hurdles and he is only five, so he still has lots of scope for progression. His two previous runs, when he beat West Wizard at Kempton and when he finished third behind Jollyallan at Kempton were very good. Jollyallan is now rated 151, and Arzal finished nine lengths behind him, so even that tells you that he is potentially well handicapped on a mark of 139.

The 11st 1lb is higher than ideal, but Paul O’Brien’s claim takes him back down to 10st 8lb, and that is ideal. Four of the last five winners carried 10st 7lb or less, and none of the last 10 winners carried 11st or more.

Also, five-year-olds have a really good record in the race, supplying three of the last 10 winners from just 43 runners. Harry Whittington has had a 16/1 winner and two thirds from his last three runners, and Arzal looks over-priced, possibly helped by the fact that he hails from a small yard and is set to be ridden by a 7lb claimer.

Wicklow Brave would be a big player off a mark of 138 if he could reproduce his Supreme Novices’ Hurdle run, but Arzal may represent the best value in the race at this morning’s prices.

On jockey bookings, it looks like Great Try is the lesser-fancied of Paul Nicholls’ two runners in the Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final earlier on the card. That should add a couple of points to his price, and there may not be much between the two Nicholls runners.

As De Mee battled on well to beat Tara Mist and Thedrinkmeister at Leicester at the end of January, but the better ground today may ease the emphasis on stamina.

By contrast, Great Try put up a visually impressive performance to win at Bangor last month in a race that was run at a strong pace. He travelled really well into the home straight under Nick Scholfield, and he kept on well for largely just hands-and-heels riding - he picked up again for two smacks of the whip on the run-in - all the way to the line.

He only got home by two lengths from 25/1 newcomer of Jonjo O’Neill’s Hedley Lamarr, but the pair of them pulled 15 lengths clear of L’Aigle Royal in third, who had finished third in Peace And Co’s race at Doncaster in December, and the winning time was good.

He is stepping to two and a half miles today, but he is bred for stamina, he is by Leger winner Scorpion and he is out of a half-sister to The Nightingale, a two and a half-mile chaser for Paul Nicholls. He could improve again for stepping up in trip, especially on decent ground.

The handicapper left him on his mark of 125 for his Bangor run, and that is very fair. He could go close.

RECOMMENDED:

ARZAL, 3.10 Sandown, 12/1 (generally) - 1 point each-way

GREAT TRY, 2.00 Sandown, Best morning odds -1 point each-way

Donn selected 11/2 winner Soll in last week’s selections