The Inside Track on the Foxhunter Chase

The Irish have dominated the last few renewals of this contest and, whilst it’s disappointing that Salsify won’t be here to bid for a third consecutive win in the race, they still have a strong hand with three of the front four horses in the market.

Many will be hoping that Oscar Delta can land the prize this year after he jinked and unseated the unfortunate Jane Mangan on the run in when clear in last year’s renewal, but Jimmy Mangan’s 11-year-old has put in two fairly lacklustre efforts so far this season and could now be on the downgrade.

The return to Cheltenham, where the horse finished a well-held third in this race in both 2011 and 2012, is likely to see Oscar Delta step up on his recent form, but this looks a very strong Foxhunters and it’s a big ask for the horse to make it fourth time lucky and finally win the race.

Enda Bolger was responsible for the front two horses in the market until last week when it was revealed that the race will come too soon for Barry Connell’s expensive recent purchase Mossey Joe.

Bolger is still left with current favourite On The Fringe though and the excellent Nina Carberry is likely to take the ride on JP McManus’ gelding. On The Fringe was sent off joint-favourite for this race in 2011 when only a six-year-old and he disappointed his backers by finishing a well-beaten fourth.

He’s reportedly fragile, having only had five starts in hunter chases since then and while he has shown up well on each occasion, those runs have included honourable defeats to Salsify, Oscar Delta and Tammys Hill.

For me those runs show that he’s vulnerable to a high-class opponent and for that reason he looks plenty short enough in the market at his current price.

Despite the strength of the Irish challenge my idea of the winner is the young improving British pointer HARBOUR COURT, who was a mightily impressive winner of the Red Mills Final here in May on his debut under rules and followed that effort up by winning the John Corbet Cup at Stratford.

Alan Hill has trained the horse specifically for this race since that Stratford success and although the unfortunate incident at Kelso (where Harbour Court was taken out at the first fence by a falling rival) was not part of the plan, the horse has since shown his wellbeing with a facile win in a Mens Open at Cottenham.