The Coral Hurdle
By Stephen Dwyer
It
has always been a serious race. Dawn Run won it, Morley Street, Baracouda,
Hardy Eustace too and in recent years Overturn and Silviniaco Conti. Though a
Grade 2, it is not treated as such and this year’s renewal is awash with class.
Though both Zaynar and Silviniaco Conti won the Coral Hurdle as four year olds,
it pays to side with experience. Nicky Henderson’s Rolling Star, the only four
year old in the field, was last year’s Triumph Hurdle favourite, before
finishing sixth to Our Conor. He was subsequent favourite in the Grade 1 4yo
Juvenile Hurdle at the Aintree festival but could only manage one place better
when fifth to L’Unique. The impression given on both starts is that Rolling
Star is more of a 2m4f horse and his future lies over fences. The Ascot trip
will play to his strengths but he may not have necessary class to beat the
market principles. Having won the race three times since 2008, Nicky Henderson
does have place prospects with Rolling Star and he did win on his seasonal
debut last year in a Triumph Hurdle trial.
Currently
rated 167, Zarkandar is the highest rated hurdler in the field. He is a
half-brother to the unbeaten Zarkava and winner of eight of his eleven hurdle
races. Already a Triumph Hurdle winner, Zarkandar won three Grade 2 races last
season before finishing fourth in the Champion Hurdle to Hurricane Fly.
Connections maintain that he is at his best with cut in the ground but it was
blinkers swhich proved a real revelation when he beat the brilliant The New One
in a showcase finish in the Aintree Hurdle over 2m4f. It is worth noting that Zarkandar
wore blinkers when racing in France and Paul Nicholls admitted after the Aintree
race that he was a different animal with blinkers applied. Interestingly he
also said “I definitely don´t see him as
a Champion Hurdle horse next season. He´s going to be a three-miler.” At
his brilliant best though, he is a tough nut to crack and whatever happens at
Ascot Zarkandar remains a class act to follow all season long.
Despite
the class of Zarkandar and the potential that Rolling Star clearly has, the
race may go to the Irish for the first time since Hardy Eustace in 2007. There
has only been one Irish runner in a Coral Hurdle since 2007, when Sabrina Harty
ran the 100/1 chance Bull Flyer who was well beaten in the 2008 renewal. Given
the amount of valuable prizes on offer in the Irish racing calendar, Ascot is
not a target for many of Irish trainers, but Willie Mullins thinks differently.
Annie
Power is one of the most exciting hurdling prospects in the Mullin’s yard.
Outside of Hurricane Fly and Quevega, Annie Power has the potential to join
those exalted two and have an absolutely stellar career. Just a 5yo, she is
unbeaten in all of her seven starts. I have heard good word that Annie Power
bypassed the Morgiana Hurdle because she would have beaten Hurricane Fly. Given
that Hurricane Fly was clearly not fully match fit on the day, there may have
been some substance to these rumours.
A dual
bumper winner for Jim Bolger before being acquired by Rich Ricci and the
Mullins team, Annie Power has done nothing but improve since sent over hurdles.
She put Don Cossack and Defy Logic (rated 142 and 148 over hurdles
respectively) to the sword in a Grade 2 hurdle at Naas. The mare then ended
last season with a facile twelve length victory in the Grade 1 Mares race at
Fairyhouse. Willie Mullins is on record as saying that “She could be anything.”
after that race, and he could be right.
Annie
Power receives a hefty 11lbs from Zarkandar in the Coral Hurdle. This is a
serious amount of weight to give to such a classy mare. On plain ratings, Annie
Power is 155 and Zarkandar 167 and the betting shows are 11/10 for the Mullins
mare and 11/8 for Zarkandar. That she is so short in the betting reflects her
chances.
She
should take some beating.
