Mansony tipped to take Victor Chandler
Hurdle
 By David Thorpe
The Victor Chandler Handicap Chase is always the highlight of the January
racing calendar and this year’s race could provide the first big
Irish success in Britain this year with the Arthur Moore-trained Mansony.
The current favourite for the race is the Paul Nicholls-trained Saintsaire
— a tough and consistent performer —but his record of having
won just four of his 17 races over fences shows a horse who might just
be lacking in a little bit of class when asked to operate at the top level.
That horse is likely to be the mount of ace jockey Ruby Walsh in the race
and has definite each-way claims.
The Mark Rimmel-trained pair of Oneway and Crossbow Creak are both worthy
of consideration. Crossbow Creek has the speed to win this race but his
jumping is not the best particularly at a fast, sharp track like Ascot
and that could prove to be his downfall. Oneway has a much better chance
than his stablemate but again he might be a better each-way prospect than
winning bet.
Nicky Henderson always does well in this race and he is likely to be well
represented again this year. Mariah Rollins is a horse to follow over
the coming months but might not take his place in this contest.
The main hope of the Henderson yard could well be Tysou which could well
fight out the finish with Andreas and the aforementioned Mansony.
A top-quality horse Tysou always runs well on the sort of ground we are
likely to see at Ascot. The only difficulty could be the weight he is
allotted but there is absolutely no reason why he cannot win.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls also has Andreas in the race. This fellow
has been threatening to win a decent contest all season but is either
unlucky in running or manages to find the opposition too good. The suspicion
is that his jumping won’t hold up if there are a large number of
horses in this race so perhaps he Andreas is best avoided on this occasion.
The selection is the Arthur Moore-trained Mansony — my spies tell
me that one of the shrewdest trainers on either side of the Irish Sea
fancies this horse’s chances and that is a tip in itself.
Mansony has the profile of a horse that could win a big race. Beginning
the season off a very low handicap mark he has won a string of races in
Ireland but still manages to get into this race off a very low weight.
He will probably be ridden by Davy Russell and is the horse to be on in
this race with Tysou an excellent each-way bet.
Happy Punting!
This week’s horses to watch…
Thursday 1.40pm Ludlow:
TIP: Usiris
The debut of this horse over fences could signal the start of a truly
significant racing career. A talented hurdler, he is likely to have the
champion jockey on board and could be a horse to follow in the coming
weeks.
Thursday 2.40pm Ludlow:
TIP: Ice Bucket
Henrietta Knight has her horses in fine form at present and while this
looks like a very competitive race Ice Bucket comes here off the back
of a recent win. Will be fitter than most of its rivals and certainly
has a major chance.
Thursday 1.20pm Taunton:
TIP: Et Maintenant
This fellow is having his first run over hurdles and might be worth taking
a chance on. This is his first-ever run in Britain but he comes from a
top yard and if he runs will be the best value bet in the race.
Friday 1.30pm Chepstow:
TIP: Moorlands Return
This fellow is by no means a certain starter but if Tony Martin sends
him over from Ireland for any race in the next week he will have an outstanding
chance. He has a very low handicap mark.
Friday 2.40pm Chepstow:
TIP: Mighty Moose
This is quite a weak race and this horse has by far the best form. Only
a big weight can stop him so if he is not overburdened by the handicapper
then he is definitely one for the shortlist.
Friday 3.45pm Chepstow:
TIP: Andrea Gale
This horse is starting to tumble down the handicap and is now a definite
betting proposition. Represents a top yard in a poor race. His recent
third place in a better race than this leaves him in with an excellent
chance.
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