Conditionals Handicap Hurdle : Henderson to triumph on Kells Belle
Run for the first time in 2009, the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle is named after one the greatest trainers of a generation.
Pipe treated the Cheltenham Festival winners enclosure like his second home and saddled an incredible 34 winners – the highlight being his two successes in the Champion Hurdle.
Granville Again erased the notion that Pipe didn’t have what it took to win championship races when he landed the odds in 1993. In a famous interview conducted following the race the 15-time champion trainer said: “Everyone has said we couldn’t win a championship race. They can’t say that now.”
Make A Stand doubled his big-race tally in 1997 but he could never win the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Rushing Wild coming second in 1993 the best he could manage. For obvious reason, the heir to the Pipe throne, son David, who took over the licence in 2006 from his father is incredibly keen on winning the race, but has yet to land the odds yet despite saddling the favourite on two of the three races. David even ran seven horses in the first running in 2009 with Big Eared Fran faring best of the septet in third.
Conditionals Handicap Hurdle Tips
Nicky Henderson’s Kells Belle looks a cracking bet to finish each way at a great price of 20/1. Take advantage of a Cheltenham saver bet with a free bet of £150/€150 from Stan James for all visitors of Footybunker.com to spend on any race! Claim here!
As one of the most recent races brought into the Festival past history is hard to evaluate as there has been only three runnings of the race. Due to its competitive handicap nature finding a horse that has the ability to travel well in its races and also past Cheltenham form is handy to keep on-side.
Willie Mullins’ landed last year’ renewal in fine, yet dramatic, style courtesy of a fearless ride by son Emmet Mullins aboard 9-2 favourite Sir Des Champs.
The front-running Barizan forced a relentless gallop early-on which played into the strengths of the gutsy staying hurdler, who despite being 12th with two to jump found plenty up the hill and nailed Donald McCain’s Son Of Flicka in the final stages.
There is only one place to start looking for potential winners of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and that’s at David Pipe’s stables at Pond House. Pipe has been very open regarding his determination to win the race that is named in his father’s honour and has saddled two of the last three beaten favourites of the race. Will this be his year?
Well, if he is going to land it then Decoy looks the perfect horse to do it. The six-year-old has been progressing very nicely through the ranks over the past two seasons, highlighted by his most recent success over the course and distance at Cheltenham. That victory, achieved off a mark of 122, was a perfect trial for the race of this kind and as long as he gets into the race, then he should be one that punters invest their money on.
Water Garden is another Pipe resident that looks to be targeting the race. His winning streak that he racked up at Wincanton and Ascot has dried up in the last two months, but he has still run well in defeat. Firstly at Warwick in a hot handicap and then at Wincanton.
Despite his family’s association with the race, Pipe hasn’t been the trainer to follow since its inception in 2008. That man has been Nicky Henderson. He won the inaugural running easily with Andytown before saddling the second, fourth and fifth in 2010 and a third-place finisher last year.
No mare has been successful in the race thus far but Henderson’s leading contender Kells Belle could change that this season if Henderson decides to go down the handicap route rather than take on Quevega in the David Nicholson’s Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham.
She recently landed the Listed 32Red.com Mares’ Hurdle in nice style at Sandown and still has an attractive mark to work off which must make her attractive to place in handicap company for Henderson.
