Ruby Walsh on Cheltenham: Sir Gerhard should step up in trip
Speaking on this week's Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast Cheltenham Countdown the former jockey was asked of what made of the performance last week?
"Mistake at the third fence, he overcame that, was a bit careful maybe at the next couple, but he wasn’t tested. He jumped the last really well – it was a pleasing start – he showed that he had the - I wouldn’t say the bottle, but the mistake didn’t rattle him, it didn’t phase him, he didn’t go to the next fence and go way up in the air," he said.
"He got over it, built on it, he will have learnt from it, but he didn’t look to me like an Arkle horse, he definitely looked like a horse that would be going up in trip, Willie has said so whether he goes for the Turners or up further for the Brown Advisory only time will tell. I can’t imagine that he’s going to run him in Navan in the Ten Up so he’s not going to be qualified for the National Hunt Chase, I don’t think he even has an entry does he?"
Well Chief did win the Arkle for Martin Pipe off the back of only run over fences and Walsh feels Sir Gerhard is likely to head straight to Prestbury Park now.
"He only won last Thursday – so it’s going to be nine days until the DRF, 10 if you go for two five on the Sunday. That would be a very quick turnaround after his first run in the season so you would ideally be looking sort of three, three and a half weeks from his debut in Gowran which take you nearly to the end of February and then you’re getting too close to Cheltenham so look it’s not ideal, it wasn’t the plan on the 1st September that we’re going to wait and we’re not going to run Sir Gerhard until the end of January," he said.
"That wasn’t the plan, but unfortunately sometimes you have to play the cards you’re dealt and that’s the way they’re dealt with Sir Gerhard. The Leopardstown schooling day is nearly a thing of the past – I didn’t see too many horses there last year. But I’d imagine he would go to a racecourse or two to jump more fences but I’d say after watching Energumene, Willie would want white fences – there’s no white fences on the Irish racecourses so who knows?"
Appreciate It is another Mullins novice chaser with a options at the Cheltenham Festival and Walsh expects that particular picture to become much clearer at the Dublin Racing Festival.
"I don’t know – a lot will be I wouldn’t say revealed but maybe be found out maybe at the Dublin Racing Festival. Will Willie go two miles or step Appreciate It up in trip there? I would have thought having won his beginners over two and then a winners’ chase at Naas over two miles, if he’s to run at the Dublin Racing Festival you’d have to think he’ll run over two, two one and then the result there probably reveals where he goes next or makes itself obvious as to where he goes next.
"I mean If he’s a fast-finishing second, the obvious thing will be to step him up in trip and then if he’s well and truly on top before he turns in, you’d be thinking he’s our Arkle horse. So I think a lot will be revealed at the weekend."
When asked if the two-and-a-half mile trip in the Turners could be ideal for Appreciate It, Walsh added: "It could be, but I wouldn’t think he’s slow either. Douvan won the Supreme, Arkle, Vautour obviously won the Supreme and went Turners, Un De Sceaux didn’t run he won the Arkle at two miles, didn’t run there as a novice hurdler. I don’t know – is there a hard and fast rule? I think the DRF will explain a lot and I’m not going necessarily buy into two mile one furlong winners in Leopardstown being out and out Arkle horses.
"You see a lot of them coming home from off the pace to win at Leopardstown which always suggested to me that they wanted to go further when they went to Cheltenham. The Arkle at Cheltenham is just under two miles, Leopardstown is a strong two miles and one furlongs over fences and I would often think the ones that are getting up close home at Leopardstown should be going up in trip when they go to Cheltenham.
"And maybe those that were going to win and didn’t quite hang on at Leopardstown could come back slightly in trip to the Arkle. So a lot will depend on what happens in the Dublin Racing Festival, but I do think you need to be in control turning in in Leopardstown to say you’re a two mile chaser for Cheltenham."
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