RONAN GROOME: Attack the Thyestes with this Elliott duo

It’s a tad embarrassing to admit that today will be my first trip down to see the Thyestes, the once excellently branded ‘the race that stops a county’. 

The 3m contest always gives me the feel of a real traditional, purest affair given organisers have maintained it’s Thursday/January slot, which seemingly hasn’t deterred a regularly boisterous crowd. 

While I haven’t seen it live, it’s always a race you’d want to take on with its typically competitive shape often derived from a host of horses from the Paddy Power Chase and Troytown Chase, who provide the core of the market once again.

Nick Rockett and Yeah Man are the best representatives of that form respectively, and are top of the market this morning, the former usurping Gavin Cromwell’s representative, who has been most popular in the antepost market. 

Nick Rockett is the choice of Paul Townend (from five Willie Mullins runners) and holds solid claims after an excellent seasonal debut at Leopardstown, racing prominently mostly, and perhaps paying for this when having his finishing effort drawn out of him early from the free-running Three Card Brag. He has solid big handicap chase form last season, most notably finishing third in the Bet365 Chase, so the extra stamina test here will play to his advantage.

Yeah Man was third in the Troytown and presumably skipped both Leopardstown and the Welsh National over Christmas to come here a little more fresh. He was really likeable last season when prospering in big handicap chases in Britain, one sector of British jumps racing that Irish horses don’t always prove effective, and it was clear to see just how strong of a stayer he was by the nature of his Grand National Trial win in hock-deep ground at Haydock. 

Both have obvious claims but are well found in the market now. 

Willie Mullins has nine wins in the race in all but Gordon Elliott has had success too, with two wins and two seconds in the last seven renewals and his six-strong team looks a potent force again.

Shannon Royale, a novice chaser with just three chase starts, is the shortest of Elliott brigade off the back of winning what looked a smart beginners chase at Punchestown. He certainly has the potential to be a much better chaser than hurdler, but you can surely be more concrete when stating the same about Will Do – the choice of Sam Ewing – another novice with obvious upside, but one who has big handicap chase experience, having finished a highly respectable fifth in the Paddy Power. 

That was a big run from the Gigginstown-owned chaser, sporting first time blinkers, and he should show the benefit of it now. He was best priced 9/1 on the boards this morning and that looks worth an interest. 

Having priced the race up last night (for myself), I had a hunch that I may end up backing Where It All Began, but it was a little surprising to see him so prominent in the market. He ran significantly better than a form figure of ‘p’ in the Welsh National, paying the price for a big mistake late on having travelled well into the race, and he was most impressive last season when 16l too good for the seriously well backed and handicapped We’llhavewan in the Punchestown Grand National Trial. The slight worry I had was the reasonably quick turnaround from his Chepstow grueller.

At a much bigger price, I’ve had a small interest in Coko Beach, winner of this race as a six-year-old in 2021 and fourth two years ago. He clearly likes it here, and while his form suggests he might just be on the wane now as a 10-year-old, I don’t think that is conclusive yet, given he has been racing in cross country contests of late, which provide a cloudy picture. 

Handicapping-wise, he’s back down to 153, the mark he won the Troytown off last season, when he had Limerick Lace in behind, form which looks a lot smarter now. If he is to come back to form, this is where he will do it.

A few short ramblings for the remainder – I could see Velvet Elvis running well here in first time cheekpieces and Conor Stone-Walsh booked. He’s always looked a chaser of potential, firstly with Tom Gibney and now with Gavin Cromwell, and presumably his innocuous hurdles runner Leopardstown was a warm up for this. 

Macdermott and Spanish Harlem, first and sixth in the Scottish National, are a couple of Mullins chases still with big potential considering this is just their second season over fences, but have failed to catch fire so far.  Barry Connell’s My Immortal is in that group also, though he wasn’t disgraced in the Porterstown, where he was sent off favourite. 

Favori Du Champdou, another Elliott representative, must have a little squeak as well. He caught the eye in the Paddy Power, which is not the type of test he wants, left handed on dryish ground. This will be much more to his liking and you can see a scenario where he wasn’t knocked about at Leopardstown in preparation for this. 

Selections 

Will Do – 9/1 with AK Bets – 14.48 Gowran Park

Coko Beach – 28/1 with AK Bets – 14.48 Gowran Park

Big Prices, Big Limits – AK Bets will be aiming to be best price every runner in the Thyestes Chase right up to the off time