Charlie Longsdon will hope a fantastic season will be capped off by Vulcanite winning the Grade One William Hill Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The trainer has already beaten his previous best total of winners for a season and has confirmed that promising novice Vulcanite will run in the first race of the Festival.

“Vulcanite is a likely runner in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at this stage,” he said

“I’d like to think the more experience he gets the less keen he will be in his races. To be honest, I wouldn’t want the ground too quick at Cheltenham because he is quite upright, but it is always on the easy side of good on the first day at Cheltenham so I am sure that it will be fine.”

The owner of the horse, Sheikh Fahad al Than, has rapidly become one of the biggest players in Flat racing – Dunaden won both the Melbourne Cup and the Hong Kong Vase in 2011 – and the big-hitting sheikh is now seemingly turning his attention to the jumps.

“Sheikh Fahad is very keen on going to Cheltenham,” Longsdon added.

“That is reason behind having this horse as a jumper. He will not be investing in the jump game as he did on the Flat, but if this horse is a success he might have a few more, but if not then he probably won’t have any more, so it is quite important for us that we do a good job.”

Vulcanite, who put in an impressive performance at Southwell last month, at this stage is one of a current crop of 91 entries for the William Hill Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, with Jessica Harrington’s Steps To Freedom the 8-1 favourite with the sponsors. The ante-post hot-pot is one of 31 possible Irish runners, with Willie Mullins responsible for nine, the main standouts being Sous Les Cieux, Terminal and Midnight Game.

Ballyrock finished second during a hurdle event on New Year’s Eve at Newbury and next in line in terms of competitive action could be the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle.

This will see the horse run over an extended length of two and a half miles as Vaughan assesses whether to run the six-year-old at the Cheltenham Festival in March, perhaps in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

Discussing where abouts Ballyrock is at right now, Vaughan said: “He’s been like a lion since his last run, and we are going to try and get one more run into him, either at Cheltenham next week or at Haydock the week after, to put him spot-on for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival.”

“I couldn’t have been happier with his last run. He had a long lay-off with us through one niggle after the other, and obviously after getting him back to win at Hereford I was confident of a much-improved run in the Challow.”

“I am still fairly confident he is massively improving, and if we can get another good run into him next time it should put us in with a sporting chance come Cheltenham in March.”

“He’s right up there with the best of our novice hurdlers – well he is our best novice hurdler.”

“He already wants three miles and a fence in front of him, and I’m hoping in time he will be a proper three-mile chaser.”

Elsewhere in news related to the Cheltenham Festival, Robin Dickin has been speaking about the possibility of Restless Harry being entered in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

The trainer said: “The World Hurdle is on the radar for Restless Harry. He will probably be entered in the Cleeve Hurdle on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham and he could go for the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase on the same card.”

This would mean Restless Harry taking on Big Bucks in the World Hurdle of course, but this will all be part of the horse’s development. A fascinating few weeks await.

The latest setback for the horse occurred on Boxing Day. Competing in a three mile event for the first time, Master Minded suffered a tendon injury in the King George at Kempton.

Since then, surgery has been successful, but the complications could continue with infection a genuine possibility. Therefore, Master Minded is certain not to be involved at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Owner Smith said:  “I was down at the yard on Monday and Dan Skelton gave me a good summary of the injury in detail, to which Paul Nicholls added some points.”

“Basically, he has had his open tendon sewn back together. It was not ruptured, just severely damaged. The big problem with injuries like this is if they get any muck in them but Master Minded’s is clean at the moment.”

“He remains in Newmarket and as much as possible is being done for him. He’s in plaster and I think he will be for about a month.”

“He will obviously have a very long rest but hopefully he will be walking on the roads by the end of the year with a possible return to training about 12 months away.”

“The answer is we just don’t know if he will race again at this stage. But if he doesn’t he’s been a wonderful horse – if it wasn’t for Kauto Star he would have been the horse of a lifetime.”

As for the mentioned Kauto Star, Smith was full of praise for the famous horse, saying: ”He has won everything he can and has been so adaptable – dropping down to win two Tingle Creeks, but also being able to win two Gold Cups and four Betfair Chases.”

“He’s won more Grade Ones than the others – I know there weren’t those kind of races around for Arkle and the rest – but you can’t knock his achievements.”

The Cheltenham Festival is the next major event Kauto Star will be looking for success in of course, although Master Minded will not be in action.

The RSA Steeple Chase takes place on Ladies Day, as we continue our beginners guide to the 2012 Cheltenham Festival and take a look at this superb Group 1 race.

The Cheltenham Festival is a highlight of the horse racing calendar for many reasons. One of which though is that every single race is significant. Every single race has its place and the Festival wouldn’t be the same without it.

As mentioned countless times, there are some which are talked about more than others – the Cheltenham Gold Cup for example – but across the four days of racing, each individual race is worth betting on and indeed watching.

This includes the third race on Ladies day, the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. This is the RSA Steeple Chase which is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase, competed by novices aged five-years and over.

It is an event that tests the stamina of the competitors with three miles and 110 yards to cover and 19 fences to jump. Of course many horses are trained specifically for this event, so it is often an extremely closely fought contest from start to finish.

There can be valuable winners for punters too. Last year for example, Boston’s Angel emerged victorious from the rest of the field with the Jessica Harrington trained horse available at 16/1 prior to the race.

There are of course favourites for success in the 2012 event though with the much fancied and heavily discussed Grands Crus currently available at around 5/1. Bobs worth is likely to be the main contender at 8/1, while Bog Warrior is next in line at 10/1.

As mentioned though, the winner in this enduring event can come from further afield. Therefore, the likes of Join Together (14/1), Last Instalment (16/1) and Cue Card (20/1) cannot be ruled out.

Overall, it is much easier to assess the field for this race closer to the event, but now is a good time to start laying down some markers.

Assessing the National Hunt Steeple Chase form as often as possible is advised as is keeping an eye out for a valuable bet from further afield.

The RSA Steeple Chase gets underway at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival gets underway at 2.40pm on the Wednesday 14th March 2012.

Everyone loves the Cheltenham Festival. It is four days of action packed racing with other entertainment on show before, during and after the races too. It is, quite simply, a week that every horse racing punter gets excited about.

For the female punters, Ladies Day – which is the second day of the Festival – has particular significance. It is the chance to have fun with the Ladies Fashion awards and is without doubt the most glamorous day of the festival.

The action on the racetrack still holds its importance though. The highlight is definitely the Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase, but the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle – up second on Ladies day – is one to watch out for too.

The Class A Grade 1 event covers a distance of two miles and five furlongs and is open to novices aged four years and over. It is often seen as a race where the brightest and most promising competitors come shining through.

Taking a quick look at the history of winners in this event says it all. French Holly, Barton and Monsignor – all of whom have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup – have been successful in this race.

It is a special event because it doesn’t just suit one style of horse. The winner could be a top class strayer, just as easily as it could be an old school chasing horse. This is what makes it so fascinating.

There are of course some front runners as far as the betting markets are concerned though. Fingal Bay is the current favourite at 5/1, while Sous Les Cieux (10/1), Simonsig (12/1) and Super Duty (16/1) are all contenders too.

Sandwiched in-between the National Hunt Steeple Chase and the RSA Steeple Chase on Ladies Day, the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle gets underway at 2.05pm on Wednesday 14th March 2012.

Resident Cheltenham blogger Cathryn Fry takes a look at the recent Cheltenham International meeting and is expecting great things of Join Together – this is her report on proceedings!

One of the standout performances from Cheltenham’s International meeting was that of Join Together in the three mile one & a half furlong Novice Chase.

Such was the manner of the victory it caused his trainer Paul Nicholls to rethink the seasonal target of the four mile National Hunt Chase to the RSA Chase & also saw his official rating leap from 146 to 157.

His revised rating is already higher than the last four winners of the RSA (Bostons Angel 152, Weapons Amnesty 152, Cooldine 155 & Albertas Run 155) Nicky Henderson’s Mossley who had defeated Join Together over Hurdles at the corresponding meeting last year finished twelve lengths adrift of him on this occasion. However he did return very distressed & this was not his true showing. There is another day for him.

Join together is unlucky not to have three chase wins against his name; arguably he would have won at Chepstow on his first start of the season had he not crumpled on landing. At Cheltenham in November he looked outpaced before coming right back on the bridle to win strongly from the extremely useful Teaforthree. That rival went on to win very nicely at Chepstow next time out.

We have seen that Join Together can be ridden with waiting tactics or from the front & that he is versatile where the ground is concerned. All this with his ability to handle Cheltenham must make him a major player in the RSA. If he wins his next assignment which would seem likely considering there is probably more improvement to come, expect his odds for March to tumble. At the time of writing the 14/1 that’s available in many places looks exceptional value.

The RSA is shaping up to be quite a race from what we have been treated to so far. At the moment the line up looks likely to consist of the monster that is Grand Crus, The form yardstick Champion Court & last year’s Albert Bartlett winner Bobs Worth. Along with the likely Irish contenders of Last Instalment, Bog Warrior & last year’s Neptune winner First Lieutenant. This mix would be heightened further if Sir Des Champs were to put in an appearance.

As I type this it’s the 16th December, in exactly three months’ time it will be Gold Cup Day. We will by then know the answer to the RSA puzzle & it would be no surprise if that turned out to be Join Together.

Cathryn Fry

@cathrynfry on Twitter

*The Who 1972 – Join Together with the Band.

The Cheltenham Festival is without doubt a much looked forward to event in the racing calendar and although there are particular races that excite racing punters more than others, every single event has its place.

This includes the race which opens the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, otherwise known as Ladies day. Starting proceedings on Wednesday 14th March 2012 is the National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup.

This event – which covers a distance of four miles – consists of novice chasers of five years and older competing against each other for a significant win in the racing calendar. It is a unique event too as all the jockeys are amateurs, while it is slightly older horses tend to be successful.

It seems to be the case that horses under 7 years old struggle in this event and this should be taken into consideration when looking at the betting odds. While it is also worth noting that trainer Jonjo O’Neill is often successful in this Steeple Chase with four winners in the 2000’s.

Looking at the odds for this one, Join Together is the favourite at 10/1 to start the 2012 Cheltenham Festival with a win. The 6-year-old – trained by Paul Nicholls – has been in good form this year and is considered a major contender.

There is no runaway favourite for the National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup though. Fists of Fury is 14/1 for the win, as is Restless Harry and Teaforthree. Then, Traffic Article is also in the running at 16/1.

Overall it is one of the most closely fought and exciting races in the Cheltenham Festival and is certainly worthy of kicking off the action on the world famous Ladies Day.

The 2012 National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival is due to get underway at 1.30pm on Wednesday 14th March 2012.

Day Two of the Festival – set to take place on Wednesday 14th March 2012 – is no different. Known the world over as ‘Ladies Day’ the second day at Cheltenham has seven races between 1.30pm and 5.15pm.

The pick of these on Ladies Day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. It is one of the highlights of the whole festival as the best two-mile chasers go head to head in front of the watching public.

It was a fantastic race around the famous Cheltenham festival last year of course, with Ireland’s Sizing Europe coming out on top, just ahead of the 2010 winner Big Zeb.

In terms of the betting markets for the 2012 Queen Mother Champion Chase, Sizing Europe is the favourite to win this race for the second year running.

Trained by Henry de Bromhead, the 5/1 favourite has been in excellent form in 2011 and is being backed by many to keep these going at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival.

The 2011 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner will once again be challenged by Big Zeb though, who is 6/1 to regain his crown on Ladies Day next year.

Other contenders for this Champion Chase include Finians Rainbow and Captain Chris who are both available at 8/1 for the win. Then comes the slight outsiders, including Tataniano, Wishful Thinking, Noble Prince and Master Minded who are all in the 14/1 to 20/1 bracket.

This event – which is a Grade 1 Chase for five year old’s and above – is set to get underway at 3.20pm on Wednesday 14th March 2012. It contains a total of twelve fences 4 feet high, to be jumped by the best two-mile chasers in the business.

Nicky Henderson’s eight-year-old has always had ability in abundance but has yet to step up to Grade One company, but Wednesday’s Champion Chase will see the gelding try his hand with the big boys.

He disappointed on his first run when trailing in last at Sandown, but he was never going on the heavy ground that day and can be refused that blot. However, the manor he trounced a decent Game Spirit field showed his potential and with the Champion Chase as wide open as ever this year there’s no reason why he couldn’t ruffle a few feathers in the contest.

One plus for any horse is course form and French Opera has excelled round Prestbury Park with two wins, a second and a third. Incidentally, that second was in the Grand Annual at the festival last year where he was narrowly run down by the effervescent Pigeon Island.

If the ground is good, good to soft come March 16 then this will really play into French Opera’s chances as he has excelled when conditions underfoot have veered away from soft.

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Rivals on the day, Master Minded and Big Zeb both have wonderful chances with some up-and-coming stars like Woolcombe Folly and Somersby likely to run well.

However, the current 40/1 ante-post price is far too big about an unknown quantity and if one or two disappoint on the day, I fancy Henderson to be notching up another placed contender.

When Master Minded lost his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown to Big Zeb last year, some whispered that he may have peaked and that he would embark on a downward spiral. However, the Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old has answered those critics with some excellent runs this year.

A dual winner of Wednesday’s blue riband event Master Minded was a runaway winner in 2008 and 2009 but last year’s blip had people questioning his ability.

Nevertheless, there were excuses as the Clive Smith-owned gelding suffered an injury-plagued campaign that started when he was well beaten in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham. He then flopped when 4/5 favourite in the Champion Chase and finished way behind Big Zeb in mid-division.

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Still, Nicholls has rejuvenated this 14-times winner into a phenomenal horse again as he showed when trouncing a decent field at Ascot by 16 lengths and then bounding clear in the Tingle Creek to win by nine lengths.

Some have questioned his performance in the Victor Chandler when narrowly holding on when tackled by Somersby, but still he prevailed with the victory. AP McCoy has already lauded that he went too soon on Master Minded, thus allowing the strong-staying Somersby to utilise his stamina and with Ruby Walsh likely to be back in the saddle this will not happen again.

Big Zeb has already shown his flaws this year when losing to Golden Silver, whilst Somersby would relish further. Woolcombe Folly is the unknown quantity but he is extremely unlikely to improve enough to win this whilst all the other contenders have question marks over them.

Currently at 5/2 with the bookmakers, Master Minded looks nailed on to regain his title and is definitely a favourite who should have the bookies gasping for air.