2023 Thyestes Chase Ante-Post Preview and Tip – DS
2023 Thyestes Chase Ante-Post Tip
It was another tough day for us last Saturday. Mexico ran okay to a point but eventually faded to 5th. Handicaps now beckon. Grand Mogul hated the ground and his jockey minded him. At least our 25/1 e/w NAP Up For Parol didn’t let us down in the Lanzarote. He ran a blinder to nick place money in 3rd. Entries were released for the race that stops a county yesterday, the Thyestes Chase. Dave Stevos likes the look of a 33/1 poke, check out his 2023 Thyestes Chase ante-post preview below.
26 January: 3.35 – Thyestes Handicap Chase (Grade A)
We have 31 entries for this year’s Thyestes Chase and Mullins (8) and Elliott (11) train 19 of them. Noel Meade has 4 entries so almost 75% of the runners hail from just three yards. As I hoped, our Gold Cup ante-post selection Franco De Port has been entered. He’ll carry top weight if he runs and it would be nice to see him win and follow in the hoofsteps of Djakadam by running well at the Festival. However, he is disputing favouritism with Diol Ker at around 9/1 so he is too short for the blog.
Barry Connell is having a fine season with a relatively small string. His sole entry here is Espanito Bello, a grey son of Turgeon who shaped as though he was coming back to form at Galway last time out. This 140 rated horse looked a pretty decent chasing prospect back in the 2020/21 season. He slammed Coko Beach by 18L off level weights at Naas (19f hvy) in December 2020 before going on to finish 4L behind him in a Navan G2 (24f hvy).
Shuddering Error
In that Navan race it looked like the Connell horse had Coko Beach’s measure but a shuddering error at the final fence cost him all chance. Once his jockey got him rolling again, he didn’t lose any more ground and the winner wasn’t exactly pulling away at the line. Since that good run Espanito has had just two runs over fences and he didn’t jump well in either of them, including in the 2021 Irish National.
His final run of last year came in a handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse in early January. He ran ok there to be 5th and he shaped even better on his seasonal comeback at Galway back in October. That was again over hurdles and Michael O’Sullivan kept him wide all the way. I’d imagine they wanted to get a nice clear round to boost the 9yo’s confidence and it was mission accomplished.
Well Treated
He now returns to chasing off a mark of 140, 7lbs lower than when well beat in the National. Michael O’Sullivan will likely claim another 5lbs so if Gordon Elliott doesn’t claim off Coko Beach, he’ll be 10lbs better off with him than for that 4L G2 defeat at Navan and he’ll effectively be running off just 135.
Heavy/soft ground is ideal for him and his Grand dam is a half to a couple of French G1 winners at 27f so the 25f trip should be within his compass. He’s gone well fresh in the past so his 88 day absence is not a concern and if those two handicap hurdle runs have bolstered his confidence, he could run into the money granted a nice round of jumping. At odds of 33/1, a small e/w interest is advised.
