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Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
Race Conditions
The Kim Muir Challenge Cup (4:40pm) is a Class B handicap chase run over three miles and about half a furlong. It is open to horses aged five years old and upwards. The total prize fund is £55,000. All horses are ridden by amateur jockeys.
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Recent Winners
The Kim Muir is one of the hardest races of the Festival to predict, with 10 double figure price winners in the last 14 years (and 6 in the last 7 years).
With only amateur jockeys allowed to ride in the race, the jockey’s form and ability can often be as important as the horse’s.
| Year | Horse | Age | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Character Building | 9 | J J Quinn | 16/1 |
| 2008 | High Chimes | 9 | Evan Williams | 14/1 |
| 2007 | Cloudy Lane | 7 | D McCain Jnr | 15/2F |
| 2006 | You´re Special | 9 | F Murphy | 33/1 |
| 2005 | Juveigneur | 8 | N Henderson | 12/1 |
| 2004 | Maximise | 10 | M Pipe | 40/1 |
| 2003 | Royal Predica | 9 | M Pipe | 33/1 |
| 2002 | The Bushkeeper | 8 | N Henderson | 9/2F |
| 2000 | Honey Mount | 9 | R Alner | 8/1 |
| 1999 | Celtic Giant | 9 | L Lungo | 20/1 |
| 1998 | In Truth | 10 | S Gollings | 20/1 |
| 1997 | King Lucifer | 8 | D Nicholson | 7/2 |
| 1996 | Stop The Waller | 7 | F Murphy | 16/1 |
| 1995 | Flyer’s Nap | 9 | R Alner | 11/1 |
| 1994 | Fighting Words | 8 | J Gifford | 9/2F |
Key Trends
Only 2 of the last 30 winners were aged 7 or younger (yet the last 2 beaten favourites were aged 6 and 7!)
8 and 9 year-olds have won 12 of the last 16 renewals from less than half the total runners.
No Irish trained winner for 27 years.
Last time out form unimportant - 6 of the last 7 winners were unplaced in their last run.
2010 Kim Muir Challenge Cup Preview
Ballabriggs has been a warm order for this in the ante post markets for some time, and with good reason. His trainer has won this race with a similar horse in the past and Ballabriggs has been in outstanding form this season, winning his last two races with any amount in hand. He could still be ahead of the handicapper.
Plenty of the rest look fairly well exposed, but one who certainly isn’t is the lightly raced Shillingstone. He is held in the highest regard by his connections, who certainly know a good chaser when they see one, and with only six lifetime starts to date, there could be any amount of improvement in him.
Last time out, Shillingstone was slightly disappointing when fifth behind Wind Instrument at Sandown, although he may have needed the run after a break.
That effort represented a bounce back to form for the winner and Wind Instrument could be well handicapped here on the pick of his old form.
Galant Nuit and Qhilimar have both been in fine form at this track already this season.
Galant Nuit stays really well and beat a decent field in the Servo Trophy at The Open meeting. That was on soft ground and given that stamina is his forte, and the fact that he’ll be dropping back in trip here, there is a slight doubt as to whether the drying ground will be in his favour.
Qhilimar had some decent form in France before switching to Alan Jones’ yard and has run well in all of his starts in the UK to date.
Far More Serious was behind Qhilimar at Newbury last time, but has a chance of reversing the form as the drying ground will be in his favour.
Good ground is also the key to Isn’t That Lucky who was a staying on second in the Jewson last season. He ran much better than his finishing position at Newbury last time out would suggest, and could find further improvement for this step up in trip.
Finally, it will be interesting to see how the old monkey, Faasel, responds to a switch to the Pipe yard. He’s run well with credit here in the past, including a second in the 2005 Triumph Hurdle and a fourth in the 2007 Arkle.
CONCLUSION: A really tough race to assess at this stage but ISN’T THAT LUCKY is a tentative selection. Ballabriggs obviously has a huge chance, whilst Galant Nuit is likely to be staying on strongly at the end.
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2009 Kim Muir Challenge Cup Review
The Kim Muir saw CHARACTER BUILDING register a deserved, and long overdue, big race success in some style.
Despite the fact that ten rivals were within a couple of lengths of each other at the second last, there was only ever going to be one winner from that point on as the grey nine year old was travelling so much easier than anything else.
He can be slightly quirky, but he seems to love this place (he was second in the National Hunt Chase in 2007) and he’s well suited by this drying ground. A crack at the National looks on the cards and he’d be a serious player there if he got his favoured conditions.
Petty Star was second for the in-form Venetia Williams. He’s been in cracking form since joining her yard and this was another fine effort as he was nicely clear of the third.
Newbay Prop filled that spot, snatching the position in the shadow of the post from the game Bowleaze, who’d been up with the pace throughout and lead from the second last until the final flight.
Butler’s Cabin ran a great National trial in fifth. The 2007 National Hunt Chase winner travelled well for much of the race and this should have put him spot on for the big one in April, albeit that he no longer looks particularly well handicapped.
Last year’s winner,High Chimes, was nearly a stone higher in the weights this time around and so did well to finish sixth. He enjoyed returning to some better ground.
The very well backed Poker De Sivola could only manage seventh, for a stable that does so well with its chasers here. He made a couple of mistakes, but was full of running three out, and was ridden to hold every chance at the second last. However, he could find no extra from before the last and faded on the run-in. even this drying ground probably wasn’t lively enough for him.
Character Building (right) was given the coolest of rides by Jamie Codd and won with any amount in hand
2008 Kim Muir Challenge Cup Review
Twenty four set out, but only eleven finished and with those that were able to safely negotiate the three miles one and a half furlongs strung out all across Gloucestershire, this clearly turned into a war of attrition on a surface being softened all the time by the rain.
Conditions clearly suited HIGH CHIMES down to the ground and having gone clear entering the straight he never looked like being caught despite tying up on the run in. With only seven previous starts under rules to his name, there is further improvement to come and he looks sure to be aimed at the top staying handicaps next season.
Openide seems to save his best for this track and he ran his usual Jekyll and Hyde race here as he dropped himself out of contention before rallying for pressure and flying up the run in. A mistake at the last cost him any chance of getting to the winner.
Last year’s Coral Cup winner, Burntoakboy was third on ground that didn’t suit him. The same is true of Noir Et Vert, who put up an eye catching effort in fourth. He’s only seven and could develop into a really good staying chaser on his favoured decent going.
Fourth in the Foxhunter Chase at last year's festival, Oscar India was in the process of running well again when taking a tired and heavy fall at the second last. He was beaten at the time, but can win more races.
A number of these were let down by their jumping not least Officer De Reserve, Jaunty Times and Newbay Prop, with the latter never recovering from his mistake at the ninth. All three were eventually pulled up.
2007 Kim Muir Challenge Cup Review
Another winner at the first attempt for a young trainer as CLOUDY LANE’S victory provided Donald McCain with just about the only thing that eluded his famous father Ginger during his distinguished career – a Festival winner.
It was fine effort too from the seven year old novice who could be a National horse in the making. He had disappointed on his previous start, but heavy ground was to blame there and the faster conditions here clearly suited him.
He was running on empty at the death, having been close to a searing early pace set by Lord of Illusion and Nadover. In fact, the five horses who were in front coming to the last were all going up and down on the spot on the run in and it was left to the flying Parson’s Legacy to grab second. He would probably have been in front in another 50 yards and it was an extraordinary effort given how far behind he was turning for home. Parson’s Legacy is another who likes good ground and he also runs well here.
Cheeky Lady (3rd), Ponmeoath (4th) and Darby Wall (5th) all travelled well throughout the race and looked the likely winner at one stage or another. Cheeky Lady probably needs a bit further and was just outpaced when it really mattered.
By contrast, after travelling best of all, Ponmeoath just got outstayed. He too is a novice and is, therefore, open to bags of improvement. Darby Wall is another who seems to save his best for Cheltenham.
Paul Nicholls’ trio of runners finished sixth, seventh and eighth, whilst the well fancied Liberthine disappointed again in this race and is yet to prove her stamina at this trip.
2006 Kim Muir Challenge Cup Review
As always, the Kim Muir was run at a fierce pace and, as a consequence, very few horses ever got competitive.
YOU’RE SPECIAL was one of those who was bang there throughout and seldom looked in danger after he took the lead on the second circuit. He relishes decent ground and has run well at Cheltenham in the past. He is likely to be aimed at some of the top staying handicaps in the future.
The horse provided jockey, Richard Harding with his first Festival success, emulating his older brother, Brian, who won the 1998 Queen Mother Champion Chase on One Man.
The second, Mon Mome, had previously seemed to prefer soft ground, but he improved for conditions here and ran a big race for a novice.
Nina Carberry was third on Undeniable who is nothing if not game and consistent – he has now finished in the first five in all of his last 18 races.
Previous Festival winners Liberthine and Another Rum were both disappointing. The former never got into the race and is surely better than she showed here, whilst the latter probably needs further.