On the 17th of February a Newsletter went out to subscribers to itscheltenham.com containing the text below….10/1 > 4/1 since that advice left the building.
Fingers crossed the horses knows what we expect!
“One to play 20/80 non-runner no bet.
SUPREMELY WEST in the Pertemps Final
Dan Skelton now trains this horse and I’ve not seen many trainers better at preparing a horse for a Cheltenham Festival Handicap.
He got it off Dr Newland, who got the horse after it had won an Irish Bumper in 2022.
In two runs here in Bumpers it won both, at Huntingdon and Exeter, then the good doctor ran the horse 11 times over hurdles, and it was only ever out of the first three once, winning three, finishing runner up five times, and third once.
It has since been moved to Dan Skelton who ran the horse first time in a Cheltenham Pertemps qualifier, at Cheltenham, when it ran 3rd to MA SHANTOU in a 17 runner race. It was beaten just over five lengths and definitely looked an unlucky loser that day.
MA SHANTOU is now just 8/1 to win the Stayers Hurdle rated 144, whilst SUPREMELY WEST has been campaigned to “lose weight”….but just enough to make sure he lines up.
He had to give weight to MA SHANTOU that day as he was officially rated 137, MA SHANTOU 129….now MA SHANTOU is rated 144, SUPREMELY WEST 135.
If they met again in a handicap off the new marks, who wins!?….SUPREMELY WEST is now “officially” 11lb better off for a five length beating, by a horse now just 8/1 for a Grade 1.
Three weeks later he ran the horse in another three mile Cheltenham Handicap off 138 (up 3lb for that first run), and it ran 5th of eight, beaten 24 lengths by KIKIJO, going off the 5/4 favourite.
Next time out….again off 138….beaten 32 lengths by KIKIJO….and then on to Aintree over just 2 miles 4 furlongs, off 137….dropped a lb. Got walloped as would be expected over a trip too short, on a track too sharp for it. All about getting it handicapped for the big day next month.
That now has the horse officially rated 135 so officially 2lb lower than when Skelton got it.
Before Skelton got the horse, it had won or placed in nine of its 11 runs over hurdles….but it has placed just that once for Skelton, when getting it qualified.
The two races the horse has run in at Cheltenham have been over the old course, which is more of a speed test than the new….which is about stamina.
He was staying on really well that day in October and the staying test will be right up his street.
You either believe the horse has regressed….or that he’s been handicapped to win next month.
I think the latter.”
