UK Horse Racing Tips

The Young Master has already been involved in one of the stranger stories of the National Hunt season and will head to the Cheltenham Festival hoping to make the right kind of headlines.

Back in November, The Young Master ran out an impressive winner of the Badger Ales Handicap Chase at Wincanton in the hands of Barry Geraghty.

For a then five-year-old novice to come out on top so convincingly against far more seasoned rivals, it was a sign that here was a horse to follow.

Yet The Young Master was subsequently disqualified, with a computer systems failure partly to blame, as the horse was not eligible to run in the race. At that point he had only run twice over fences when the conditions of the race required a minimum of three runs.

It has not held The Young Master back and, even though his 14lbs rise in the weights for his Wincanton ‘win’ still stood, he belied that hike to take the Listed Silver Cup at Ascot just before Christmas.

Though he was receiving 17lbs from the runner-up Houblon Des Obeaux, it was still a fine performance to beat the Hennessey second.

Neil Mulholland’s horse had earlier won at Worcester on his chase debut in September before taking an amateur riders’ race at Cheltenham in October.

by  Carine06

His victory in the hands of James Carroll demonstrated that The Young Master can handle the track and his tendency to jump left at Ascot will not be a problem at Cheltenham in March.

The question is which race will he run in?

Mulholland has entered The Young Master in the RSA Chase over the same trip as his previous Cheltenham win and the four-mile National Hunt Chase.

And Mulholland has yet to make a decision on which race, telling Racing UK: “People seem to think it is the RSA. I see it was mentioned it was plan A. It is by no means plan A. The owner would probably like the RSA and I would probably like the four-miler. It is something that needs to be discussed.”

The Young Master has shaped as if four miles would not be a problem given the way he has stayed on very stoutly in his chase runs to date.

Yet he also has the touch of class, allied to the stamina, to make an impact in the RSA Chase, which is a breeding ground for future Gold Cup winners.

At a double figure price with Betfair for the RSA Chase, even after recent market support, it is very tempting to back him now for that race and it is also just as persuasive to have a dabble on him for the National Hunt Chase.

It may come down to jockey availability. Mulholland is keen for Geraghty, who has ridden The Young Master on the last two occasions, to be in the saddle if the horse goes for the RSA Chase.

If not, then Carroll could be given the leg-up in the National Hunt Chase.

But, whichever race The Young Master goes for, the six-year-old has the progressive credentials to be a leading player. And it would also provide a story which would be much better to remember than the one currently being told.

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