Handicapper hails Festival quality

British Horseracing Authority senior handicapper Phil Smith believes the improved quality of horse is making it increasingly difficult for connections to get a run in the Cheltenham Festival handicaps.

Smith unveiled the weights for the 11 handicaps at the meeting this lunchtime and was quick to highlight the increasing strength in depth of the races - a point underscored by another bumper subscription to the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

A total of 177 entries have been made for a race with a 24-runner safety limit, and the ante-post favourite Qaspal needs 97 runners to drop out for a run in the 19 March event.

Smith said: ‘The quality of animals in this country is making it increasingly difficult to get a run.

‘More and more horses are wanting to run at the Cheltenham Festival as it is so important to owners and trainers.

‘The general trend over the last six or seven years in British racing is that owners have been able to purchase the best possible bloodstock, which is great for the domestic sport.

‘The strength at the top filters down and it has meant that the ratings needed to get a run have also increased.

‘For example, Kelami won the William Hill Trophy in 2005 off a mark of 133 but he wouldn't have even got a run last year.

‘Four or five years ago you would not know where the next Gold Cup or World Hurdle horse was coming from and the races kept going for export but the winners are now British trained.

‘Ireland do not have the quality they had four or five years ago and the ratings of their horses mean the majority of their runners are in handicaps.’

Qaspal is the 10-1 co-favourite for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle and may boost his chance of making the cut in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday week.

Should he succeed in Esher, he will be eligible for a £75,000 bonus if following up at Cheltenham, where he would rocket up the weights courtesy of a 5lb penalty.

Trainer Philip Hobbs said: ‘The Imperial Cup is the target but he could even get balloted out of that off a mark of 124.

‘We'll then see what happens for Cheltenham, but he's come out of his last race at Sandown fine, in good order and very well.

‘I don't know how good he is. He won well enough the last time at Sandown, but he's 14lb higher in the weights now and he had no penalty so we'll just have to see.’