Lucinda Russell is a trainer that I love to have on my side for the Cheltenham Festival. It’s not simply that she has got to be one of the nicest people in racing but, more importantly from the viewpoint of a gambler, she knows exactly how to prime one of her best horses for a big target.
I have been wanting to put up APPLE AWAY for this meeting for some time but Russell, who has trained three Festival winners to date, made this difficult by initially entering her seven-year-old mare in four Cheltenham races over as many days.
The Unibet Champion Hurdle is, of course, the traditional highlight of day one of the Festival
We now know, finally, Apple Away’s one and only target: today’s Grade 2 Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase (5.30 p.m.), which has attracted only seven runners.
Apple Away is consistent, talented and usually a sound jumper (although admittedly she made mistakes at Ascot last time out).
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