World Hurdle hope Crus looks just Grand at David Pipe's press day
David Pipe hosted his press day on Tuesday and the horse everyone wanted to be around was the handsome grey, Grands Cruz. Dramatically progressive this season, the 6-y-o has kicked all other challengers to Big Buck’s crown way down the market and it is easy to cite this race as effectively a match. Not so in Pipe junior’s eye though, with the trainer keen to refuse suggestions that Big Bucks and Grand Crus would fight a lone duel and putting up the Willie Mullins trained pair of Mourad and Fiveforthree as prospective spoilers.
A spirited athlete on the track, Grand Crus groomed affection from the assembled press by ambling round the Pipe garden and posing willingly and calmly for pictures.
"He's pretty laid-back and doesn't show himself off," said Pipe "What he's like now is what he's like in his box and what he's like going down to the gallops but you get him on the gallops and in a race and he's completely different. It's like he has tunnel vision. He's very keen and you have to look after him."
After a course victory in the darker months of 2010, the grey went to Haydock just a week later and won ridiculously easily in better company. Even that effort though gave little hint of what was to follow; a win in the Cleeve Hurdle here by 10-lengths in a run that the handicapper viewed as a full stone of improvement on his Haydock win. That effort had David Pipe notably animated
Grands Crus is unbeaten in three starts this season and his most recent effort in the Cleeve Hurdle had his usually reserved trainer in raptures.
"We still fancied him that day, but the manner of his victory was pretty staggering. He put the race to bed in a matter of strides and after that we got very excited. He's had a good preparation since, we gave him a break and touch wood, all is going well for next Thursday. Big Buck's is still the one to beat and we have to improve a bit more but we're young - he's only six - and he has only had eight races in his life. We hope there'll be further improvement. We'd like to see a little more rain about, but Cheltenham will make sure it's safe ground."
Grands Crus is now trading at between 2/1 and 9/4 but there is much more variation in the price of Big Bucks, with some firms offering as low as 4/5. William Hill are standing out though at 11/8 and that is worth taking if you are sitting that side of the fence. I am not sure where I am on the fence but Betfair are offering 3.7 about David Pipes charge to fair money and that looks too big