Marine Nationale

I am taking a chance on Marine Nationale for the Champion Chase, non-runner-no-bet, before he runs at Leopardstown today.

A lot of the reasons for backing him today hold true for the Champion Chase.  He is a little bit of a forgotten horse, but he has raced just four times over fences, he is still relatively inexperienced, and we know how good a novice hurdler he was.  Also, he put up one of he best performances of his life at Cheltenham, at the Cheltenham Festival, in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The non-runner-no-bet caveat is important because, if he doesn't run well today, there is a good chance that he will not go to Cheltenham.  If he does run well today though, he suddenly becomes a player in the Champion Chase picture, a picture that, Jonbon aside, like the Stayers’ Hurdle picture, is lacking in depth.