Kopeck De Mee shortens further for Martin Pipe as BHA handicapper admits he is restricted as to what mark he can give him

The BHA assessor admitted he was "restricted on what we can do" after allocating major Cheltenham Festival gamble Kopeck De Mee a mark of 136 when the handicap weights for the meeting were revealed on Tuesday.

The five-year-old has not been seen since last May, and with all five of his previous outings over jumps coming in France – including wins on each of his last three starts – assessing the level of his form put hurdling handicapper Michael Harris in an almost impossible position.

Kopeck De Mee, who will make his debut for JP McManus and Willie Mullins at Cheltenham, was backed into favourite for the Coral Cup, County Hurdle and Martin Pipe when the handicap entries were made. But he shortened again into 4-1 (from 9-2) in the betting for the Martin Pipe after the weights for all 12 festival handicaps were released.

Harris said: “The one who stood out was Kopeck De Mee. All five runs have been in France, so we've not seen him in Britain or Ireland. He had a French mark meaning all we could do was use our normal procedure. We've given him 136 after following our standard way of conversion from the French model of two kilos, and he was 68 kilos [in France].

“The conversion used to be 2.2kgs, but we changed it to two kilos a few years ago. So while handicapping him was straightforward, ideally we would have seen the horse in Britain or Ireland and have had a better knowledge of his form. We're restricted on what we can do.”

Martin Greenwood, responsible for rating the chasers, said the Irish-trained National Hunt Chase contender Now Is The Hour proved the trickiest to assess over fences. The eight-year-old was rated 139, 4lb higher than his Irish mark.

Gavin Cromwell's runner had been hiked 10lb by the Irish assessor following his eyecatching fourth in a beginners’ chase at Navan last month.

“Now Is The Hour is the most interesting horse in the National Hunt Chase,” said Greenwood. “There was a bit of controversy in that last run, which caught the eye of a lot of people. 

“Personally, if that’s the only Irish race you’ve ever watched and you thought there was a problem with the running and riding then you don’t watch enough Irish racing. I put him up 4lb and was happy to give it a mark.

“I don’t think that's the end of his ability and he’s unexposed. I think he’s interesting, but he’s 7-2 and that might grab people’s imagination.”

The Changing Man and Brendan Powell finished well clear in the ReynoldstownCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The Joe Tizzard-trained The Changing Man was backed into 6-1 (from 8) clear favourite with Ladbrokes for the Ultima Handicap Chase after the weights were revealed.

The 24-length winner of the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices' Chase at Ascot on his last start, after three consecutive runner-up finishes in handicaps, the eight-year-old has proved popular off a mark of 140.

And his trainer spoke highly of his chances as the Jockey Club-organised weights lunch.

“He’ll run in the Ultima," said Tizzard. "He has finished second in some decent handicaps, but I’m glad he got his head in front last time. He’s versatile ground-wise and off 10st 11lb hopefully he should be competitive.”

There was confidence against him from the Broadway Boy camp for the Ultima, the first of the 12 handicaps at the meeting on Tuesday, March 11.

The Coral Gold Cup runner-up was sent off the odds-on favourite for a 3m1½f handicap chase at Cheltenham on New Year's Day, but could finish only fourth of five behind Chantry House.

But connections of the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained seven-year-old are undeterred.

“He’d be one of our best chances at the festival,” said assistant trainer Willy Twiston-Davies. “He’s off 150 and was unlucky not to win the Coral Gold Cup. He’s in the form of his life now after his bad run in January, he’s had his knees medicated since. I struggle to think what’s better than him really.”

Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (Cheltenham, March 14)
Paddy Power: 4 Kopeck De Mee, 6 Wodhooh, 7 McLaurey, 10 East India Express, No Ordinary Joe, 12 Hamsiyann, Kala Conti, Minella Sixo, Steel Ally, Taponthego, 14 bar.

Read more . . .

What rating has plunge horse Kopeck De Mee been given? Weights revealed for Cheltenham Festival handicaps 

'Frightening' Constitution Hill impresses in pre-Cheltenham Festival gallop at Kempton 

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