Hello folks, here’s a sneak preview of what lies ahead on Saturday.
It’s Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham, the features are the Grade 2 Betfair Cotswold Chase (3m1f) at 2:25, plus the Grade Unibet Hurdle (2m) at 3:00. Unfortunately, only 5 declarations have been made for each contest and I would expect the odds on favourites to win them both. Grey Dawning holds all the aces in the former, Spillanes Tower might be his main threat, Sir Gino will take the beating in the latter, though The New Lion should give him a race.
There are more declarations (10) for The Grade 2 Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle (3m) at 3:35, but Impose Toi, Strong Leader and possible French raider Theleme look a class above the rest. Theleme hasn’t run for some time though (805 days) and fitness may well be an issue, as will his ability to handle this track (won 10 from 17 at Auteuil). Nurse Susan (also entered at Doncaster 1:30) and Ma Shantou are possible e/w options, but both need to step up to challenge for the win so I don’t have any strong opinions on that contest at this stage.
The Class 1 H’cap Chase (2m4f) at 1:15 sees Jagwar a very short price early on. He won the 12:05 then went on to win at the festival last year. He’s been prepared for a repeat again this year and is likely to go very close at least on Saturday. Booster Bob is next best but he isn’t the easiest to predict and has no form at Cheltenham as well. Joe Tizzard’s Triple Trade and Jpr One (also entered at Musselburgh on the 31st) have e/w claims, but Javert Allen (step up in trip may well suit), Prairie Wolf and Donnacha appeal more to me at the ante post prices. Perhaps I’ll be picking between that trio come Saturday morning.
The Grade 2 Mares Hurdle (3m) at 1:30 looks likely to be dominated by Dan Skelton and those coming over from the Emerald Isle. Dan’s Nurse Susan has an entry at Cheltenham, I suspect she will run here against her own sex. Her stablemate Supreme Malinas may join her as well. Feet Of A Dancer, Dream On Baby and Jetara are Irish entries, the last named won this race last year. Lavida Adiva looks the best of the rest but she needs to step up if she’s going to take this.
There will be competition for the lead, as the likes of Dockpickedme (won last year), Joss The Boss, New Order, Kelce, Torn And Frayed and King Turgeon have all made the running recently or in the past (not that they all have to). The ground is good to soft (soft in places) currently, with the odd shower forecast up to and including race day, so it might ride a tad too slow/dead for Hyland, Dockpickedme, Walking On Air (unlucky last fence fall last year), Kelce and Joyeux Machin. Having said that, it never gets that bad on Town Moor. A well run race will suit the strong stayer Deep Cave, he is improving and ought to go well, but he’s only around 4-5/1 and current Jt Fav so not much in terms of early value there, plus no fav has won in last 10 years. At double figures King’s Threshold and King Turgeon make a little more appeal as early wagers.
This ante post preview was written by Philip ‘Snowy’ Griffiths, our resident national hunt expert. The aim of these ante post columns is to educate readers on the most and least likely runners for the races in focus and to highlight any potential early value. This is not a tipping column and doesn’t necessarily reflect where the author’s official wagers are going.
