Timeform 1-2-3: Cheltenham Festival: March 19th

Tipping / Timeform / 19 March 2010 / Leave a comment

Kauto Star en-route to success in the 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup and on ten years to the day he was born he can win it for the third time.

On to the final day of the Cheltenham Festival and the Timeform Free Form Site sees no reason to oppose birthday boy Kauto Star.

"A supremely accurate jumper on the whole, there have been few more genuine and reliable horses in the history of the sport than Kauto Star, and he’s simply impossible to oppose on his third clash with stable-mate Denman.."

It was on March 19th in the year 2000 that 'L'Extraterrestre' was born at Henry Albert's stud in France, and a decade on he can land an historic third Cheltenham Gold Cup. Kauto Star (3.20) has been better than ever this season, posting the best performance in the King George for 40 years when destroying a smart field at Kempton on Boxing Day. Rated 191+, he is third only to Arkle and Flyingbolt in the list of Timeform's greatest chasers of all time. A supremely accurate jumper on the whole, there have been few more genuine and reliable horses in the history of the sport, and he's simply impossible to oppose on his third clash with stable-mate Denman.

The leading Cheltenham Festival trainer Nicky Henderson has had another good meeting, and he could add two to his ever-growing tally of winners on the final day. He trains our selection in the County Hurdle Eradicate (2.05), who bids to follow up his success last month in the Scottish equivalent. Eradicate was making his handicap hurdle debut when taking care of a useful field at Musselburgh, and an 8 lb rise for that still leaves him on the right side of the handicapper, given he was competitive off marks beyond 100 on the Flat.

The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is one of the longest-established races at the Festival and twelve months ago it replaced the County Hurdle as the 'getting-out stakes'. We're confident about the chances of You're The Top (5.15), trained by Nicky Henderson, whose late-father is honoured by the title of this handicap. You're The Top is building up a very good strike rate, having won on two of his three starts over fences, and beaten only by Tazbar at Doncaster in between in a race which represents solid form. An opening hase mark of 139 may underestimate him.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Back to win on the fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival:

2.05 Eradicate
3.20 Kauto Star
5.15 You're The Top

The Timeform Free Form Site offers free tips for every race every day in Britain and Ireland. The last 3 winners at Cheltenham on Thursday - including 18/1 scorer Great Endeavour - were all advised! To visit go to www.timeform.com/free