Cheltenham Festival Focus: Banbridge can repeat spring success in Turners

• Banbridge makes plenty of appeal at 10/1 in Turners market
• Cheltenham Hurdle time figures
• What's wrong with Bob Olinger?
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There have been some big moves in the markets this week, with this column held off to ensure that the Cheltenham November meeting in full is assessed to keep you ahead of the game.

Weekly round-up

At Cork last Sunday, we saw a very promising Gavin Cromwell horse four-year-old in the form of Inothewayurthinkin, who looked well-above average. He scored with relative ease in the 12:58 2m Maiden Hurdle. A half-brother to the trainers Ilikethewayurthinkin, Limerick Lace and Spades Are Trumps, he is bred to excel over staying trips. He is a 40/1 chance for the Supreme Novice Hurdle, but I would hold fire - the comment after the race suggests he is one for next year.

At Hereford, Dixon Cove of Paul Nicholls' won the Juvenile Maiden Hurdle at odds of 3/10. She looked pretty useful, but she was beating little and given an excellent front-running ride by Harry Cobden - something he has done plenty lately. She also jumped out to the right on many occasions, so she may be best right-handed, and the time was nothing to get excited about.

At the same Hereford venue, Parramount won on his second start over hurdles for Charlie Longsdon by ten lengths and was around 13 lengths faster than Dixon Cove. He has some nice bumper form, but not one for Cheltenham.

It's a brave call, but Zarak should top the Triumph tree

One of the week's standout performances went to the very promising Zarak The Brave when scoring over 2m in the 3YO Maiden at Fairyhouse. This was his first run for trainer Willie Mullins since arriving off of the flat in France, and he boasts some very strong 105-plus rated collateral form in that sphere.

He made his hurdle debut here and warmed to the task after some early mistakes. Still, he travelled well off a strong pace before he circled the front running pack to score, going away effortlessly. This was eye-popping with the ease he cleared away from the field.

The form is nothing to get excited about at the moment, although the right two horses did finish in second and third. The fourth previously filled the same position at Galway behind Common Practise, who similarly left that one well behind in a matter of strides. The third, Bestaline, had been purchased for 100,000 euros and made his debut in the same contest at the yards Quilixious, but this is hardly strong evidence.

It's never wise to only rely on the clock for a bet, but it can give you a distinct advantage, and it backs up his effort substantially.

Zarak The Brave's circuit time was 6.24 lengths faster than the following Maiden Hurdle winner Caldwell Diamond (who was given an RPR of 131), eight lengths faster than the 137-rated Eric Bloodaxe (2m4f), 28 lengths faster than the 87-rated handicap winner and 23 lengths faster than the 90-rated handicap winner on the card.

The probability of him being an above-average Juvenile lies in the closing sectionals, where he was unrivalled by anything on that card.

From three out to the finish, Zarak The Brave clocked a time 13 lengths faster than Caldwell Diamond, eight lengths faster than Eric Bloodaxe, and 11 and nine lengths faster than the two handicap winners on the card.

This is an exciting performance from a Juvenile first time up, and the RPR of 126 from the Racing Post handicapper underestimates this performance. Given his circuit time, it's clear the leaders went too hard, but his closing sectionals suggest he would have run out a ready winner anyway. There's plenty of room for improvement in the jumping department, given he lost ground at some of his obstacles when less than fluent, and he rates a top prospect for the Triumph Hurdle at 12/1 best price with the Betfair Sportsbook.

The concern with backing him ante-post is the prospect of the handicapper continuing to underestimate his performances, which could see him head to the Boodles with the abundance of talent that Willie Mullins likely poses with his French recruits - we will sit tight for now.

Both Bestaline and Rightsotom should be monitored closely for the Boodles.

Banbridge's performance was considerably underestimated - so take advantage

Banbridge put in an excellent display full of style and substance and powered away at the finish under no more than hand and heels riding to score by six lengths over Tommy's Oscar and Sole Pretender on Saturday. He didn't jump as well as he did on debut at Gowran Park, but he put up an excellent time performance that day over 2m4f, and he did so again today over 2m.

The 2022 Martin Pipe winner's circuit time was more than ten lengths faster than the Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Ga Law, and he was more than six lengths quicker from three out to the line. Ga Law won his race off a rating of 142, suggesting we could be looking at a 155-plus-rated chaser in Banbridge.

The going stick recorded 6.3 on Saturday compared to 6.5 on Friday after selective watering occurred (significant depending on what source you look at). While you should be cautious when taking times across two days, this suggests it would have been a disadvantage on the clock for those on Saturday. Still, further evidence was the comparison of Amarillo Sky (140) on Friday. Banbridge's overall time was 19 lengths faster, and he was 12 lengths ahead at three out and seven lengths quicker from three to the finish.

Banbridge was given an RPR of 158 for his performance, one pound shy of Lalor, who won the race in 2019 and the joint second-highest in the last ten years. Third Time Lucki was cut into 10/1 on the back of his victory last year. However, Banbridge is still available at 14/1 with the Betfair Sportsbook for the Arkle. If he was given a tap with the persuader and cleared away even more impressively, would he still be that price?

He has two options at the festival, the other is the Turners Chase over 2m4f a serious possibility for which he is 10/1.

I like him. The Arkle division could prove a thin one this year when looking at the Supreme and Ballymore from last term but there is plenty to see yet. The pool of horses in the middle distance and staying division is quantity over quality.

Jonbon takes up plenty of the Arkle market, and probably rightly so. I am not against Jonbon by any means, and he gets a clean slate with me this year. He is due out at Warwick on Wednesday, potentially against Monmiral of Paul Nicholls' and this market could see some significant movement.

My gut tells me Banbridge is a 2m4f horse. His best work came at the finish, and he is likely to come up against quicker horses which will provide a very early speed test, which may not prove ideal. The new course, for which he won the Martin Pipe, would seem to suit him far better, and the emphasis on stamina will play to his strengths, evident by the closing sectionals he produced at Gowran.

Back Banbridge for the Turners Chase at 10/1 here.

Unanswered Prayers won the 2m4f Novices Handicap Chase on his debut over fences and put in a fine gusty performance from the front. He jumped well and found plenty for pressure, and a move-up in trip looks on the cards. He performed almost identically to Magic Dancer (125) on the clock, who won the following Veterans Chase. He looks limited in terms of reaching the top table but has scope for improvement in the handicapping division.

At Naas on Saturday, Brazil won the Grade 3 Fishery Lane after a mistake by the odds-on favourite Fil Dor enhanced his three-length winning margin. I've taken a dim view of that contest. It was run slower than the 2m chase race on the card and 19 lengths slower than the Maiden winner Ashroe Diamond who was cut into 6/1 for the Mares Novice on the back of a good win.

Gentleman De Mee fluffed his lines on return when unseating at the final flight at Naas in the Barberstown Castle Poplar Square Chase on Saturday. He was beaten at the time of the unseat, but he looks more like a spring horse, but he has a mountain to climb to mix it with Energumene and Shishkin in the Champion Chase market, for which he is now 33/1 from 14/1 with Betfair.

Three Stripe Life impressed with his effortless jumping when scoring in the Mongey Communications Beginners Chase at Naas on Saturday. The race was scared by the fatal fall of Grand Jury, who was still in contention at the second last, but Davy Russell seemed to have all angels covered.

There were lots to like about this performance, and he looks sure to head down the Turners Chase route, for which he is 7/1 top price with Betfair. He ticks plenty of boxes. He is ground versatile and lost nothing in defeat to Sir Gerhard in the Ballymore, and with that one likely to stay hurdling, he sets a good standard and is a fair price with his long-term target under little question.

News broke this week that Allaho will miss the King George at Kempton through injury and connections are "hopeful" of a return to defend his Ryanair crown.

Hermes Allen the standout hurdler at Cheltenham

Above is a table for the circuit and three to-finish times from Friday and Saturday at Cheltenham.

Hermes Allen was cut into 8/1 for the Ballymore Novices Hurdle on the back of an excellent front-running display to take care of six rivals, including the well-backed Hubrisko of Willie Mullins'. There are a few things to note here. The form looks a little bit suspect, especially after hearing Patrick Mullins' comments that Sussana Ricci was having a business meeting and wanted a runner at the venue on this day.

This was also out of character for Mullins to have a runner at this meeting. The runner-up was well beaten in a run-of-the-mill Novice Hurdle at the October meeting, and the third was a hurdling debutant.

Still, it was a striking performance that even surprised trainer Paul Nicholls. He has clearly shown little at home and is progressing nicely, but it's hard to knock what he has done on the track, and it will be interesting to see how he fares when tackling stronger opposition. You would like to think Mullins has at least a handful far better than Hubrisko sitting in wait.

Scriptwriter was cut into 25/1 for the Triumph Hurdle after his Grade 2 victory in the opening contest on Saturday. He showed plenty of speed in the closing stages but perhaps a circuit time slower than two of the three contests run over five furlongs further allowed him to.

His RPR recorded was just two pounds higher than Knight Salute last year and 12lbs below the lowest rating in the last ten years. He has plenty to find at the top table but will likely find races this season in Britain to enhance his claims. Still, this race in the name needs to be downgraded.

On Sunday, the two-mile/middle distance division potentially heated up again with an excellent jumping performance from Hollow Games, who won at Navan over 2m quicking up smartly. He jumped fluently for much of the contest, looking as though he will undoubtedly be amongst the top Novice Chasers this term.

He was always well positioned in a steadily run affair - less than three lengths covered seven at the second last - but it looks like a race with a good bit of depth, and he could prove very useful. Third behind Banbridge in last year's Martin Pipe, he has all the attributes to make a promising Novice Chaser, and 14/1 for the Turners Chase looks very fair.

O Bob

Home By The Lee hit 999/1 before scoring in the 2m4f Lismullen Hurdle at Navan on Sunday at SP odds of 28/1. The story of the race was the return of Bob Olinger to hurdles. He could only manage second, and backers of Bob Olinger for the Stayers Hurdle, for which Betfair pushed him out to 16/1, ought to be concerned.

His old spark was still there, having travelled through the contest powerfully despite some jumping errors. Still, there seems to be something a miss with him. He hung when asked under pressure, and his stride considerably shortened in the closing stages, but his head carriage is an awful lot higher than it was in his Novice Hurdle days.

There was no response to his jockey's urgings, which has to be a big concern at the top level. Where he goes now is the question. He doesn't look like a horse with stacks of stamina, so there may be a better way to go than the Stayers Hurdle. I would stay clear of him for now.

Stayer's Hurdle 4/1 favourite Flooring Porter ran one of the worst races of his entire career on the face of it when a well-beaten fourth, although, one's suspicion is connections were just giving him a "spin". While seventh Zanahiyr 20/1 needs to jump far better to be in contention for this in March.