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Two-pronged attack in open Triumph Hurdle
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Say's Betfair Hurdle form is the line to follow
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L'Homme Presse has a good E/W chance in the Gold Cup feature
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Bet safely at the Cheltenham Festival - read more here
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Paul Nicholls Superboost
Bravemansgame finished runner-up in last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup and he's never failed to finish in the top five over fences. You can back him now to finish in the top five in today's Gold Cup at 15:30 at the super-boosted price of 2/13.00.
Sir Gino has been advised @ 16/117.00 (NR) on the ante-post column along with Salvator Mundi @ 14/115.00 and Mighty Bandit @ 8/19.00 - the latter is looking very poor value now, admittedly.
It was time to put my money where my mouth was when it came to Sir Gino this week after all the Nicky Henderson drama, and he was published as a 4pt tip for those wondering before coming through as an NR.
Nicky Henderson has only had five Cheltenham Festival winners in the last three years! Of those five, three were courtesy of heavy odds-on chances: Constitution Hill (x2) and Shishkin. He doesn't have a great record at this meeting these days.
At the same time, Henderson has yet to have a runner priced under 9/110.00 this week. This means he had little more than a 10% chance of winning any race, so it baffles me why you would withdraw your best chance despite him scoping correctly and, in Nicky's words, being "100%" on the evidence of those runners.
Furthermore, Henderson had two cracking runs from Luccia (3rd in the Champion Hurdle) and Lucky Place in the Coral Cup, who ran well above themselves. It's true, in my view, that Nico de Boinville has not been riding out finishes either--Doddiethegreat immediately comes to mind.
Everyone works differently, and I am not a follower of trainer form. I work on a horse-by-horse basis, and I find it staggering that people believe that because one horse runs badly, another must automatically run badly as well.
I will take more notice if there has been some bug or infection in a yard that has been publicised, but the Henderson horses have scoped perfectly fine and I think Nicky Henderson has been swept up in this media-driven frenzy base on no evidence.
Anyway, that's my rant over.
Onto the Triumph Hurdle, and I want to keep in line with the Sir Gino form and back Salvator Mundi - 15/28.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who comes here fresh and makes his seasonal debut for the yard.
Salvator Mundi chased home Sir Gino in France, and that race has produced some fine specimens, including State Man and Gaelic Warrior. The time of that race was the first pointer to it being form to follow, having blitzed everything on the card that day, and there's little doubt the winner, Sir Gino, is a future star.
The vibes have been excellent from the Mullins camp about Salvator Mundi all season, and he was to be saved for next year's Supreme Novice Hurdle on the back of Sir Gino's promising Trials Day victory.
He appeals, particularly as I dislike this market's front.
The other I want on my side is Ethical Diamond - 20/121.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who found himself poorly positioned in the Grade 1 Juvenile at the DRF but clocked the fastest three to finish slips in the race under minimal pressure.
He was being taught his trade, having jumped poorly at Leopardstown at Christmas, and he improved throughout the race. Still, his latest run was very eye-catching, and under more vigorous handling, he may have played a strong hand in the finish, having only been beaten five lengths.
He looks like a smart and improving prospect, and now that Sir Gino has moved aside, he can play a role in this finish.
Dan Skelton's L'Eau Du Sud ran a career-best when last seen in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, just picked off late by a well-handicapped improver, and a six pounds rise for that looks very manageable to strike here.
He has a very lightly raced profile, and with excuses for his run here in November, having had a winter with Ulsers, he gets the vote to prove he is well handicapped off of a mark in the 130s.
The firm feeling is that we haven't seen the best of him yet and any further rain will aid his cause for a yard that has won this three times in recent years.
Use BSP to get a better price than his current 9/25.50.
Encanto Bruno - 25/126.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook- has a lofty mark of overcoming, but there's a feeling that we haven't seen the best of this six-year-old and this may have been a long-term plan for connections since cutting no mustard in the Grade 1 Royal Bond.
Gavin Cromwell is a master at getting one ready for the festival, and his youngster caught the eye when he was under tender handling at Leopardstown 79 days ago in deplorable conditions. He was never put into the race, and one suspects that a handicap is on their mind.
There's no better place for Encanto Bruno to test the handicapper than here at Cheltenham, where he has two victories and an unplaced Champion Bumper effort. In the hope that the ground hasn't gone against him too much, he looks worth chasing at big odds, with the promise of more to come.
He hasn't been with Cromwell for long, and he arrives on the back of a break, which could be by design, given that his form figures after a break read 110111.
He also recorded an excellent time here in October when winning on the bridle, and this well-run race will suit his hold-up style of running.
Looking for a County Handicap Hurdle alternative? Kevin Blake makes the case for Faivoir in Friday's Racing...Only Bettor podcast. Click here to watch the full show or watch the clip below.
Readin Tommy Wrong can provide Willie Mullins with another Novice winner as he moves up to a more suitable distance after an excellent Grade 1 Lawlors Of Naas victory.
The six-year-old did plenty wrong at Naas. He jumped poorly in the main but latched on to the bridle and travelled like the best horse in the race before overcoming a final flight error to pick up Ile Atlantique, doing his best work at the finish.
His jumping at Naas was not reminiscent of his earlier body of work. He looks just the type to continue improving, and with Paul Townend on the plate, confidence is boosted.
Dancing City is one to take very seriously, and his bumper form is rock solid. However, unlike the selection, he lacks a change of gear.
It could quickly turn into a Willie Mullins benefit on Friday, but L'Homme Presse--11/112.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook--has the optimum conditions to put his best foot forward today, and I want to be on his side at the current prices.
Venetia Williams' runner has a bigger performance in the locker, and it's worth putting a line through his run at Ascot. Now returning to Cheltenham, where he was an excellent winner of the Brown Advisory Novice Chase in 2022 under similar conditions and back up to his optimal distance, he should hold every chance if he can get into a rhythm.
I hope to see him ridden more forward in a race lacking any significant pace. If he is good enough -- and I think he might be -- he will be in the optimal position. Galopin Des Champs is clearly next best ahead of Jungle Boogie, who perhaps carries a couple of sentimental pounds rather than serious ones.
The final selection of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival comes in the form of Ocastle Des Mottes - 10/111.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who shaped with great promise on his first start in Britain in the Betfair Hurdle and hopefully, the County Hurdle selection can give that form a boost.
He shaped like many of the Willie Mullins runners have this term - in need of the run - and arrives here fresher than most while being reshod at the start wouldn't have done his chances any favours. Still, he travelled powerfully at Newbury, briefly looking like a threat, and the step up in distance is sure to suit him as will any ground conditions. This race was mentioned by connections before the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, and the confidence behind him in the market suggests he can prove to be better than this rating of just 133, even on the evidence of his Betfair Hurdle run.
I expect him to go off single-figure odds, so 9/110.00 or bigger looks like a fair bet.