Cheltenham Festival Tips: Rhys Williams fancies a trio at big prices in the Hunters' Chase

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• Three selections in the Hunters' Chase

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Hunter's Chase unravelled

There are only 19 entries in the St James's Place Festival Hunters' Chase this season which is partly due to many of the best British pointers/hunter chasers not turning up.

Fier Jaguen, Famous Clermont and Bennys King all have Aintree as their target, and Wagner is off to America to go for the Maryland Hunt Cup. Tigerbythetail was unlucky to not qualify after unseating at the last at Fakenham, Regatta De Blanc is considered too inexperienced to go for the race this season. Grace A Vous Enki is staying pointing and going for the Lady Dudley Cup which is partly due to jumping concerns and Macklin has other targets too.

Ferns Lock heads the market and I've no doubt that he's the most talented horse in the race but there is a doubt over whether he will be seen to best effect over this trip.

He always travels strongly through his races but he was picked off close home at Down Royal by Its On The Line on Boxing Day after getting into a battle with his stablemate, Ramillies, coming down the hill. I expect they might try to ride him a bit more patiently to see out the trip and he clearly has a leading chance but the market hasn't missed that.

Last season's runner up Its On The Line is next in the market and he comes into the race on the back of three wins this season. He almost idled victory away at Naas last time and the cheekpieces that he wore last season may go back on for the big race but he's another where the market hasn't missed him.

Cheek-pieces may also be going back on last season's winner, Premier Magic, who has comfortably won both starts in points this season without the headgear on. He doesn't like being crowded and managed to win the race last season despite being wide the whole way and followed that up with an easy success over the same C&D on Hunter Chase night. He's another whose chance hasn't been missed by the market.

I would guess blinkers might replace cheekpieces on Billaway to try to light him up after seeming to lose interest at Naas last time before eventually picking up the bridle to be narrowly beaten by Its On The Line. Samcro still looked useful in points last season and on that form he would have a big chance but he was disappointing last time which is a concern.

Vaucelet and Sine Nomine are at the opposite ends of the scale with ground requirements to be seen at their best, with the former wanting good ground and the latter being very effective in soft ground so, given their current prices, I'll wait until the day to form an opinion on them.

If Secret Investor had been prepared with the race in mind then he could have a chance given his performance at Stratford last season but the plan at the start of the season wasn't to run here. He's now been put into the race but the reason for that may no longer apply so it's up in the air as to whether he'll turn up or not and the performance at Fakenham wasn't encouraging.

2024 Hunters' Chase - Back Time Leader NRMB @ 20/121.00

With many of those towards the head of the market needing headgear to help maintain their enthusiasm, there's always the chance they could have an off day and a more enthusiastic type could take advantage and that might be Time Leader. He comes into the race on the back of a very easy success at Hereford despite jumping to his left throughout.

He ran very well in the Aintree Foxhunters last season when finishing fifth despite landing on top of the Chair and followed that with easy successes in weaker company at Kelso and Cartmel.

He wouldn't want deep ground as he disappointed on that at Carlisle and Chaddesley Corbett two starts ago, and there is a bit of a concern as to whether he will get the trip. However, I can see him travelling strongly for a long way behind the pace and he could provide Hannah Roach with a big winner in her first season training (with her former trainer Joe O'Shea now box driver extraordinaire).

Any 14/115.00 or bigger appeals.

2024 Hunters' Chase - Back Quintin's Man NRMB @ 20/121.00

The second of my three selections is very much an old school type in this sphere. Quintin's Man has been brought along steadily in his career and connections have started to reap the rewards in the last two season.

He quickly progressed through the ranks last season and won the Intermediate Final at this track by 17 lengths, staying on strongly up the hill.

He had a fairly quiet start to this season with two defeats in points but once switched back into Hunter chase company, he won with more in hand than the margin suggests at Wincanton in a performance that suggested he had mentally progressed since last season too.

Quintin's Man was beaten at Haydock last time but the track, distance and ground wouldn't have been ideal for him so I think he did well to get that close.

He does need to improve on what he's shown so far but I think this race could suit him ideally as he wants a strongly run race and a good test of stamina to be seen at his best and getting that scenario could see him find more improvement.

Any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals.

2024 Hunters' Chase - Back Shantou Flyer NRMB @ 33/134.00

The final selection is last season's third, Shantou Flyer, who might be having a prep run this Sunday at Charlton Horethorne. That was the route taken last season when the prep run turned into a gallop loose around the fields of Charlton Horethorne after unseating Olive Nicholls on the bend early on.

Despite that prep, he ran a fine race to finish only three lengths behind Premier Magic in third, once again showing his love for big field races at this track. He didn't stay in the four miler on Hunter chase night but easily won a couple of Hunter Chases either side of that at Exeter and Stratford.

As happened last season, he only put up a fair performance on his seasonal debut at Larkhill when beating Myth Buster and he's since finished fifth at Taunton. However, that test was never going to suit him and he looked flat out the whole way trying to match Bennys King.

Shantou Flyer seems to enjoy tracking the pace in well run races and he should get that opportunity once again in this. It may be that age is starting to catch up with him but I think the market has overreacted to the Taunton run and any 20/121.00 or bigger appeals.

Read Now Kevin Blake's Cheltenham Festival handicap tips here.