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Laws contender interesting on handicap debut
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Downpatrick winner can take the finale off a good mark
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Alan Dudman has a Cheltenham Friday 44/145.00 double on the Sportsbook
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Cheltenham - 13:15: Back Support Act @ 13/27.50
Cheltenham returns for their first meeting of the year on Friday and it's been a tricky week in watching the ground, and even as late as Thursday morning we were dealing with officially good, although I am hoping for good to soft. That's generally the order of things at Prestbury Park.
Support Act is only rated 113 and is in quite deep here for his handicap debut, but he likes a good prospect. Now is the time to sink or swim.
In a short space of time he's capable of being a good hurdler as evidenced by him sluicing up at Doncaster in novice company on his final start of the campaign. That also put right a wrong as he's previously been a bit too keen and fresh on his hurdling debut over 2m4f last November.
He went into a few notebooks when running on with purpose in a Kempton Bumper in Feb 2023 - staying on ever so strongly behind Nicky Henderson's East India Express. Considering that was on good ground, I am not too perturbed by the potential of a good surface on Friday, although Timeform did rate Kempton as good to soft.
I need my ground wish.
Back Support Act
Cheltenham - 16:45: Back Impero @ 5/16.00
A strong Irish challenge across the two days for Cheltenham and the closing 16:45 can go to last-time-out winner Impero.
With nearly half of the field on their first run of the season, we have no fitness fears with Impero who was seen just two weeks ago taking a good opportunity with ease at Downpatrick.
He hammered a field by 7L in a Maiden Hurdle, but key to the performance was him settling better in front on a decent surface. Previously he raced in soft at Listowel and travelled nicely there over 2m2f, and with the way he went for a long way in that, I make him pretty well treated from 119.
It doesn't look a strong handicap either for Cheltenham standards, and considering he has fitness on his side, we should get a good run out of him. After all, he had ability on the Flat too.
Back Impero
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