Sunday Racing Tips: Two to play on the final day of the Cheltenham Open Meeting

Tony Calvin
12 November 2016

Will Tony find success over hurdles at Cheltenham?

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There was only horse better than Tony Calvin's sole Saturday selection at Cheltenham and he'll he be hoping for better luck on Sunday with the following pair...

"Keep In Line attacks his obstacles with real gusto and he is exceptionally quick and neat over them. Go and look at his two wins to date, and you will be impressed."

Back Keep In Line at 6.05/1 in the 12:45 at Cheltenham

The general 50-1 on Friday afternoon may have all gone - hands up there, as I may have mentioned the horse on Friday's edition of the Betting Lab on Racing UK once or twice - but I still believe there is plenty of mileage in Song Light at odds of 36.035/1 and bigger in the Greatwood Hurdle at 14:30.

I am not saying that to be lazy after the bigger prices have gone, as I genuinely think the horse was always more of a 20-1 poke.

I am sure plenty will prefer the more gossipy claims and sexier profile of Winter Escape, and if backing those kind of horses at around 3-1 is your bag then fire away.

Song Light's claims are the polar opposite, but no less bet-inducing, in my opinion.

Let's start with the big negative. The stable form. Seamus Mullins has not had a winner since Kentford Heiress obliged at Fontwell on September 4, and all of his last 11 runners have been beaten by at least 10 lengths. Not great.

That's a big worry but the positives are more plentiful, and at least we are playing at a big price to compensate for those doubts.

Firstly, and foremost, the horse has good, big-field handicap form.

He finished an excellent third in the Swinton last year (off a 1lb higher mark than this), and furthermore has course and distance form (a slightly unlucky third at this meeting two seasons ago), won't mind yesterday's rain (has won on soft as well as good), and comes here on the back of arguably a career-best performance on the Flat at Nottingham last month.

Yes, he may lack the potential of the favourite, but he is 1lb lower than when a good fifth in the Ladbroke last season, and I think this stiff 2m with ease in the ground is perfect for him.

I don't have a betting opinion in the Channel 4 races at 13:20 and 13:55 - though Fox Norton would be my fancy in the latter if there is no more rain - but I certainly do in the opener at 12:45.

I am keen to take on the two Cheltenham bumper winners Moon Racer and Ballyandy, who re-oppose after locking horns at Perth in September, because I basically think they are under-priced. No more, no less, as they are clearly potential top-notchers if progressing over hurdles.

But in Keep In Line I also think they could simply be meeting a better hurdler. Literally, in fact, because this horse attacks his obstacles with real gusto and he is exceptionally quick and neat over them. Go and look at his two wins to date, and you will be impressed.

Couple that with the fact that he was a 100-rated horse on the Flat, and one whose 1m4f win on the soft suggests today's more testing conditions will present no problems at all, and I think he is a bet at 6.05/1 or bigger.

In fact, I'll be having a decent punt on him. Good luck.