Alan Dudman's Antepost Tips: Back Ginny's to get back on track at Cheltenham

• Weekend races priced up on Sportsbook for Trials' Day

• Nicholls to have a big say with Ginny's Destiny

• Capodanno looks a good price at 7/18.00 for a repeat success in Betfair Cotswold Chase

• Our Cheltenham offer is live! Get a completely free bet every weekend until the Festival

Cheltenham - 13:15: No Bet

Cheltenham's January Trials Day meeting headlines a decent weekend on the ITV cameras with four from Prestbury Park to look forward to with a couple of wet days forecast this week on Wednesday and Thursday, I'll be basing any bets on the softer side of good.

We'll start in time order with the 13:15 Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase over 2m5f and a tricky market as Imperial Saint is doubly-entered in this and the 13:50 Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase over the same distance so it complicates matters slightly.

Presumably Imperial Saint will stick to novice company but there's an exciting front-runner from the Cheshire training duo of Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero here with Billytherealbigred.

It's new territory in terms of taking on a different calibre of opposition for Saturday but he's a bold-jumping front-runner with two wide-margin wins to his name thus far.

He bolted up by 14 lengths at Bangor on his chase debut in October with one blemish on his dance card in terms of an error, and followed up with 4 length success at Exeter in a 0-130 - once again from the front and applying pressure. He does do a good line in impressive wins as he destroyed a field over hurdles in heavy conditions at Market Rasen last season by a huge 45 lengths.

The 5yo rookie did jump left throughout at Exeter so going to Cheltenham might help but a bet does rest on Imperial Saint's participation for this in terms of the market.

Looking at around 8s will do but it's one to watch with the decs later this week, but Billytherealbigred is progressive and can be a factor from his new mark.

Cheltenham - 13:50: Back Ginny's Destiny @ 7/24.50

Imperial Saint is the market leader on the Sportsbook antepost book at 7/24.50 for the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase and he's symptomatic of how Philip Hobbs and Johnson White look in far better shape in terms of winners this season.

It's 33 now and counting for the west country duo and they are swinging along at a strike-rate over 18%, and Hobbs still has some fire left as part of the old training guard.

I've got a bit of previous with Imperial Saint as I put him up twice earlier in the season in my double column - one a win, and one a bad run at Newbury which was his only defeat of his campaign.

A return to Aintree did the trick for him, though and he scorched home by 6 lengths from Richmond Lake for another Liverpool success - his third there this term from three starts and considering his latest was a 0-150, he's very much a big runner.

He jumped well last time, which isn't always the case for a Hobbs' chaser, and judging his overall profile, good or good to soft looks optimum for him. There isn't a lot to dislike at all with his claims nor his price, it's just a tad annoying he is doubly entered.

Paul Nicholls has two entered at this stage with Ginny's Destiny and Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Il Ridoto at 4s and 8s and Ginny's Destiny was a horse I fancied for that November run which turned out to be a no-show.

Nicholls said in his exclusive Betfair column on Ginny's pre-Huntingdon: "I don't think he ran his race on his seasonal return at Cheltenham and don't know why. But he has come on for the run, just as he did last year, needs soft ground which he should get at Huntingdon, is nicely in at the weights and has a lovely chance."

He finished third in the Peterborough Chase, and while he had his soft ground on that occasion, he looked a little outpaced once they jumped fence 14 as Djelo was swinging away in front.

He might be hard horse to place on his efforts last season with his mark but he did win the novices' chase on this day 12 months ago with front-running tactics and easily beat Djelo that day.

I think he's a massive player on Saturday despite his lofty mark of 152 and a return to Cheltenham is the big plus. His track form here reads PU2117 and one of those wins was a beating of Grey Dawning and Trelawne. On that he shouldn't be written off at all and with a positive ride from Harry Cobden he won't mind the rain this week either.

Cheltenham - 14:25: Back Capodanno @ 7/18.00

A bit of a mixed bag for the Betfair Cotswold Chase at 14:25 with several on recovery missions. In that bracket is Gentlemansgame at 9/43.25, who hasn't won since November 2023, admittedly he's been in deep company and was a fair third in the Savills Chase last time out.

But his trainer Mouse Morris has only had five winners all season. L'Homme Presse has only been seen once this season in the King George, but he hasn't been missed at 6/42.50.

Back to the recovery missions and Capodanno looks overpriced at 7/18.00 on the Sportsbook - a horse with risks attached on the jumping front but he won this 12 months ago with Stage Star, Ahoy Senor and The Real Whacker all behind.

Capodanno has failed to figure in the last two runnings of the Grand National and he isn't one of the elite Willie Mullins entertainers, but he was a fine winner of this race last year and jumped on the whole well. He was waited with by Paul Townend with a good pace set by The Real Whacker that day and it was noticeable just how well he was travelling as the phalanx of five horses were all in a line racing downhill.

A good jump at the last that day sealed the win, and a repeat of the good to soft conditions that day will hopefully illicit a better performance than what we've seen in three starts this term.

Cheltenham - 15:35: No Bet

Watching the staying division this term hasn't unearthed the next superstar and while not quite as dull as watching an accountant tackle a particularly heavy load of tax returns, it's a division that still remains without a left-field contender.

The chances are running out to stake a claim and for the Betfair Cleeve Hurdle, Crambo and Strong Leader have it between them in terms of the market on the Sportsbook at 2/13.00 the pair.

Crambo's Long Walk Hurdle win on his sole start this term puts him in pole position while Strong Leader blew his chance of a Stayers' claim by finishing last in the Ascot race behind Crambo.

There's a Lossiemouth here (not that one) and Ga Law as a curveball, but I doubt Jamie Snowden will run him in this. Gowel Road cannot get his head in front and Kerryhill will have to improve a lot.

It could cut up and Buddy One could be the floater back from chasing but he has an entry in the Galmoy Hurdle on Thursday. It's one to sit out for now.

Good luck this weekend.

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