Friday Racing Tips: Tony Calvin's trio of Cheltenham tips ranging from 11/1 to 20/1+

• Dame fancied to take Mares' Handicap Chase

• Oakley shaped nicely on return

• Hoping Flight can fly home in lucky last

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Repeat win a possibility with stable in form

One of the finest jumping sights of last season was the grey Commodore, spring-heeled, making all to win on this card and he is back for a repeat bid in the 14:25 at Cheltenham.

This looks a stronger renewal, and a couple in here like to race prominently as well, and he is 9lb higher, but you can bet your bottom dollar that he will be revved up here for a yard now in some fair nick.

They had three very easy winners of seemingly competitive handicap chases in Brave Seasca, Quick Wave and Farinet on Saturday (and Enzo d'Airy also did the business that day over fences, too) and it isn't hard to see Commodore winning here if jumping as well as he did last season, especially as he goes so well when fresh.

However, odds of around 4/1 on the exchange struck me as no more than fair, so I will pass. Knowing my luck, Spiritofthegames will win his first race since October 2018 but me and him are done for now, especially as he looks defensively priced at the 6/1 mark.

In good nick but I'm worried about the trip for Marta

If the Tom Symonds stable was in slightly better form, then I'd have been looking to give Marta Des Mottes a chance in the 2m4f mares' handicap chase at 13:50. There is another negative that I will come on to in a bit.

Well, two actually, including the most important factor of all.

I appreciate the trainer has had four seconds from his last six runners, but the last pair have been beaten at odds of 11/10 and 8/11, and it would concern me a touch.

Against that, we are dealing with a horse who has proved herself in excellent nick of late, and this improved form in her last two starts has coincided with the application of cheekpieces.

She won a modest handicap by 27 lengths at Southwell and, under a 7lb penalty a week later, I thought she probably progressed a good deal when second to a well-handicapped horse in Saint Segal over 2m at Chepstow.

Sure, she was beaten 4 ½ lengths but I like the winner, and the time was very good for the grade, so I believe she is well handicapped here off just a 1lb higher mark.

However, perhaps more of a doubt than the stable form (and I am probably being harsh there), is the 2m4f trip, as her three efforts over the distance to date have resulted in comprehensive defeats.

I was going to argue that she is a different horse with the pieces on, so the trip wouldn't be a problem, but I didn't convince myself on that front at all, so it ended up as a no-bet with her, especially considering she is just 10/3 with the Sportsbook (you will get bigger) in a competitive little heat.

And the price is the most important factor, obviously.

Happy to take a chance on Dame at a big price

I went and had a look at the other runners again and, hopefully I am glad I did, as I totally missed Dame Du Soir on my first sweep.

Back her at 21.020/1 or bigger.

She is also 20/1 with the Sportsbook if you want to get stuck in there (and that is the generally available price).

First things first, given the above. Her trainer, local David Bridgwater, hasn't had a winner since May (from an admittedly small sample), so that is hardly a positive.

However, his mare ran well over 2m1f at Plumpton last month, sticking on well enough to take the runner-up spot, and this step up in trip will suit her better, I feel.

She is actually 19lb lower than when sixth in this race last season, so she is well-treated on her return. I know she was beaten 21 lengths that day but that was a much stronger heat than this, and she was still in there pitching for third place after making a move around the final bend before weakening from the second-last.

Lilly Pinchin, operating at a 16% strike rate this term, takes a further 3lb off, and Dame Du Soir looks well worth a punt off a feather weight. The trip is not a given, by the way, but I am more than happy to take my chance at the price.

She was dropped 2lb for that recent Plumpton second but the winner followed up at Ludlow next time, and is now 9lb higher.

Oakley worth chancing after shaping nicely on return

The Cross Country Chase has been moved to open the card, so we have a 2m1f handicap hurdle at 15:00 instead, which is fine by me, clearly.

You will never see Anyharminasking mentioned without being referenced as the only horse to beat Constitution Hill but his mark of 136 tells you how relevant that is, as does the fact that he has been beaten on his last two starts.

But the return to a left-handed track for the first time this season will be in his favour, and he did run a curiously eye-catching race when third at Huntingdon last week, fairly charging home on the near rail there after edging across the track.

He is definite player but he is only 6/1 and I also half-fancied Oakley and Iontach Cheval too, so I have to be led by the prices.

So I'll stick up Oakley at 15.014/1 or bigger win-only on the exchange, and he is also 14/1 on the Sportsbook if you want to play there.

The case for him is short and simple, and hopefully satisfactory.

Richard Bandey has had 10 winners at a 26% strike rate this season and is an excellent operator - he won the Cross Country Chase on this card last season with Diesel D'Allier and that one bids to follow up in the opener - and Oakley shaped well on his return when fourth at Wetherby last month.

He actually finished a neck second in this race in 2019 when trained by Philip Hobbs (off a 3lb higher mark) and the let's hope the Bandey-man can produce him to go one better here.

Hoping Flight Deck can fly home in Handicap Hurdle

Dusart could outclass the opposition in the 3m handicap hurdle at 15:35 en route to renewing his promising chase career - indeed, he was entered in the Many Clouds at the five-day stage last week - but he has had a wind op and back surgery since we last saw him, and he looks short enough at around 15/8 on the Exchange to me (though he was cut from 2s to 15/8 to 13/8 on the Sportsbook on Wednesday afternoon).

The obvious ones to take him on with were stablemate Captain Morgs, up in trip and with first-time cheekpieces on, and Flight Deck.

The latter is actually 2lb well-in here after his recent Carlisle second and he is surprisingly available at double-figures, so I am going to suggests a small win-only bet on him at 11/1 win-only with the Sportsbook. He is a similar price on the exchange.

Flight Deck blew out when pulled up at Aintree previously - he ran an awful race there in truth, though that form of it has worked out very well indeed, albeit mainly over fences - but he has a good winning record and the handicapper thinks he has a better chance than his price suggests, anyway.

I agree.

We also have a contest from Bangor on the box, the 3m handicap chase at 13:30, but I gave at least four of the eight a decent chance, in a race where a few like to go forward, so I can't get involved.

Boldmere and Captain Tommy are interesting stable-switchers, Venetia Williams has Fuji Flight in here off a fair mark after a course pipe-opener, and Only The Bold dotted up on his debut for David Pipe here last time.

I was most tempted by Boldmere, who has been given a huge chance by the handicapper after a long absence - he would have won the Grade 2 Towton in February 2020 but for falling at the last, and the first firm up made him a 10s poke, quickly cut into 11/2 - but there will be more attractive bets to be had in the coming days and weeks, so no need to force it on a day in which I had already, surprisingly, found three punts.

You may be better off backing all three selections on the Sportsbook if you can, but I will leave that to you.

Good luck.