Tony Calvin Antepost Tips: Captain Morgs could be Cheltenham player at 14/1 on Friday

• TC on four races at Cheltenham this Friday

• 14/115.00 Henderson horse must handle soft ground

• Find out about the Betfair Beacons on the Exchange

The Betfair Sportsbook have priced up all four of the ITV races at Cheltenham on Friday, so I thought I would deal with them here while I am waiting for the entries, and odds, for Saturday to come through.

The going at Cheltenham is currently soft - and soft, with heavy in places, on the cross country course - and it is a pretty dry week by UK December standards.

Certainly drier than last week anyway , with the BHA site saying there is a bit of rain around on Monday, maybe 2-5mm on Tuesday, and then cloudy and average temperatures thereafter.

Cheltenham Friday 13:50 - No bet

Friday's ITV five-day fields are very healthy, ranging from 16 to 21 entries, and first up on the box is the 2m4f+ mares' handicap chase at 13:50.

We have 21 entries here but just 1/4 1,2,3 for each-way purposes in a race that could accommodate 17 runners on the day.

Right, so let's start with horses that have other options this week.

In weight order they are the following: Happy D'ex, Walk In Clover, Game On For Glory, Somespring Special, I Am Gonna Be, Gazette Bourgeoise (entered overnight at Ffos Las on Tuesday) , Malaita and Kraqueline (entered overnight at Wincanton on Tuesday).

That's a fair chunk for me to rule out for ante-post betting purposes then but, cutting straight to the chase, nothing appealed as the current prices.

Cheltenham Friday 14:25 - No bet

Everyone loves a veterans' race and we have 16 entries in the new 2m4f+ middle distance series at 14:25.

The double-entries are as follows: Sam Brown, Top Ville Ben, Bennys King (in a three-runner race at Fontwell on Tuesday), Storm Control, Up Helly Aa King (also in at Carlisle on Sunday but withdrawn from Ayr on Monday due to the going) and Go Steady.

Le Ligerien is a fair favourite at 3/14.00 and Mill Green is a solid one at 9/25.50, even over a trip short of his best, but, again, I didn't have too many issues with the betting.

It is a pretty tight market to be betting into at this stage though, with half of the field priced up at 9/110.00 or less. Unless the field cuts up dramatically (which is possible) I imagine you will match the current odds on the day.

Cheltenham Friday 15:00 - No bet

The Irish are going to have a massive say in the make-up of the 3m5f Cross Country Handicap at 15:00, as they are responsible for the first five in the weights and the first UK is entry is Gesskille on 10st 6lb.

As it stands, nine of the 17 are out of the weights.

We don't get Irish weekend entries until Tuesday afternoon, so I have no idea if the eight entries from over the sea have the option of going elsewhere, but Back On The Lash (currently 10lb out of the handicap) does.

The solid UK propositions are Latenightpass and Gesskille at 9/25.50 and 6/17.00 respectively, as they will be in the handicap come what may, but, as regular readers will know, betting and tipping over the cheese wedges is not for me.

These races are often a law unto themselves as Didero Vallis and Volcano showed when running way above themselves when third and fifth over course and distance here last month, considering they were 19lb and 16lb wrong respectively.

Cheltenham Friday 15:35 - No bet

So it is all down to the 3m handicap hurdle at 15:35 to see if there is an ante-post bet on Friday.

I make no excuses for trotting out the double-entries again as all the feedback I get is that they are a very helpful element to these ante-post columns.

Indeed, most say it is the only one.

In this case they are: Top Ville Ben, Moon D'Orange, White Rhino, Shallow River, Ikarak and Paricolor.

If Gordon Elliott could hold the key to the Cross Country, then Nicky Henderson has a big say in this race, as he has the top three in the weights with Chantry House (surely won't run after his weekend outing at Sandown), Bold Endeavour and Captain Morgs. The next one up is The Newest One on 10st 13lb under a 6lb penalty for his wide-margin win in a novices' hurdle at Chepstow on Saturday.

I'd be very keen on Top Ville Ben at 20s here, as I think a hurdles mark of 130 is ripe for exploiting, but of course I can't play him ante-post as he is also in the veterans' chase.

The other horse that stood out from a price perspective is Captain Morgs at 14/115.00, even if the Nicky Henderson yard have been a bit hit-and-miss in recent weeks and he would be switching back from fences in order to come here.

And the Henderson camp do have the aforementioned Bold Endeavour in here, too, and he is a likely sort as the 6/17.00 second favourite.

Captain Morgs would be coming here off the back of what was a career-best over fences at Huntingdon last time and he is only 3lb higher when winning this race by seven lengths on good ground in first-time cheekpieces last season.

He blew out in two hurdles after that win, but he came down 4lb for them, and hopefully his owners, The Albatross Club, have targeted their 7yo at this race again for their pre-Christmas jolly up.

He does look a massive player to me but soft ground is probably not ideal for the horse (though he has won on it), even if the forecast is helpful.

It could well be that soft going scares them off - Henderson seems adamant he is a good-ground horse - but they must be tempted to chance their arm regardless. After all, you may be waiting a long while for those optimum conditions.

I asked the owners on Twitter (sorry, X) if they were an intended runner, but no response as yet, so I will sit tight for now. If I get a positive response, I will put an update on here.

As this goes live, I haven't heard anything from them, but it sounds like it all depends on if the relatively dry week holds true.

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