Cheltenham Friday & Saturday selections

Friday

1.10 Skatman 7/2

1.45 Bun Doran 14/1

2.20 My Drogo 4/11

2.55 Back on the Lash 15/2

3.30 Gelino Bello 11/8

4.00 Brorson 12/1 & Howdoyalikemenow 10/1 

Saturday

12.30 Magistrato 7/4

1.05 Two Taffs 33/1 & Opposites Attract 8/1

1.40 Third Time Lucki 1/2

2.15 Midnight Shadow 10/1

2.50 Sporting John 10/1

3.25 Unexpected Party 10/3

3.55 Where’s Maud Gone 9/1

Cheltenham Showcase Meeting selections


Friday:
1.55 Camprond
2.30 Third Time Lucki
3.05 Bardenstown Lad
3.40 Annual Invictus
4.15 Guard Your Dreams
4.50 Redford Road
5.25 Go Dante

Saturday:
1.45 Samarrive
2.20 Storm Control
2.55 Tritonic
3.30 Stolen Silver
4.05 Panic Attack
4.40 Does He Know

Aintree Grand National meeting selections

Thursday:
1.45 – Fusil Raffles
2.20 – Adagio
2.50 – Clondaw Castle
3.25 – Buveur D’air
4.05 – Cat Tiger
4.40 – On The Slopes
5.15 – Eileendover

Friday:
1.45 – Mister Coffey
2.20 – Dusart
2.50 – Chantry House
3.25 – Fakir d’oudaries
4.05 – Modus
4.40 – Bravemansgame
5.15 – The Grey Falco & Tomorrow Mystery

Saturday:
1.45 – Tommy Rapper & Tea Clipper
2.25 – Ballyadam
3.00 – Shishkin
3.35 – Thyme Hill
4.15 – Black Op
5.15 (Grand National)- Cloth Cap & Magic of Light & Give Me A Copper
6.20 – Balco Coastal

Cheltenham Festival – Five big price selections

I’ve pinned my colours to the mast with my selections for every race of this year’s Cheltenham Festival here and it has to be said I can’t remember there ever being so many solid looking favourites. However, there is also some value to be had and here are five horses who look to have good claims at bigger prices.

Tuesday – Pym (Ultima Handicap Chase) 16/1

The Ultima is a race where the cream has risen to the top often in recent years with horses carrying 11st 6lbs or more winning four of the last seven renewals. One of that number was Nicky Henderson’s Beware The Bear in 2019 and Seven Barrows have another very good candidate this year in the form of Pym. The mount of Nico de Boinville comprehensively beat leading Ryanair fancy Imperial Aura at Cheltenham in December 2019, staying strongly up the hill, and began this season with victory at Sandown over If The Cap Fits. He wasn’t at his best when last seen in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in November but has a lot of class and with decent ground to suit can go close on Tuesday.

Wednesday – You Raised Me Up (Coral Cup) 12/1

Good ground is also key to Martin Brassil’s You Raised Me Up and the trainer of 2019 Ballymore hero City Island could have another horse to take him into the Prestbury Park winners’ enclosure with this eight-year-old son of Presenting. He’s won both of his outings this season, albeit five months apart, most recently giving weight and a beating to Henry De Bromhead’s Petibonome last month, a horse that finished just two lengths behind recent Dovecoat winner Cape Gentleman on his previous start. He also showed he can handle the hustle and bustle of a race like the Coral Cup when he finished a close up third in the Ladbrokes Hurdle at last year’s Dublin Racing Festival.

Thursday – The Storyteller (Stayers’ Hurdle) 10/1

The Storyteller has been in the form of his life this season, winning four times and not finishing outside the first two in any of his last seven outings over fences and hurdles. When you also consider the last three of those were Grade 1s it adds further substance to the claims of a horse who also loves Cheltenham – finishing second in last year’s Pertemps after winning the Plate in 2018. The 10-year-old is one of those unsung heroes who always seems to be underestimated and 10/1 he’s tremendous value to make the frame and quite possibly give Paisley Park something to think about.

Thursday – The Glancing Queen (Mares’ Novice Hurdle) 10/1

Willie Mullins has dominated this race since its inception in 2016 but this year could well see a change of the guard as from the evidence we’ve seen so far this season there are no Limini’s, Laurina’s or Concertista’s on their way from Closutton. Indeed the winner may well not even come from Ireland at all with Alan King’s The Glancing Queen looking to have outstanding claims. This is a mare that finished less than seven lengths behind Envoi Allen in the 2019 Festival bumper, just behind Thyme Hill and Abacadabras in fifth and in December lined up against the boys again in the Grade 1 Challow, finishing third behind Bravemansgame. There was no disgrace in coming second to Dan Skelton’s Wilde About Oscar on her last start, in truly filthy conditions at Exeter, and now back in the calmer waters of novice mares company I honestly don’t understand why she isn’t challenging for favouritism. At 10/1 I think she’s one of the value bets of the week.

Friday – Amour De Nuit (Martin Pipe Conditionals Handicap Hurdle) 33/1

Paul Nicholls has twice won the Martin Pipe before, with Salubrious in 2013 and most recently with Ibis du Rheu in 2016. One of his contenders this time around is Amour De Nuit, who can outrun massive odds for the champion trainer. After a year and a half off the track due to injury, the nine-year-old returned with a bang by defying top weight to win at Plumpton on his comeback in November – a race where impressive winner this weekend Langer Dan was back in fifth. He then ran second in a competitive handicap at the Hennessy meeting before finishing fourth in the Lanzarote in January. You can draw a line through his last outing, at Taunton, which clearly came too soon, just 14 days after Kempton, and I think he’s a lively each way chance in one of the most competitive handicaps of the week.

2021 Cheltenham Festival selections

Tuesday

1.20, Supreme: Appreciate It

Wednesday

1.20, Ballymore: Bob Olinger

1.55, Brown Advisory (aka RSA): Monkfish

2.30, Coral Cup: You Raised Me Up e/w

3.05, Champion Chase: Chacon Pour Soi

3.40, Cross Country: Tiger Roll

4.15, Grand Annual: Not That Fuisse e/w

4.50, Bumper: Sir Gerhard

Thursday

1.20, Marsh: Chantry House e/w

1.55, Pertemps: Champagne Platinum e/w

2.30, Ryanair: Melon e/w

3.05, Stayers’ Hurdle: The Storyteller e/w

3.40, Plate: Fils D’oudaries e/w

4.15, Mares’ Novices Hurdle: The Glancing Queen e/w

4.50, Kim Muir: Hold The Note e/w

Friday

1.20, Triumph: Zanahiyr

1.55, County Hurdle: Third Time Lucki e/w

2.30, Albert Bartlett: Barbados Buck’s e/w

3.05, Gold Cup: Champ

3.40, Hunters’ Chase: Red Indian e/w

4.15, Mares’ Chase: Colreevy

4.50, Martin Pipe: Amour De Nuit e/w

Dublin Racing Festival selections

Saturday:
1.05 – Gaillard Du Mesnil 15/8
1.35 – Chacon Pour Soi 1/2
2.10 – Energumene 4/5
2.45 – Port Stanley 11/1ew
3.15 – Honeysuckle 11/8
3.50 – Front View 14/1ew
4.25 – Kilcruit 2/1

Sunday:
1.10 – Daylight Katie 14/1ew
1.40 – Youmdor 11/4
2.10 – Appreciate It 4/5
2.40 – Koshari 20/1ew
3.10 – Asterion Forlonge 14/1ew
3.40 – Minella Indo 7/4
4.10 – Bapaume 14/1ew
4.40 – Take Tea 10/3ew

Friday Cheltenham ante-post

While it is such a shame not to be attending Cheltenham’s opening fixture of the new season this week, it’s still always an exciting time of the year… the jumps season proper is now upon us.

Going through the cards for Friday and Saturday, there are many unknowns at this stage which make ante-post punting a bit of a minefield, with multiple entries over the weekend clouding the picture somewhat, however one horse who looks like his destination is assured is Richard Rowe’s Up The Straight in the 2m 5f handicap hurdle on the opening day.

This is a race on first glance I was edging towards Anthony Honeyball’s progressive Kid Commando – last season’s Dovecoat third – however with Aintree on Sunday seemingly his first option instead, Up The Straight holds plenty of appeal at 16/1.

The six-year-old enjoyed an impressive first season after coming from the points sphere, routing Paul Nicholls’ Cat Tiger at Exeter on debut (subsequently a winner in his next two races) before going straight into Grade 2 company on his next start in the Winter Novices Hurdle at Sandown in December. Although a well beaten seventh, his very position in the race told a lot about the regard the horse is held in.

He followed that up with an even more notable run, finishing third in the Sidney Banks at Huntingdon, where he was far from disgraced behind Supreme Novices hero Shishkin and Dan Skelton’s Shan Blue – who advertised that form again last week when bolting up at Wetherby, following a sixth place finish in the Ballymore at the end of his novice hurdle campaign last season.

Up The Straight continued his progression with victory at Kempton in March, giving weight and a beating to the smart Flic Ou Voyou, staying on well when stepped up to 2m 5f, the trip he will face again on Friday.

He started this season with an outing at Fontwell at the start of the month and finished fourth. However, he was challenging going over the last and probably just got tired on his reappearance. Giving weight to fair rivals that day in Collooney and Hijack, it was a performance in retrospect that was perfectly satisfactory and is likely to put him spot on for Cheltenham.

Already the subject of market support this morning, I’d advise taking the 16/1 still on offer.

Friday, Cheltenham 3.00pm: Up The Straight 16/1ew

Friday Galway Festival selections

4.45 Risk Factor Evens

5.15 Born by the Sea 10/1ew

5.45 Fan De Blues 7/2 & The Mouse Doctor 16/1ew

6.15 Sayo 16/1ew (NAP)

6.45 Convara 7/2

7.15 Mengli Khan 7/2

7.45 Mindsmadeup 12/1ew

8.15 Hallowed Star Evens