Racing
Cheltmental’s Cheltenham Preview
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14:00 – NOVICES’ HURDLE – 2M5F
A case can be made for each of the runners in here and that suggests this could be one to just sit back and watch. GO ANOTHER ONE runs well for Sean Bowen and is in nice form at the moment. HAVANA BEAT progressed last season and a recent spin on the AW suggests this has been a target in the off season. NET DE TREVE got the job done in good fashion last time out so arrives here in cracking form. ROCCO will need to have progressed from last season but his winning reappearance suggest that might be the case. GRAGEELAGH GIRL has some work to do on official figures but goes well and older horses have a fare record. MAKE MY HEART FLY had been in blistering form prior to her last two starts and on figures and CANARDIER has been running in decent company so one of those is the probably the most likely winner
14:35 – NOVICES’ CHASE – 2M
Some form lines to tie DEAR SIRE, ONE FOR BILLY & CAID DU LIN but it’s not easy to split them on these terms but ONE FOR BILLY just edges DEAR SIRE. STORM HOME looks a horse who should be an improver this season and wouldn’t need to improve much to land this. DIAKALI has been awesome in his two chase starts but it’s more than a little concerning that Richard Johnson doesn’t ride with Joshua Moore having only 1 winner in the last 14 days and that wasn’t for his dad. Other than slight concern I would fancy DIAKALI quite strongly but it is a concern all the same
15:10 – HANDICAP HURDLE – 2M5F
Ultra competitive as you would expect for a 20 runner handicap. MR ANTOLINI looks interesting as does AND THE NEW who both come here fresh. FIRST ASSIGNMENT is another racing fresh but is just as interesting now on slightly quicker ground. MELODY OF SCOTLAND hadn’t lived up to her potential yet but has age on her side and this trip should see her in a better light. MELLOW BEN will need to put his fall last time out behind him but is capable if doing so
15:45 – NOVICES’ CHASE – 3M
I’d expect the winner to come from either LIL ROCKERFELLER or SHANNON BRIDGE and while both are unexposed over fences the latter has arguably more scope for further improvement. LIL ROCKERFELLER looked like he might just get beaten last time out but should his trademark guts to hold on well. Step up in trip looks like it should help him and he does at least have public chasing experience. SHANNON BRIDGE is likely to be a bigger price and that might be enough to swing the vote in his favour
16:20 – MAIDEN HURDLE – 2M
A pretty good looking renewal where the three main players appear to be SEBASTOPOL, SEVEN DE BAUNE & THOMAS DARBY. With not a great deal of form to go on we’d have to make some assumptions to split these but with only the late POTTERS TALE reappearing from that SEBASTOPOL Ayr bumper it’s impossible to quantify the form other than it could be quite good. He is a 4yo compared to the other two being 5yo’s which does appear to fare better in this race type. SEVEN DE BAUNE also hasn’t had his win franked but won in such good style that might not matter. THOMAS DARBY’s bumper win however has been franked and with the Champion Jockey on board he gets a tentative vote. Outside those three I think BANG ON FRANKIE is interesting having run in good company and now joined a yard who are in great form
16:55 – AMATEUR RIDERS’ HANDICAP CHASE – 3M1F
Probably best to go with a horse not coming in here fresh but of those fresh runners BELLS ‘N’ BANJOS & PERFECT PIRATE look the best. PRESENTING JULIO ran well enough after trouble last year so can play a part again and while you trust KILLER CROW at your peril he looks hard to ignore. ASKING QUESTIONS has an attractive profile with less concerns about him and OIGHEAR DUBH can figure if he does stay.
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