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Until next time

1608: It’s been a sobering day at Cheltenham which has taken the gloss of a good three days of racing.

Today was played out in a lower key but the Greatwood Hurdle certainly delivered with the promising horses all coming to the fore. They are in the closing stages of the bumper and Fortune De Mer (5/2) has won under a remarkably cheeky ride from Harry Skelton. Make sure to watch the replay.

I hope some of you listened to Dan Skelton who put this horse up on Racing TV earlier in the day when asked to nominate one and those words were faithfully transcribed for the blog. I’ll claim any credit going and it’s nice to go out on a winner!

And going out is the order of the day now. The dust will settle on the action and there will be no shortage of analysis and reviews on the pages of this website over the next few days before the attention turns to Haydock Park and the Betfair Chase along with the Betfair Exchange Hurdle where Doyen Quest could make a quick reappearance after his easy victory here yesterday.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the meeting and thank you for your company. All the best.

Road to Cheltenham

1545: Burdett Road is still making his way back to the winner’s enclosure where a rousing reception awaits no doubt. There will be some reaction shortly. The connections are all smiles as they pose for the celebratory photos.

Cobden: “James was very keen to go forwards today and obviously absolutely the right thing to do because there didn’t read much speed on paper. He actually gave himself a chance today in front, looked at all his hurdles, jumped nicely and picked up when asked.

“I walked the track earlier and wanted to go wide down the hill because obviously we’ve raced on that inner line for the last three days and it’s nice when it all comes off. He’s improved tremendously, his jumping has got better and he’s relaxing more and we’re seeing the effects of that. Whether he’s Champion Hurdle class or not I’m not quite sure but he won’t be far off that by the end of the year, he’s only four years old and is entitled to improve a lot. Knowing the owners I would say they’ll want to go big straightaway but I’m not quite sure he’s ready for that mentally.

“I think this lad could pick up another nice handicap before he does that.”

James Owen: “We wanted to go forward, we wanted to do it at Ascot in the Long Distance Cup but he popped up in the stalls and got too keen behind them. He’s an exuberant horse who likes to be up there. He was sensible on the front end today, he wasn’t tearing off, he was breathing and jumping so he’s learnt more today than he has done over hurdles in the past and it allowed him to jump better than dragging into the bottom all the time.

“For me he was just looking around in the straight and has gone again, just idling in front and a good performance. On his flat rating he was entitled to do that if he got it together which he did. I think running him on the flat this year has put a few more manners on him and Alex Chadwick has done a fantastic job to keep him switched off and it’s working.

“He could go to the top days on the flat and hopefully he can go to the top days over hurdles. It will be their (owners) choice where we go next.”

‘wood you believe it?

1514: Is Dysart Enos going to prove herself to be ‘the best handicapped horse in Britain and Ireland’ in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle? We’re around 20 minutes away from finding out in a decent renewal of a good and popular race.

Burdett Road has been quite well backed against her while the connections of Under Control and Be Aware seemed cautiously optimistic when interviewed earlier this afternoon. Royal Way was backed at big prices this morning but there’s no support for the Imperial Cup winner Go Dante who may just find that the underfoot conditions are a little more to his liking – he’s drifted to quite a tempting price with Olly Murphy believing his charge has an each-way chance after a wind operation; the yard’s horses are certainly running well.

Runners in the paddock at a rather subdued Cheltenham with under 10 minutes until post time.

It is the feature handicap and there are plenty of tips and plenty of information around the website if you’re still seeking inspiration. Victory for the exciting Dysart Enos would put a smile on one or two faces because she has the ability to be a poster girl for the sport on this side of the Irish Sea and it would be great to see a trainer outside of the usual names having a top-class individual. She will need to win this if she’s going to develop into a Grade One performer and hopes are high that she can; indeed, she’s 15/8 on the show on the screen.

Megan Nicholls runs the eye over her in the paddock and says ‘she certainly looks fit and exceptionally well in her coat’.

Teddy Blue is ‘fit and well on his return’ according to Nicholls and there seems to be have been a little support for Derham’s new recruit who is into 14/1. I think he’s quite interesting but he is the sort of ‘rogue’ who can keep sucking you in despite never paying a dividend.

Not all of the runners are in the paddock and there will be a delay to this race (90 seconds to post time) but there is no news at the moment as and when it will be underway. The field are at the post for the feature race and they’re coming in, good luck.

Result

1st Burdett Road 7/2
2nd Be Aware 17/2
3rd Dysart Enos 85/40 favourite
4th Tintintin 33/1
5th Florida Dreams 16/1

A great weekend for James Owen and the Gredley Family. Harry Cobden made all aboard the juvenile as the three unexposed youngsters came to the fore in a warm race. Dysart Enos may just have raced a shade too keenly on this first run of the season, she laid down a strong challenge to the winner but Burdett Road proved much too strong for her today and was really game to fend off Be Aware who started his run from a long way back. More bad news in that Napper Tandy suffered a fatal fall late in the race.

Hy time

1449: Runners in the paddock for the Holland Cooper Handicap Chase, a good looking staying contest where Hymac continues to prove popular at the top of the betting; Fry’s runner is 11/4 from Abuffalosoldier at 4/1.

Surrey Quest is having his first run since finishing second in the Scottish Grand National and would be entitled to need this; he’s one to watch and Monbeg Genius would have been another but I see is now a non-runner.

Another potential non-runner but this time from the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day is ante-post favourite Il Est Francais because he has just pulled up in a Grade One contest at Auteuil – hardly the ideal prep.

Also pulled up last time were Nassalam and Undersupervision who are the two outsiders as the field make their way onto the course. There is some money for another outsider though with Bangers And Cash 14/1 from 20s.

Result

1st Abuffalosoldier 10/3
2nd Surrey Quest 14/1
3rd Hymac 11/4 favourite

‘An exhibition and a horse firmly on the up’ exclaims Luck. Sean Bowen must have got quite a thrill from that as he jumped brilliantly and travelled with real zest and led the whole way. It wasn’t as if he got an easy lead either, he just jumped them into submission and saw off the challengers one by one. Terrific stuff and a winner for Mr Linfoot. I hope you were all on.

Luck reporting that Abuffalosoldier is receiving attention after the line and there are concerns for him. That would be a very sad postscript for a race that already has one with Bangers And Cash going wrong on the flat as they headed out for the final circuit.

Tragically it has been confirmed that Abuffalosoldier did suffer ‘a fatal episode’ after the line and that both he and Bangers And Cash lost their lives. A veterinary surgeon, part of Cheltenham’s team, has confirmed that both horses suffered cardiovascular collapses.

Jolly good show & a complete nutter

1430: It was a decent day for favourites and their supporters at Cheltenham yesterday and it’s more of the same this afternoon; no wonder those bookmakers don’t like the ubiquitous small fields.

Five market leaders obliged yesterday – and the other two winners were fairly well found – and it’s three from three so far today. Those profit margins could be taking a hit.

It’s been a reasonable few days for the Twiston-Davies family and there are smiles all round in the winner’s enclosure where Sam is currently being interviewed with a Sporting Life logo on the collar of his double green silks.

“I knew something was coming but I wasn’t sure what it was; you just know that Matata is not going to lie down easy. A good, honest performance by him. A shout out to Finn Lambert, one of our conditionals – when I say that this lad is not easy that is putting it a little bit delicately, he’s really quite tricky – so he does a fantastic job with him and he nearly gets the trainer’s prize because I wouldn’t know how much Dad actually sees of him in all honesty!

“He’d get ridden out early every day and some days he would be going out pitch black, so very quiet and always by himself; it helps keep a lid on him and then you see the real Matata when you come to the races, he’s quite explosive and he would try and be as explosive as he could every day if he was allowed to but Finn does a great job of managing that.

“He surprised me a few times today and I’m not usually that surprised. The ditch at the top of the hill, I went to see it and bring him back and he was coming anyway but thankfully I didn’t get left behind.

“He’s Matata, it’s the only way you can describe him. He’s always been a great big, proper stamp of a horse; great attitude. He has to stay left handed but if you say that to Dad he’ll tell you all of the best race tracks are left-handed anyway so it doesn’t matter!”

And over to ‘Dad’.

“He’s a complete nutter, he just loves to gallop and jump. I never see him so he (Finn) trains him really. If the ground stays like this we’ll maybe need to go further because he was definitely staying on at the end but I’ll have to talk to the team and come up with a plan. I think he has (improved) because he is getting calmer, he’s not quite such a nutter and he wasn’t running away today, just bowling along and doing it well.”

National hero

1410: They’re halfway through the Southern National or thereabouts and it won’t be long until the feature handicap is underway at Navan too. It’s all go except, arguably, at Cheltenham where the four runner Three Counties Christmas Handicap Chase is a bit, well, erm, I’ll let you fill in the blank.

It is reasonably open though with Matata 11/10, Calico 2/1, Gunsight Ridge 6/1 and Third Time Lucki at 8s and that’s something.

Feivel ran a mighty race at Fontwell but tired late after a notable error at the last and was passed by Unanswered Prayers who won for Chris and Freddie Gordon.

At Cheltenham the runners and riders are leaving the paddock and hopefully it will be every bit as close as the last time Matata and Calico met when the latter was a neck to the good. The forward going Matata wears his heart on his sleeve and wouldn’t be winning out of turn after three seconds in his last five starts; his consistency means he won’t get any respite from the handicapper but he deserves to win a nice prize and maybe that will happen today.

Result

1st Matata 11/10 favourite

Fortune favoured Matata today. Having seen off a disappointing Calico, he looked certain to face a strong challenge from the once remote last Gunsight Ridge but that one crumpled on landing after the final fence to leave Matata to come home, more or less, alone.

Sleeker, leaner looking filly

1400: De Boinville: “It could have been easier, I have to admit.

“The one thing that kept me in the race was his jumping, it really was. He probably didn’t travel as sweetly as he did over hurdles around here but he has only had two runs before this. It’s a big ask to come here with a novice first time out and I thought he answered my every call. Going to the second last I thought I was always going to get there but it was just a case of not asking too much too soon.

“I think a step up to three miles will be his real thing. I think you’ll see a more extravagant, flamboyant horse. At home I promise you he is deadly and he was brilliant today; the ground is probably a bit dead and tacky now because they had the rain and they watered a bit as well and it’s dried out through the morning so it probably didn’t lend to a flamboyant visual but it certainly felt alright.

“I thought Under Control was very straightforward around Galway. We ran her there after a bit of a lay-off and she ran creditably, the hill just found her out. I think we’ll see a sleeker, leaner looking filly today.”

Encouraging? I should say so.

Henderson then adds on Under Control: “Her work has been great and we’re very happy with where she is, I just didn’t like the look of the race with her at the top of it and it looks a bit scarier on paper than I would have liked.”

Second best

1338: Over at Navan, The Yellow Clay has followed in the steps of some good horses in winning the Monksfield Novice Hurdle and you’ll be able to find that report, replay and the reaction to it on the website in due course. There’s also racing at Fontwell and Kado De Joie has just gained a hard fought and well backed success for Nicky Henderson and James Bowen at the Sussex venue to land a quick double for the Noel Fehily syndicates.

I imagine Henderson might be slightly more concerned about the chances of Peaky Boy – also well backed – in the upcoming mallardjewellers.com Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase which features some very promising sorts.

It’s been quite a lively betting heat with Primoz and Westerninthepark both shortening while Leader In The Park is out to 9/2. It’s 11/1 bar those with the likeable Guard Your Dreams best of the rest.

I’d be hopeful that the top four in the betting will all go on to win their share of races this season but as for which one comes out on top today, I’m sitting firmly on the fence but Punting Pointers are with Leader In The Park and the Timeform Tip of the Day is Primoz.

Primoz out to 4/1 and Leader In The Park back into 10/3 – not long until they come in.

Result

1st Peaky Boy 9/5 favourite
2nd Westerninthepark

Ooh, I enjoyed that and Nick Luck is impressed describing it as ‘an absolutely magnificent ride’ by Nico de Boinville. There were a fair few novicey jumps from the winner and Leader In The Park while Primoz jumped gorgeously but didn’t appear to stay. Peaky Boy may have hit some big prices on the exchanges as he was being niggled along but he made up the ground surprisingly quickly and stayed on well. Good stuff.

It’s the most valuable race!

1328: Harry Skelton: “He was quite green. He’s obviously improving and Ithink he was a bit unfortunate not to win the last day, he just got worried out of it at Exeter but good job he did because he’s won today.

“He’s a horse that wants a trip further down the line, he showed that at Exeter, but obviously there was no pace so I thought better get on with it. He was green in front. I was confident I would find once they came to me, I didn’t want to send him clear off the bend and get caught halfway up the run-in. Popped the last, long run-in and he stuck his head out.”

Hislop: “Four good rides remain, which one are you most looking forward to?”

Skelton: “Be Aware, it’s the most valuable race!

“He’s an improving horse. He probably does want two and a half in time but it’s a great starting point and one thing you’ve got to do around here is stay and he’ll do that.”

Ace in the pack

1310: They’re at the post for the first.

Dan Skelton: “I expect a very good run, he will be bang there. I was not expecting him to be odds-on, you don’t expect a race like that to cut up here. Maybe there’s a bit of negativity about the Irish horse. She is rated higher than us getting weight so I was surprised to see us favourite. He’s in good form, done loads of jumping and runs under his belt which will definitely help.

“This time last year Be Aware hadn’t even ran so he’s come a long way in a short space of time. Good horse but whether he’s got the know-how and tactical (knowledge) for this I don’t know but we’re in the right category.”

When asked to name one other of his runners by Hislop, he said: “Calico has obviously got a chance in the four runner race but the bumper horse, I was surprised he got beat the last day but maybe that was match practice and he’s got that under his belt now. If the Irish horse is 10 lengths better than us, well 10 lengths better than us but I think that was a good run the last day.”

Result

1st Ace Of Spades Evens favourite

Well, against all the odds that was mildly interesting with three of the four runners ‘fighting’ out the finish.

Hopes and dreams

1303: Hopes were high for Cannock Park when he won last year’s renewal of the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice Maiden Hurdle but he was last seen in action yesterday running a third disappointing race since being switched to chasing; he has a bit to prove now.

It wasn’t a bad renewal with third The Kemble Brewery winning both subsequent starts while progressive handicapper Tedley was back in sixth with Sea Invasion one place in front of him. Sea Invasion won well on his handicap debut before being narrowly beaten by Doyen Quest at Cheltenham in April; that form doesn’t look so bad now and he was only bumped up 1lb for that run. He makes his debut for Anthony Honeyball (left Chris Gordon) over fences at Plumpton tomorrow but it’s a four runner race and I don’t imagine he’ll be any price in light of that form boost.

Anyway, there are only four in this year’s renewal which may not turn out to be quite as interesting as a result. They are in the paddock and headed by Ace Of Spades at 8/11 with Irish bridesmaid Whimsy at 2/1 – this may not take a deal of winning.

USA USA USA

1245: Michael Shinners has been on duty for Sky Bet at Cheltenham and he’s been talking market movers with Lydia Hislop on Racing TV.

“You can get a little bit carried away when you get to this meeting when it comes to shortening horses up (ante-post) but I thought East India Dock was very, very impressive; 8/1 from 33/1. It’s very early days but the juveniles this year look potentially a strong bunch. At the moment we’ve got a horse of Rich Ricci’s, Willy De Houelle, that we haven’t seen but who has been very well talked of and he’s incredibly short at 6/1 for the Triumph. Stencil, owned by JP McManus and trained by Noel George, has won a couple of times in France and is fairly high in the betting and there are a few other expensive purchases.

“The Greatwood market has been dominated by Dysart Enos and she’s strong enough in the betting.

“Burdett Road has been well backed, into 7/2 from 5/1. At a much bigger price Royal Way. There is a suggestion that he needs softer ground than he’ll get today but he was as big as 40/1 this time yesterday and he’s been really well backed. We’re paying six places in the Greatwood.

“In the other races I want to flag up in particular Ace Of Spades for the Skeltons in the first. Peaky Boy has been well backed for the Henderson team – 13/8 from 11/4 – and Abuffalosoldier in the staying race is 10/3 from 6/1.

“We’ve got the Troytown across in Ireland. We’re paying six places and American Mike has been incredibly well backed and is 9/4 with ourselves.”

Good omens

1232: Navan are two races through their card already with Gavin Cromwell saddling Total Look (11/4 favourite) to win the first but Elliott’s Qualimita was beaten at 3/10 in the second by an eight race hurdle maiden in Cast A Spell.

We touched on Whimsy in the opening maiden hurdle and the fact that she has already had seven attempts at winning a hurdle so perhaps that’s some encouragement for her supporters in getting the better of the odds-on Ace Of Spades.

That’s a ‘tune’ that my brother used to play loudly (is there any other way?) and regularly back in the day when we shared a house but I’m more a (Lily, Rosemary and the) Jack of Hearts man myself.

I’ll spare you the YouTube links to either song but it would be remiss of Cheltenham not to have Motorhead’s classic playing over the pa system to greet the winner if the favourite does oblige. It might be a little reminiscent of that scene from Withnail And I when they threaten to install a jukebox to ‘liven you stiffs up a bit’.

Once bitten

1216: I haven’t forgiven Hymac for finishing second at Uttoxeter last season when siding with him. He duly won his next two, relishing the step back up from two and a half miles and he’s proving popular in the Holland Cooper Handicap Chase despite racing from out of the handicap.

In the week, Ben Linfoot highlighted Harry Fry’s good record at this meeting (other trainers who have done well at the November Meeting from a small sample include Harry Fry (5/16 at 31.25%) and Kerry Lee (4/10 at 40.00%) – both those trainers have entries this weekend at the six-day stage) and his horses seem to be in good order with In Excelsis Deo in the process of running a decent race in the Paddy Power prior to falling while Boothill ran a cracker against Jonbon.

This looks like a race that could fall apart with a few of the runners having a bit to prove in terms of form and wellbeing and I’m sweet on Manothepeople as an each-way vehicle. Perhaps I should just double him with Be Aware and leave it at that.

A course winner in April, he’s relatively unexposed at staying trips and warmed up for this with a perfectly respectable run at Chepstow. It’s a meeting that his stable targets and this looks a very obvious race for one with his credentials. He will need a career best but that’s not beyond the realms of possibility.

That said, both Ben Linfoot and Matt Brocklebank have put up alternative selections in their respective columns so it’s clearly a race with some depth despite my belief that a few of these won’t be seen to best effect this afternoon.

Third time lucky?

1154: With Andy Asquith sent to Bahrain to cover the Bahrain Trophy, Andrew McLaren stepped into his shoes in mid-week to provide the Weekend View.

Andrew put up two selections and one of them was Il Ridoto who obliged in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the other runs in the Three Counties Christmas Handicap Chase. Given I turned the page without dwelling on this four runner race I’ll hand over to Andrew and the case he made for siding with Third Time Lucki.

Hopefully it will be a good day for Fergal O’Brien though, as I can’t resist backing the talented THIRD TIME LUCKI making his debut for the yard. Sold from Dan Skelton for £190,000, he was rated 153 in his pomp when knocking heads with the likes of Edwardstone in graded novice chases and although he’s not quite the force of old, he showed the fire still burns when winning at Sandown last year before an excellent fourth in the Grand Annual, and his effort there can be marked up given he was the only one of the first seven to get involved from the rear.

That added to his terrific record at this track – his record over fences at Cheltenham reads 114 – and he’s another who will really enjoy bouncing off the sound surface this weekend. He’s usually dropped out and delivered late, but he should get the race run to suit with Matata hopefully there to take them along at a good gallop, and with Jonathan Burke already booked, I’d be amazed if his new trainer didn’t have him primed for his stable debut at a meeting he often targets.

I was surprised to see him priced up as the 16/1 outsider of the field with so much in his favour in a race which could cut up quite a bit by Sunday afternoon, and hopefully he can make it first time lucky for Fergal O’Brien.

It’s a blinder

1146: It may be a low key start but the mallardjewellers.com Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase promises plenty.

The race recently changed from a conditions contest to a handicap and last year’s race saw Ginny’s Destiny take the spoils. There are one or two, at least, in today’s field which could have realistic hopes of progressing as far and it should be an interesting watch.

I was a little surprised to see Leader Of The Pack as a Punting Pointers selection. He has a big reputation which he didn’t really live up to over hurdles but he was bought to be a chaser and this should be his game; perhaps last season’s relatively modest efforts have left him well handicapped for this switch.

Primoz makes the journey from Scotland and was the one I was most interested in when he was 5/1 but the son of Westerner was quickly cut to around 10/3 and I can leave him alone at those odds. He is one from one over fences and was awarded a ‘P’ by Timeform, he should appreciate stepping up in distance.

Peaky Boy is three from four under Rules and is another looking to exploit a potentially lenient handicap mark now going chasing. The Henderson team is clicking into gear and Peaky Boy seems very solid at the top of the betting, a big run is clearly expected.

I wasn’t in a rush to rule out Westerninthepark either. He did well over hurdles for Anthony Charlton, ending with a fine fifth in the EBF Final, but was a wide margin winner on debut over fences and for Olly Murphy. That race was nowhere near as deep as this and he’s 9lbs higher but he jumped well and the experience will, of course, come in handy while there’s no reason to believe that he won’t continue to progress.

It’s a rare old puzzle but a race in which Timeform have played their Tip of the Day.

Both Nicky Henderson and Ben Pauling have interesting chasing debutants in this novice handicap with Peaky Boy and Leader In The Park respectively, but Lucinda Russell’s Primoz marked himself out as one to very much keep on side when successful on his own chasing debut. From just a handful of starts over hurdles, Primoz bookended last season with a couple of wins at Ayr and made a perfect start to his chasing career in a handicap at Wetherby last month. After jumping well, Primoz asserted on the run-in for a two-length win over subsequent winner Pay The Piper but won with far more authority than the bare margin suggests. That earned Primoz the ‘large P’ symbol denoting that he’s open to considerable improvement stepping up in trip here, heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by 2 lb.

Ace in the pack

1129: The Cheltenham card kicks off with the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice Maiden Hurdle. When betting opened Irish challenger Whimsy was favourite but there has been a steady trickle of money for the Skeltons’ Ace Of Spades who is now odds-on.

His form received a boost when Junker d’Allier, a horse he beat by four lengths in a Warwick bumper, won over hurdles this week, his second success over timber. Ace Of Spades has had two hurdles runs, going close last time, and looks to be getting better with experience which was a similar story in bumpers where he took three attempts to open his account.

Whimsy has finished runner-up five times in seven runs over hurdles which isn’t a profile which fills you with confidence but it does give her leading form claims. Her jockey will carry the colours of Rita Shah who enjoyed plenty of good days with the late Oliver Brady whose celebrations (see above) provided no end of entertainment.

Ace Of Spades holds Country Park on collateral form with Junker d’Allier and none of the remainder look too obvious on paper although Maghlaak was rated in the high 80s on the level which is a decent level of ability to take hurdling.

It’s a fairly low key start to the day I would suggest.

Good Gordon

1111: Gordon Elliott dominated proceedings at Navan yesterday and is represented in their opener at 1135 (a race he won last year with Kala Conti) by Wendrock who makes his debut for Gigginstown after two runs on the flat for Lucinda Russell, not the profile you might expect.

He’s 9/2 in a competitive betting heat which suggests that this initial experience may be needed but no doubt Elliott will find himself in the winner’s enclosure somewhere along the way, he does run half the field in the Troytown after all.

The odds-on Qualimita represents Elliott and Robcour and it could be a big day for the owners whose exciting Slade Steel makes his debut over fences at 1505. There’s a good deal to look forward to today.

Looking back awhile though and Gary Moore, who trains Royal Way in partnership with son Josh, has won the Greatwood before with that victory coming back in 2008 courtesy of Numide.

Do you remember the days when smart flat horses routinely went hurdling? There aren’t so many of them now but this race did suit them given the emphasis on speed and Numide was decent in France having been a short price for the Group One Grand Prix de Paris before joining the Sussex handler.

There’s a fair bit we don’t agree on

1056: Those are the opening words to the Punting Pointers take on the Greatwood Hurdle with ‘Dysart Enos the main sticking point’.

She won some pretty soft races over hurdles prior to being ruled out of her spring engagements, winning at 1/7, 5/6 and 1/9, but I do quite like her defeat of Beat The Bat at this track in December. The second is a fair sort and had some promising performers behind when winning at Ascot and she comfortably accounted for him. She looks pretty straightforward and I’m in no rush to take her on given her smart bumper form for all that this is a different discipline.

I’m happier to oppose Burdett Road who may be more in need of the cards falling right and top of the short-list is Be Aware whose trainer has proved one of the best target handlers around and who has enjoyed some big moments in two mile handicap hurdles at Cheltenham. He’s around 7/1 which isn’t a very exciting each-way price and I know plenty who wouldn’t consider him an each-way bet at that price. He finished second in the same Sandown race as last year’s winner and looks a really, really solid contender.

Trying to get a little funkier with the prices and Teddy Blue, not the most fluent of hurdlers, has slipped to a nice mark and makes his debut for Harry Derham whose exploits with new recruits has been well advertised. He has some form to his name which entitles him to consideration. Ben Linfoot’s selection Royal Way is also well worth another look, the progressive juvenile was being aimed at the Fred Winter only to be eliminated but he did win a decent prize at Ascot not long after to provide a measure of compensation. He’s had a nice sighter at the track last month.

That quartet will do me as far as forecast combinations go although it might be worth leaving it late to see if there’s any money for the remainder, notably the two Emmet Mullins trained runners.

Charyn finishes fifth

1030: Away from Cheltenham there has already been some significant racing with the Grade One Mile Championship staged at Kyoto in Japan. It featured top European miler Charyn, ridden by Ryan Moore on this occasion, but he could only finish fifth after a slow start proved costly.

The easy winner was last year’s neck second Soul Rush whose jockey, Taisei Danno, said: “In the end I couldn’t hear any thundering hooves from behind, only the cheering crowd.”

Below is the race report from the Japan Racing website along with quotes from Roger Varian and Moore.

‘Sent off third pick, the only overseas contender Charyn missed his break and was forced to race behind in third from the rear. After shifting far out entering the straight, the four-year-old chased the frontrunners with the second fastest stretch speed but had too much ground to make up and finished a neck behind the race favorite in fifth.

“He ran a very good race but he was slow coming out of the gate so the first furlong cost him in the end— you get behind and wide around whole the field. After the start he wasn’t able to secure a good position and afterwards, it was always going to be hard work for him—he finished strong, so I thought the horse performed very well—in defeat he proved himself to be very good horse.

“We have to accept the results although it is disappointing because we came here to win. But it has been a fantastic year for this horse to win three mile G1 races in Europe and we wanted to finish with another win here but it did not happen. It still was a very good race—in my opinion, just the start cost him,” commented trainer Roger Varian.

“He couldn’t make a good jump at the start and had to race behind, but despite the disadvantages, he gave a terrific effort at the straight,” added jockey Ryan Moore.’

The best handicapped horse in Britain and Ireland

1018: Hello again.

I hope everyone is well and looking forward to the final day of the November Meeting. It looked a bit bleak and damp at the track by the time the last was run on Saturday but the sun is shining brightly, at least where I am, this morning and order has been restored.

Just the two non-runners through so far today with the going remain more or less the same through the three days as John Pullin no doubt explains in the video above. The feature race is the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle and it promises to be an excellent renewal with favourite Dysart Enos described in a few places as ‘the best handicapped horse in Britain and Ireland’.

She’s priced accordingly at 9/4 but this is far from an open goal as she faces a very different test on this move into handicap company plus there’s the presence of Burdett Road who has taken his flat form to a new level since he was last over hurdles and he, too, could be well handicapped if transferring that level of improvement back over obstacles.

It is far from a two horse race as you can tell from a glance of our various tipping columns although both Punting Pointers and Value Bet have alighted on the same outsider……the former’s column has just been published and can be read by clicking on the image below.

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