Hi all,
All eyes will be on Cheltenham for day two of the November meeting. Once more ITV are covering four races live from the track. The feature race and big race of the weekend is the is the Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.15) which has £90,032 on offer to the winner. The good prize money has attracted a maximum field of 20 handicap chasers.
The supporting card is good and includes the Grade 2 Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (12.30), a Grade 2 novice chase (1.40) which like yesterday’s novice chase has attracted another poor field of just four runners. There’s also a Mares’ Listed National Hunt Flat races (3:55) that closes the card. Add in another three decent sized handicaps all on live ITV and you have what looks a strong card.
ITV will also show two Listed Flat races from Lingfield, the Golden Rose Stakes (3.05) and the Churchill Stakes (3.40).
In shorter than normal preview I have selections in the four handicaps at Cheltenham and one from Lingfield.
Cheltenham
1:05 – Jewson Tool Hire Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (Class 3) – 3m 1f
Strictlyadancer is a progressive staying handicap chaser who built on the promise of his Chepstow reappearance when winning over C&D at the last meeting. He’s up 5lb for that win but he’s at the right end of the handicap and remains capable of better.
2:15 – Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3) – 2m 4f
Protektorat and Lalor head the ante post betting. Protektorat has a touch of class. The 6-year-old won a C&D novice chase at the meeting and won the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree on his final start of last season. A solid jumper of a fence but he may be found out for speed on a good ground.
Lalor has been one of the best backed horses in the ante post after trainer Paul Nicholls had said in his stable tour that he’d inherited a well handicapped horse from previous trainer Kayley Woollacott. Of the front two in the betting, he appeals more of the pair.
My two against the field are:
Zanza made a pleasing seasonal return when a3 ¾ lengths 3rd of 6 to Eldorado Allen in Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter 11-days ago. The 7-year-old’s form figures on his second run of the season are a healthy 112. He’s unexposed over 2m 4f and the way he races this trip should suit him. Interestingly trainer Philip Hobbs has an excellent record with his runners in November/December having their second seasonal start – 62 winners from 284 runners 22% +104.43 118 placed 42% (+218.86 to BFSP).
Midnight Shadow put in an excellent effort from an 8-month absence when a 2 ½ length third of 8 to Allmankind in Old Roan Chase at Aintree last time.
He travelled like a nicely handicapped horse through the race and was upsides the race fit winner Allmankind two out. The 8-year-old only lost second in the final strides and will be all the better for that run. Would have been a good winner of the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup here last December but for the presence of Chatham Street Lad. Just 1lb higher than in the Old Roan Chase and looks a big player.
2:50 – Paddy Power Games Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) – 3m
Ballymillsy returned from a 7-month absence with a win in a Newton Abbot handicap hurdle last month. The 5-year-old is up 8lb for that win but could yet develop into a very useful staying hurdler.
Onagatheringstorm won two of his three starts in novice company in the spring. He returned for the first time since May 11 lengths 3rd of 8 in novice over C&D last month. Looks the sort to do better over fences in time but better can be expected on his handicap debut for n inform yard.
3:25 – Paddy Power Feel Like A Favourite Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) – 2m 5f
Aside from the feature race this looks the most competitive race on today’s card.
Pyramid Place hails from the inform Milton Harris yard. The 4-year-old proved a useful juvenile hurdler last season winning three of his eight starts and returned from a 6-month layoff with a ¾ length 2nd of 11 at Chepstow last month. He has stamina for 2m 5f to prove and might be better with more ease in the ground but he showed at Chepstow that could be effective on good ground.
As we saw on Friday its worth keeping the Irish raiders onside so you must respect the claims of Capilano Bridge. The 6-year-old won a heavy ground handicap hurdle at Naas in January off 16lb lower and ended last season with a 12 lengths 2nd of 25 to an improving young hurdler at the Punchestown Festival. He showed he stayed 3m at Punchestown so there are no stamina issues and Shane Fitzgerald takes off a handy 5lb. Set for a big run if ready to roll on his seasonal return.
Lingfield
3:40 – Churchill Stakes (Listed Race) (All Weather Championships Fast-Track Qualifier) (Class 1) – 1m 2f
Pyledriver is the class act of the race having won the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom on his last start in June. Has a 7lb Group 1 penalty to give away to his nine rivals today and he could find the trip on the sharp side around here.
No issues with the distance for Felix who finished runner-up in the Winter Derby Trial and the Winter Derby over C&D early in the year and then finished a 4-length 3rd of 12 in the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan on World Cup night. Two low key efforts on grass in June/July and returns from a 119-day break. However, the 5-year-old has gone well fresh and won off an even longer absence in January.
Dubai Warrior won this race last year when trained by John Gosden and that was his third C&D win. Not anywhere his best on two starts early in the year for previous yard. Has since switched to the David Loughnane yard and he wasn’t much better on his first start for his new yard when last of 10 in a Group 3 at Dundalk in September. He likely needed his first start since March last time but you have liked to have seen him run better than he did. Foolish to totally dismiss back over a C&D that suits and if he was to bounce back to last year’s best he would be hard to beat.
Betting Advice:
Cheltenham
1:05 – 1pt win – Strictlyadancer – 9/2 @ Bet365
2:15 – 1pt win – Midnight Shadow- 12/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes and 1pt win – Zanza – 10/1 @ Bet365
2:50 – 1pt win – Ballymillsy – 5/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes and 1pt win – Onagatheringstorm – 8/1 @ Bet365
3:25 – 0.5pts win – Pyramid Place -12/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes and 0.5pts win win – Capilano Bridge – 18/1 @ Coral & Paddy Power
Lingfield
3:40 – 0.5pts win – Dubai Warrior – 9/1 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook
Cheers
John