Bravemansgame has come in from 33/1 to 16/1 for the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival 2023 after a 3½ length success in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.
Bravemansgame reverses the form at Wetherby
The weekend’s most anticipated race came at Wetherby as two former Grade 1 winners faced off in the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase. These two met at the end of last season in the G1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase where the Lucinda Russell-trained Ahoy Senor came up on top.
However, the form could not be backed up on Saturday, with Bravemansgame picking up a 3½ length victory. Trainer Paul Nicholls announced after the race that Saturday’s winner is on track for the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, where he is a general 9/4 joint-favourite (5/2 best) with Allaho.
Meanwhile, Bravemansgame has shortened from 33/1 to 16/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Ahoy Senor has drifted from 10/1 to 25/1 for the same race.
BRAVEMANSGAME 2/1 WINS THE CHARLIE HALL CHASE!
— oddschecker Racing (@oddsRacing) October 29, 2022
He has been cut from 6/1 into as low as 9/4 for the King George!
@itvracingpic.twitter.com/keTzEtXgUf
Proschema delivers strong showing in the bet365 Hurdle
We have a new potential player in the Stayers’ Hurdle division as Proschema has been priced up at 20/1 following an impressive 10-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2 bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby.
Trainer Dan Skelton announced post-race that the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury will be the next target for the seven-year-old. A couple of firms have priced him up as a 20/1 shot for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival 2023.
PROSCHEMA 9/2 goes one better than last year in the Bet365 Hurdle!
— oddschecker Racing (@oddsRacing) October 29, 2022
Harry Skelton with a tremendous ride!
@itvracingpic.twitter.com/g5ihqy8FAO
Andy Holding Says:
A perfectly satisfactory comeback by Bravemansgame, but at the same time, connections of the likes of A Plus Tard (4/1) and Galopin Des Champs (7/2) will be hardly quaking in their boots.
It was very much a case of he did all he needed to do on his first run of the season and it was a performance that sets him up nicely for a tilt at the King George - his main objective of the campaign.
Regarding his Gold Cup prospects, he still has to be considered as a doubtful stayer over 3m2f around Cheltenham so there's no reason to get carried away with some of the 16/1 ante-post quotes after this flimsy piece of evidence.
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At least Paul Nicholls' seven-year-old gave hope for his set of connections, whereas those close to Ahoy Senor must have left Wetherby scratching their heads. At no stage did Lucinda Russell's inmate look happy around a track that has suited in the past, so this has to go down as an alarming effort.
The only upside would come from the fact he's managed to bounce back before, so there still remains a bit of hope, but you would need a huge leap of faith to envisage him as one of the Gold Cup contenders on this evidence. His odds of 25/1 post race, therefore, make limited appeal.
