UK Horse Racing Tips: Cheltenham

This is likely to be run at a frenetic pace with both Allmankind and Goshen in the line-up. The former landed a Grade 2 over course and distance in December before taking Chepstow's Finale Juvenile Hurdle, thrashing Cerberus by nine lengths, while Goshen is unbeaten since switching to timber, winning in comfortable fashion on each occasion. Navajo Pass is another who likes to go from the front and is a live outsider for the north. However, it was hard not to be impressed with SOLO's 13-length romp in the Adonis at Kempton, which came on his first outing for Paul Nicholls. The Ditcheat handler has taken this path to Triumph success in the past and the son of Kapgarde looks a real star in the making. The selection's stablemate Sir Psycho drew clear in likeable fashion at Haydock and gives the champion trainer a handy second dart in this. Aspire Tower looks the pick of the Irish, but a fall at the last when about to be challenged at Leopardstown opened the door for A Wave Of The Sea on that occasion, and there shouldn't be much between them here.
Prediction : 1st Solo 2nd Allmankind 3rd Goshen

Dan Skelton has won three of the last four renewals of this and relies on Mohaayed this time, who has undergone wind surgery since last running and is only 3lb higher than when winning this in 2018. However, it could be Willie Mullins who has the strongest hand here with his five runners, the pick of which could well be CIEL DE NEIGE. The five-year-old was third in the Fred Winter here last year and is only 4lb higher than when going down bravely in defeat when second in the Betfair Hurdle last month. Aramon possesses a touch of class and is another Closutton contender to consider, with stablemates Buildmeupbuttercup and Tiger Tap Tap also noted. If Newbury's Betfair Hurdle form is key, then it is foolish to ignore Nigel Twiston Davies' pair of Sir Valentine (fourth) and Stolen Silver (eigth), with Philip Hobbs' pair of Zanza (sixth) and Oakley (seventh) splitting that pair. Adjali appears well treated if a recent wind operation does the trick, while Gordon Elliott's Thatsy and fellow Irish raider You Raised Me Up, third in a competitive Leopardstown handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival, could run well at longer odds.
Prediction : 1st Ciel De Neige 2nd Mohaayed 3rd Aramon

Last year's Champion Bumper third THYME HILL has made an excellent beginning to his jumping career, winning a duo of Grade 2's at Chepstow and here at the November Meeting, and he arrives on the back of success at the highest level when landing the Challow Hurdle at Newbury. That contest doesn't boast the strongest of records in horses following up in March but, that being said, the six-year-old is open to further progression tackling 3m and this classy operator bids to follow in the footsteps of Wichita Lineman (2007). Latest Exhibition has improved with each outing over timber and relished the step up to 2m6f at the Dublin Racing Festival when proving too strong for Cobbler's Way (second) and Fury Road (fourth). Harry Senior continues to go the right way and was at his strongest in the closing stages when taking an extended 2m4f Grade 2 here on Trials Day, a race that has seen three winners of it follow up in this event. Monkfish, a wide-margin winner at Thurles, and Sempo, who finished sixth in the Champion Bumper 12 months ago, are others worth considering.
Prediction : 1st Thyme Hill 2nd Latest Exhibition 3rd Harry Senior