Cheltenham Tips: Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

A bigger field than anticipated for what appears on paper a stellar renewal of the big two-mile novice chase and despite the home team represented in a strong way by form horse Edwardstone, the raiding party might just steal the prize from under their noses again with RIVIERE D’ETEL (best price 9-2).

Useful over hurdles despite not having top class form to her name, Gordon Elliott’s mare has since taken her game to another level since switching disciplines, and if it wasn’t for the odd error here and there, she could easily arrive here unbeaten over fences. Following three straight wins earlier in the campaign – including one in a sensational time figure at Navan – the daughter of Martaline was pitched into Grade 1 company at Leopardstown over the Christmas period and although she came up a bit short on the day, her performance behind the top-class Ferny Hollow was arguably one of her best. Sent back to the Dublin venue to contest the Irish Arkle last time, she appeared to have matters in control until diving at the last, and although she rallied to the cause on the run-in, the ground and momentum lost on Blue Lord proved a bridge too far. That said, she was gaining hand over fist on her old rival in the dying strides and taking the view that she would have won comfortably bar that costly mistake, she rates the value bet to turn around the form from 38 days ago and prove that once again, the Irish form is far superior.

A race where the Irish last tasted victory back in 2006, so for once it’s best to concentrate on the home-based runners and, with lightly-raced novices’ also faring particularly well in recent times (10 of last 13 novices or second season chasers), both GERICAULT ROQUE (best price 12-1) and FANTASTIKAS (best price 14-1) fit the bill neatly.

Although not quite as classy as former stable star Un Temps Pour Tout just yet, David Pipe’s gelding has many similar attributes to the dual winner of this race (2016 and 2017) being a lightly-raced novice with series of good, solid performances behind him prior to coming here and all four of his races over fences so far to date have strongly suggested it won’t be too long before he’s dining at the top table. Promising on his first chase start at Wetherby back in October, the son of Montmatre has followed with a trio of placed efforts in quality handicaps and a repeat of either one of the three should see him go close off today’s mark. His performance when forcing the smart Pat’s Fancy to pull out all the stops at Chepstow three runs back reads well given what the winner has gone on to achieve (now rated 143) and he followed that up by filling out the same position in the Mandarin Handicap at Newbury. A quality heat based on the speed figure, the race in question has worked out as well as the numbers suggested it might with the likes of Nestor Park, Run To Milan and Innisfree Lad all winning since and he went on to back up the same form line himself with another useful display in the Classic Chase at Warwick last time. Although he couldn’t quite lay a glove on the winner, who got into a lovely rhythm up front, the six-year-old impressed with the way he jumped and travelled in a strongly-run, big-field environment and with that kind of experience sure to have done wonders for his mental attitude more than anything else, he should be just about ready to pull all his strands of knowledge together and face his biggest task to date head on.

The latter also appeals as a lightly-raced type capable of loads of improvement and, unlike the main selection, at least he’s proven over the Cheltenham fences. Despite being not quite in the same class as subsequent Grade 1 winner L’Homme Presse here back in January, he jumped and travelled as well as anything and since then it’s been a toss-up for connections between this race and the National Hunt Chase. His latest effort en-route to coming here saw him produce a game victory over the smart Queenofhearts in a titanic dual in the mud at Lingfield and with the feature of that success once again being his sure-footed jumping, a bold show looks a distinct possibility hailing from a stable in red-hot form.

Honeysuckle, 14-14 and carrying the weight of nation’s hopes and dreams, will be a great tonic for the sport and general bonhomie of the crowd after two years since crowds were permitted, but whether she deserves to be quite so short in the betting based on what she’s achieved so far this season is open to debate. Taking such a huge chunk out of the market as she does, there are plenty of other ways to obtain better value in this race – especially when you whittle the field down to just a few logical dangers – and of those in that category, both five-year-olds ADAGIO (best 25-1) and TEAHUPOO (best price 10-1) appeal as decent each-way alternatives at their respective odds.

The former has had his entire campaign geared around this race ever since finishing a creditable runner-up in last season’s Triumph and both his two performances either side of the New Year strongly suggest he’s still on an upward curve. To carry 11-12 for a juvenile in what’s turned out to be a above-average renewal of the Greatwood Hurdle in terms of subsequent form has to go down as a terrific effort and following a 97-day break, he turned in a career-best display by forcing track specialist, Goshen, to pull out all the stops in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton recently. Not knocked about once Tom Scudamore recognised he couldn’t beat Gary Moore’s gelding at the West Country venue, the kindness he afforded his mount could well turn out to be a blessing in disguise and with a career record at Presbury Park that reads an impressive 2122, his odds in the ‘with and without the favourite’ markets looks to be slightly out of kilter with his consistency.

The latter has only suffered defeat once in a seven-race career and his campaign - with nice gaps between each race - looks to have gone like clockwork. Good when defeating Quilixios by a wide margin at Naas on his seasonal bow, the son of Masked Marvel had to dig a little deeper to confirm the form with his old rival at Limerick next time, but it was most recent victory at Gowran which really caught the eye. On a day when the demanding ground meant nothing was finishing to any great degree, he was the only horse to show a turn of foot from two out and his overall time figure and backend sectionals backed up that view. One of the few in the race where we just don’t know the sealing of his improvement ends, Teahupoo also makes plenty of each-way appeal.

Gordon Elliott has won this race with two high-class mares in recent times (Black Tears and Apples Jade) and the Cullentra House handler looks to have another live candidate in this year’s renewal in the shape of QUEENS BROOK (NAP) (best price 4-1).

Third in the 2020 Champion Bumper behind Ferny Hollow and Appreciate It, the daughter of Shirocco has proved equally as smart since joining the hurdling ranks and her latest effort at Punchestown strongly suggests there could be more to come. A good six to seven lengths behind Burning Victory after a mistake two out, the seven-year-old managed to whittle the margin to just over a length at the line and with the time figure pretty useful, her effort in defeat can be upgraded. Moreover, she was reportedly not quite fully fit according to all the post-race chat, so if she does come forward as anticipated, her record of yet to finish out of the first three in eight career starts should remain intact.

The Irish appear to have this contest by the short and curlies in recent times and, according to all the pre-race chat, Gaelic Warrior is the one most likely to keep the prize in the grasp of the visitors. However, his price doesn’t offer much in the way of value to the common man in the street whereas THE TIDE TURNS (best price 7-1) and DOCTOR BROWN BEAR (best price 25-1) both do.

The former represents a stable who has landed this prize three times in the last decade and with one of that trio – Flaxen Flare - coming here following a decent effort in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle, it makes sense to focus on the son of Sea The Moon. Not quite good enough to cope with the likes of Vauban and Fil D’or at the Dublin venue, attentions were drawn towards the Boodles after that defeat and with his qualifying run coming in a quality Grade 3 against the older horses at Gowran last time, a mark of 137 looks more than workable. Not knocked about in the closing stages, today’s better surface should see him in a much better light and with the first-time tongue-tie added, the chestnut makes more appeal than most.

The latter has been up against some of the best Irish juveniles in all five runs and he looks an interesting new recruit for Martin Brassil. Off since finishing a close-up fourth in a hot maiden hurdle at Leopardstown back in December, his opening mark of 123 appears lenient given the likes of the winner, Vera Verto Brazil, Man O’ Work and Justicialism have all won since and at 25-1, he’s worth more than a second look.