GYTO Wednesday Notebook Tips

I can’t wait to see FACILE VEGA let loose in the Champion Bumper! The way this horse won at the DRF last month was one of the most impressive performances in a National Hunt Flat Race that I have ever witnessed and that opinion has very much been backed up by his trainer Willie Mullins since. He showed an effortless cruising speed and left rivals standing to saunter home by 12 lengths. I know the yard saddle a few and Patrick Mullins has been talking up Redemption Day but he rides Facile Vega and to me this Walk In The Park gelding looks to have a really bright future. The scary thing is he is likely to improve again for racing in a race that will be run at an end-to-end gallop and I can just picture him coming there swinging before showing the best acceleration up the hill. American Mike is respected but his sire have never had a Cheltenham winner.

This looks a straight shootout between the top 2 in the market but I’m keen to side with DIDEROT for James Ferguson. This son of Bated Breath has progressive form and ran out an impressive winner over this trip at Chelmsford on return in January. Since then he has bumped into Shoot To Kill losing out by just a neck and then My Oberon at Southwell. Both of them runs would be good enough to win this and with further improvement to come he gets a confident vote to return to winning ways. Imperial Command is the obvious threat as he is a horse I like too and he won going away over C&D last month. The second Coase is a very decent yardstick so that form shouldn’t be knocked. Of the rest Star Shield ties in with the latter having beaten him on penultimate start so also has to be respected but he did run a bit flat last time so needs to bounce back here.