Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Cheltenham

Leg 1 Selections: Perseus Way, Blueking D’oroux 

PERSEUS WAY was last seen winning on the Flat and that performance was backed up by the clock. He’s since joined the Gary Moore team with a view to being a hurdler and it’s interesting to see him pitched into this Grade Two event on his hurdles debut. He could take a lot of beating here if he puts in a fluent round of jumping on his hurdles/stable debut. BLUEKING D’OROUX is related to plenty of winners and ran well in a Listed event last time in France having made a really nice hurdles debut back in March. The original plan was to go for a valuable juvenile race in France so this race is clearly an afterthought but he’s held in high regard by Paul Nicholls and both himself and jockey Harry Cobden couldn’t be in better form, so with the potential to reach the very top, likewise to the former, he could make his presence felt in the opener here. 

Leg 2 Selections: Anightinlambourn, Castle Robin

Given the fine form of the Ben Pauling yard, it is difficult to see the progressive ANIGHTINLAMBOURN out of the frame here. He won a pair of minor events at Worcester and was then a half-a-length second of 20 to Jimmy The Digger in a similar event to this race over this C&D around three weeks ago. He was four lengths clear approaching the final fence, only to make a tiny mistake before getting collared in the final couple of strides. He has been hit with a six pound rise but Gina’s brother Jack takes over, who’s likely to produce him a little later. CASTLE ROBIN, who has the right sort of profile for this race. He won three of his first four starts over fences and returned to action with a solid fourth behind Sounds Russian at Kelso. That was in a higher-grade event than this race and he’s sure to strip fitter here with a lot more to come this season off the same mark for his in-form handler. 

Leg 3 Selections: Glory And Fortune, Pentland Hills 

I am a little surprised to see GLORY AND FORTUNE trading at much bigger odds. Last season’s Betfair Hurdle winner ran a belter to finish fifth in the Champion Hurdle, where he charged up the hill to be nearest the finish and had Tommy’s Oscar well held in ninth. He didn’t jump with any fluency on his two previous starts over fences but he’s improved enormously since then and shaped well when fourth in the Welsh Champion Hurdle last time on his return. PENTLAND HILLS is the only Grade 1 winner in the field and this two-time Grade 1 winner is a danger to all if he can produce something near his best. It was only a walkover he collected on his chase debut but connections seem keen to tackle this deep race and this seven-year-old was very nimble over his hurdles, so chasing could easily be his forte. 

Leg 4 Selections: Ga Law, Nassalam

GA LAW has never run at Cheltenham, which is the only caveat within his credentials but the six-year-old has a lot going for him here. He was a good novice chaser back in 2020/21, winning three on the spin, including a Grade Two before hitting the frame the next two times. He missed the whole of last season but made a promising return to action when an eye-catching third in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree three weeks ago. Provided his mount can jump as well as can and strip fitter for his promising return last time, he looks capable of going close here. NASSALAM enjoyed a first season over fences, winning three times including a Grade Two (fortunate winner for sure) and while he has a tendency to jump left, he’s finally returned to a left-handed track, which should see him leave his latest run behind. His only previous visit to Cheltenham was when midfield in the Boodles but he’s shown he’s a better chaser and his strike-rate under rules reads five wins and four seconds from just eleven starts. 

Leg 5 Selections: Paddleyourowncanoe

There’s a lot to like about the Dan Skelton-trained PADDLEYOUROWNCANOE, who has the ability to potentially capitalise on this mark back over hurdles. He made a positive start for this stable when third in a competitive event at Haydock off a mark of 135 and was pulled up in the Classic Chase at Warwick through no fault of his own when the reins become tangled which forced Harry to pull him up in the early stages. He wasn’t in the same form in his next few starts but he goes well fresh with a record of 31214 and is twelve pounds lower than when last successful in this sphere and gets into this race off a nice low-weight. He’s ran well twice at the Cheltenham Festival over hurdles and his experience of this venue is another positive within his chances, so with his stable amongst the winners, this eight-year-old has a good chance. 

Leg 6 Selections: Wiseguy, Forever William 

Nicky Henderson’s WISEGUY could make a winning return to action after a lay-off here. He beat the high-class Hillcrest on his debut and while his hurdles debut didn’t go according to plan, he made no mistake at Doncaster when last spotted. He gave the hurdles no respect that day but the fact that he was still able to win by seven lengths plus suggested he’s got a serious engine and a lot of ability. He was kept off afterwards due to an injury but he’s fit and well now and he makes his handicap debut off a really lenient mark of 119 here. 

The Alan King-trained FOREVER WILLIAM gets a speculative alternative vote, who makes a ton of appeal for place purposes at the very least in this race. A smart performer on the Flat, he has been in the frame in four of his five starts over hurdles with the exception of his only blip which came in the Boodles at the Cheltenham Festival. This four-year-old won on his hurdles debut before finishing third in a Grade 1 at Chepstow and then at this course in a Grade 2 behind Pied Piper. 

He was the only one able to go with the eventual winner, who’s boosted the form multiple times since, so it was a great effort in defeat and he made a respectable return at Chepstow last-time-out when second to Sonigino, who’s a leading player for tomorrow’s Greatwood Hurdle. He tends to come off the bridle quite a lot during his races but he finds a lot for pressure and this step up in distance could bring about improvement.