Architect Tips takes us through the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham before giving his prediction for the race.
Cleeve Hurdle
It is a huge day in the National Hunt calendar this Saturday, as Cheltenham hosts it’s Trials Day, which is the last stop at Prestbury Park before the four-day meeting kicks off in earnest in less than two months time.
With a high class nine-race programme set in place, it is a great opportunity for possible Cheltenham Festival contenders to put their preparations to the test. Here are my tips for the Cleeve Hurdle.
Cleeve Hurdle Runners & Preview
In the Cleeve Hurdle, Paisley Park goes for four wins in the race and has a clear chance on the back of an impressive display in the rescheduled Long Walk Hurdle over Christmas.
This fantastic servant has lots of quality form at Cheltenham and looks in even better shape than in previous years based on his two performances this season, so he is the one to beat.
Gelino Bello took a heavy fall over fences last time and is back over hurdles here. He is a good horse in his own right and did manage to win a Grade 1 over hurdles at Aintree but that was against a weak field and he has plenty to find on official ratings with Paisley Park. I am surprised he is as short as he is for this race and I am happy to oppose him now he is thrown into the lions den back over the smaller obstacles.
Dan Skelton’s Molly Olly’s Wishes is a good mare and gets her allowance but she was last of three last time and this race is even tougher, so she is overlooked. Botox Has was well beaten in the Relkeel last time and needs to find improvement but the most interesting runner is French raider Gold Tweet, who has extremely consistent form on home soil and could be suited to the step up in trip. However, can I see him beating Paisley Park? I can’t. He is passed over.
Cleeve Hurdle Tips & Prediction
Now I know he has 10 pounds to find with Paisley Park on official ratings and isn’t proven over three-miles over hurdles but DASHEL DRASHER (best price 4/1) is being considered as a possible Stayers’ Hurdle candidate by his handler Jeremy Scott and if those ambitions are to materialise then he will need to run a big race this weekend. He is the best each-way option against Paisley Park in this race in my assessment.
He won on his reappearance over timber at Aintree before finishing a decent second to Grand National winner Noble Yeats on a first try at three miles in the Many Clouds Chase when returned to Merseyside the following month. He couldn’t match the turn of foot by Marie’s Rock last time but battled to take second and that gives hope about him handling this longer trip. He will battle and will give it everything in order to try and take the title away from the favourite.
He does have the option of going back over fences if this plan doesn’t go the way his trainer hopes for but I have no doubt he has the class to really serve it up to the defending champion and conditions will hold no fears either. It is a shame this race is restricted to only two places but this 10-year-old is a Grade 1 winner and the fact that connections are persevering with him in this division makes him of interest at the odds here.
