Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Cheltenham

Leg 1 Selections: Strong Leader, Marine Nationale, Tahmuras

Facile Vega is the favourite and whilst many expect him to bounce back and take the curtain-raiser, I am happy to oppose him on the back of his lacklustre display at the Dublin Racing Festival. His Champion Bumper form hasn’t worked out well either and I cannot recollect a novice to have run so bad in their prep-race and came back to win at the Festival. He might well prove me wrong but he isn’t for me at all. 

Instead, I am playing three against the field, firstly, one of the rank outsiders from the Olly Murphy stable, STRONG LEADER. Now the soft ground is unknown but you can compensate that by realising he’s been electric in all of his hurdles starts to date. He has won all three starts in great style, albeit at a lower level. He has displayed a deadly turn of foot in each of his latest two wins, particularly at Aintree, and his trainer has firmly targeted him at this race since. 

Olly Murphy has only had two runners in this race in the past and, essentially, both made the frame. He also has Chasing Fire in the field but I reckon the former has been taken lightly according to the odds and he ran well in a bumper here back in November when second. He has lots more to come and his turn of foot plus assured jumping will be an asset, so I can see him outrunning his double-figure digits. He is overpriced. 

MARINE NATIONALE is unbeaten in four starts, twice in bumpers and both times over hurdles. He won much easier than the margin indicated in Grade 1 company last time on soft ground and a strongly-run race here will only increase his chances. His connections are bullish about his credentials and, with plenty more to come, Barry Connell’s six-year-old has excellent claims. 

Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle winner TAHMURAS also merits plenty of respect for the Paul Nicholls team. He has a bit to find with the top two in the betting but he’s already established himself to be capable at the highest level as proven last time and the soft ground won’t hinder his chances either. His jumping will need to be more slick than last time but he’s a solid horse, who likewise to the other selections, is unbeaten over hurdles and is open to further progress.  

Leg 2 Selections: El Fabiolo

The eagerly-anticipated showdown between EL FABIOLO and Jonbon will be decided in leg two, the Sporting Life Arkle and I favour the former to take the spoils. Willie Mullins' charge won’t afford to get away with any mistakes this time but he will have learnt a lot from his latest impressive Grade 1 success at the Dublin Racing Festival.

His trainer has won this four times in the past as well and he will be absolutely fine on the soft ground. Moreover, he is the highest rated runner in the field and his chase form looks stronger than what Jonbon has achieved to date. Although his market rival is probably the better jumper of the two, his natural class is taken to shine with a lot more to offer and the stiff finish sure to play to his strengths. 

Leg 3 Selections: The Big Breakaway, Nassalam, Iceo Madrik

Onto leg three, the Ultima, and while a mark of 150+ can prove a difficult task in such a competitive event, the horse who does tick a lot of boxes worthy of an interest is the Joe Tizzard-trained THE BIG BREAKAWAY, who is guaranteed to handle the track, trip and soft ground. 

He ran a great race when last seen, finishing second of 17 in the Welsh Grand National over three-miles-six-furlongs, and has only been raised three pounds, which in essence, is lenient. Brendan Powell rode the winner of this race for connections back in 2013 when he partnered Golden Chieftain to success.

Given The Big Breakaway has much more natural ability of the two, he must have a strong each-way chance at huge odds. The last time he ran at the course was when he was a novice, in which he tried to go hammer-and-tongs with Monkfish in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, where he finished a creditable third. 

Gary Moore went close in this race in 2012 with Fruity O’Rooney and he could do so again with NASSALAM, who ran well here the last day, where he finished a staying-on third in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase.

Even before he ran in the Paddy Power Gold Cup when sixth at the November Meeting, I was convinced a step up in trip to more than three miles would suit plus he has lots of experience for a youngster. Both pieces of form have substance, especially his third behind Midnight River last time.

The fourth horse from that race, Il Ridoto, won on Cheltenham Trials’ Day when last spotted to advertise the strength of the form. He is a much better chaser than a hurdler and, if he can hold his pitch when the tempo quickens, he is capable of having a big say in the outcome. 

I’ll also add in David Pipe’s UK debutant ICEO MADRIK, who is the most interesting participant in the race and might have slipped in here under the radar off a potentially lenient mark based on his French form. He was second in a Grade 3 on his final start in France and has a lot of decent form on soft or worse ground. 

The fact that his connections have sent him straight to the Cheltenham Festival to contest this race speaks volumes of the sort of horse they think they have on their hands. Off a tiny weight, with Jack Tudor an interesting jockey booking, this five-year-old could be a fly in the ointment for a trainer who has won this three times in the past and twice in these silks for these owners.

Leg 4 Selections: State Man, Vauban

There appears to be very few chinks in the armour of Constitution Hill, who has won each start in superb style, but I am going to take him on here just in case he does bomb out. Willie Mullins has two decent chances in the race with STATE MAN and VAUBAN, who have their chance to defeat the potential superstar. 

The former has won all of his completed starts and looked all class when powering to Irish Champion Hurdle success when last spotted. He needs to prove he can live with the favourite but he’s unbeaten in Grade 1 events and if he can get to favourite out of the frame, that would eliminate a lot of units in the Champion Hurdle. 

The latter has finished behind him twice and needs to brush up on his jumping but he produced a great performance in winning the Triumph Hurdle at last year’s Festival and, with more to come, he could easily hit the frame should either his stablemate State Man or Constitution Hill underperform. 

Leg 5 Selections: Brandy Love, Love Envoi, Honeysuckle

The Mares Hurdle, which is leg four, is an absolute belter with two previous Champion Hurdle winners taking on a deep field. Epatante has proved no match for Constitution Hill twice this season but resumed winning ways at Doncaster last time and handles all types of conditions. However, she’s not proven over this distance at Cheltenham and might be worth opposing back against her own sex. 

Instead, I am willing to forgive the return of BRANDY LOVE, who could only finish third, and is better than she showed that day. She won a Grade 1 in Ireland last term going right-handed and her connections have stated going the other way around is what she wants. That latest return should have blown away the cobwebs and she should have more to come, so the seven-year-old must have solid place possibilities at the very least here with improvement forthcoming.

LOVE ENVOI will love conditions and is unbeaten in two starts this term. She won at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and her only defeat came in Ireland. She is a strong-traveller, who will be suited to this race, and it’s surprising she isn’t trading shorter in the betting. Harry Fry’s mare has a rock-solid each-way chance, while dual Champion Hurdle winner and former winner of this race HONEYSUCKLE is clear on ratings and is still the one to beat despite two subsequent reversals. 

Leg 6 Selections: Bad, Perseus Way, Jazzy Matty

Leg six is the Boodles and I like the claims of BAD, a promising youngster and after I observed his winning performance in Bordeaux, I was taken with the way he travelled and quickened away to score very easily. He has been given an opening mark of 126, which could turn out to be a gift, plus his latest win was on heavy ground, so conditions will be suitable. Rachael Blackmore catches the eye in the saddle and Ben Pauling’s charge could be seen to best effect in this race. 

PERSEUS WAY might have also been let in lightly off a mark of 132, who’s yet to finish out of the frame in all starts over hurdles and should have won last time, where a mistake at the last hurdle cost him success. He ran a blinder when second on his hurdles debut here, whilst his third behind Comfort Zone at Chepstow is a solid piece of form. He will be suited to the stiff finish at this course and makes solid appeal. A good Placepot choice. 

Finally, JAZZY MATTY was actually in front of Tekao on his penultimate start and the cheekpieces could see him showcase improvement ahead of his handicap debut. I feel as though Gordon Elliott has targeted him at this race and he should be a lot closer to the favourite in the betting. He wasn’t seen to the best effect behind Sir Allen last time but wasn’t beaten far in fourth and will have a massive pull in the weights.