ITV Racing Tips from Architect Tips for the Showcase Meeting at Cheltenham.
13:15 Cheltenham
BEFORE MIDNIGHT (best price 7/1) travelled very well on his return at Chepstow over hurdles, where he looked the most likeliest winner at one stage before the petrol gauge flickered and he will be a lot fitter now with that run under his belt.
Trainer Fergal O’Brien was clearly using that race as a preparatory run and he can return to fences off a really workable mark. For the last couple of seasons, he has been running in high-quality handicaps and has winning form over course-and-distance off a pound higher mark.
Ben Sutton can offset a further seven pounds and the fact he placed four times last season off marks in the 140s does make him well-handicapped off this lower mark now that the handicapper has relinquished the grip, especially being eight pounds below his last win.
In addition, he is a very nimble jumper, who is proven in tougher company and is on a really low weight with his jockey’s claim taken into account. With firms offering four places generally, he is one of the more appealing runners in the field and is worthy of a bet.
13:50 Cheltenham
Blueking D’oroux is a short-priced favourite having backed up his win at Ascot with a second at Aintree but he is up 11 pounds and doesn’t represent much value. Instead, I want to take a chance on Dan Skelton’s PUNTA DEL ESTE (best price 10/1), whose last two performances haven’t vindicated his capabilities and is worth another chance to showcase his true colours.
This four-year-old shaped with plenty of promise when third on stable debut at Haydock behind Bo Zenith and although he could only finish about midfield in the Boodles at the Cheltenham Festival, he did run a lot better than the finishing position implied and that was evidently a much harder race than the one he will contest back in the Cotswolds here.
He was behind the favourite when only seventh at Ascot last time but raced far too keenly and either way, it is interesting to see him back at Cheltenham for his reappearance. Despite being worse off at the weights with Paul Nicholls’ charge, he is better than he has shown the last twice and should still have more to offer.
