With the weights now revealed for the handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival, one horse has taken Steve Ryder’s eye on the opening day of the meeting.

Steve Ryder Cheltenham Ante-Post Tips 

Stumptown - Ultima Handicap Chase 

Gavin Cromwell has a fantastic record in the UK this season with 11 winners from 44 runners (25% strike rate) and that is enhanced when you break it down to just Cheltenham where it is seven winners from 19 runners (37% strike rate). 

One of those winners was STUMPTOWN (14/1 ante-post on Sky Bet), who was an impressive five length winner here on New Year’s Day over 3m1½f off a mark of 142. He has been given a mark of 148 for the Festival this year which rules out the Kim Muir so this is his only target so I have personally backed him ante-post at 14/1 rather than 10/1 available NRNB. 

Stumptown fits a lot of the trends for the Ultima Handicap Chase. Novice/second season chasers have won 11 out of the last 14 renewals and eight of the last 12 winners have had a minimum of two runs at Cheltenham. 

He qualifies for that trend following his neck 2nd in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase at the festival last season behind Angels Dawn off a mark of 135 when 5 ½ lengths clear of the third. The first-time blinkers last time meant that he put in a career best performance and he looks sure to run well once again with bookmakers already offering five places on the race.   

Advised Bet: Stumptown 14/1 ante-post on Sky Bet (1pt E/W) or 10/1 (NRNB)

Stumptown - 1pt e/w