Cheltenham Tips: Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

Eight of the last 10 winners of this wide-open handicap hurdle have been won by an Irish-trained horse or Nicky Henderson (yard out of form) and there’s a decent chance the former of those trends will continue with either BUILT BY BALLYMORE (tipped at 7/1) or WESTERN FOLD (tipped at 28/1) coming up trumps for the visitors. 

The former represents a stable who have suffered a couple of near misses in this race in recent times and Martin Brassil’s gelding looks just the type to make amends.

A scopey, chasing sort with plenty of room for improvement, he first sprung to prominence when running away with a novice hurdle on bottomless ground at Limerick back in December and he duly followed up in a much better race at Punchestown last time out. 

Despite racing lazily at times, he still had too much stamina in the conditions for his rivals late on and the way he hit the line suggested he might be seen to even greater effect over further in time.

A difficult one for the handicapper to assess, his opening mark of 139 could go one way of the other but with conditions set to stay similar  to what they were on day one, his ability to keep galloping in the mud will count for more than just pure weights and measures. 

The latter improved massively for being switched off behind the speed at Down Royal last time out and he has a similar profile to many previous winners of this race. Two lightly-raced five-year-olds have captured this prize in the last decade and Gordon Elliott has also won it twice in the same time frame, so he ticks quite a few boxes. 

Moreover, his time figure from the Co Down venue suggests he’s not far off graded class and he will also handle the ground better than most. 

An unusually small field for this two-mile handicap but finding the winner will be no easier. Saint Roi has been campaigned as though this race has been the plan all season but he will need to jump and travel a good deal sweeter than he did at the DRF last time, so he is passed over in favour of PATH D’OROUX (tipped at 11/1). 

Although he’s yet to win in seven chase starts, Gavin Cromwell’s gelding has showed up well against some smart novices and his runs in both his handicaps chases also command respect. 

Unlucky not to land the first of them at Leopardstown back in December when knocked over at the last, the seven-year-old went on to chase home the improving Madara over the same C&D on his most recent start.

On the evidence of those two efforts, a strongly run two mile suits him best and with the cheekpieces on for the first time, he could turn out to be a dangerous floater with a slicker round of jumping than has sometimes been the case in the past. 

Arguably one of the most wide-open Champion Bumpers ever run, backed up by the fact Willie Mullins feels the urge to run nine – suggesting even the greatest of all Cheltenham trainers hasn’t got a Scooby. 

Whether Paul Townend’s decision to opt for CANTICO (tipped at 12/1) proves to be genius or total guesswork only time will tell but in choosing the son of Diamond Boy over the others, he at least is riding a horse who has already posted a speed figure to prove that he stays a well-run two miles well. 

In keeping with how most of the Closutton bumpers horse are ridden, the five-year-old set out to make all at Navan a month ago and in maintaining a relentless gallop throughout, he readily disposed of his four rivals.

The likeable feature of that performance at the Co Meath track was how balanced he looked coming down from the top of the hill to the final furlong at pace and when asked to go about his work up the gradient the other side, he stretched out in pleasing fashion. 

Probably not the most robust or sexiest of his stable’s runners, he might, however, prove to be the most straightforward in terms of race craft and with both his two career victories achieved on heavy ground, he will be at home under today’s conditions more than most. 

Gordon Elliott also has a strong representation and the one who makes the most appeal at the odds is THE YELLOW CLAY (best price 10-1). 

Having his first outing for 314 days in easily the hottest bumper run so far this season at the DRF, the five-year-old coming with what looked a potent challenge two furlongs from home but at this point he got badly stopped in his run and any chance he had of winning were quashed. 

Rallying well to the cause, the way he stayed on in the latter stages suggested he would gone close if he’d obtained a clear run and based on that theory, the son of Yeats has to rate shortlist material.

PEARLY ISLAND (tipped at 4/1) has been plying his trade in slightly better company than what he faces here this afternoon and hailing from his local yard whose runners are always respected at this track, Lucy Wadham’s gelding can get off the mark over fences at the sixth attempt. 

Although no match for the well-treated Invincible Nao at Fakenham the overall speed figure and final circuit time suggested he’d run as well as he’d done on his previous starts and a repeat of a similar level of form – or his third to the useful Ballycamus at Newbury – should ensure he’s a big player back in Class 5 company.