After bagging 11pts profit in his Chepstow tips, Jake Price is back with six best bets for Friday at Cheltenham.
Cheltenham 13:15 – Handicap Hurdle – 2m4f
Tip 1: French Ship - 1pt Each-Way - 5 Places
13/2 widely available at the time of publishing.
A 20 runner Handicap Hurdle to kick off the new season at Cheltenham – some turn out! Considering this is only a £25,000 prize, I am surprised it has shaped up as competitive as a race like the Silver Trophy, but at the prices I am more than willing to give FRENCH SHIP a chance at redemption following his untimely exit after the third last 13 days ago.
Such was his chance at Chepstow he ended up being sent off a 7/2 shot for the race, and I thought he was still travelling as good as anything in a prominent position when jumping the third last at the top of the home straight. Unfortunately however, he just clipped the top bar, before coming down a few strides after the obstacle. Whilst it is impossible to say if he would have gone on to win, the majority of Horses around him weakened out of contention, but I believe he had a lot more in the tank left to give.
Unchanged from a mark of 128, as long as he can Jump a little better and this race doesn’t come too soon, I still think he is a very well-treated Horse based upon his form last season against the likes of Let It Rain, The New Lion, and Califet En Vol. He won’t mind whatever the ground does, unlike some of the more Summer types who wouldn’t want much more rain to arrive.
Cheltenham 14:25 – Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle – 2m½f
Tip 2: Rubber Ball - 1pt Win
13/2 widely available at the time of publishing.
There were plenty of Horses who were double entered between this race and the opening Handicap Hurdle over 2m4f, but with the likes of Jazzy Matty and Bowensonfire not turning up here, the equal and opposite effect of the opener being so competitive is that this race looks a lot weaker. With that in mind, I think it presents a perfect opportunity for RUBBER BALL on his Handicap debut,
This 5yo enjoyed a productive season as a Novice Hurdler last season – starting off with two placed efforts behind Ma Shantou (129) and then Vanderpoel (128) at Warwick and Huntingdon respectively. In January however connections found him a brilliant opportunity at Uttoxeter which saw him justify odds of 1/2, before he then put in his best effort of the season at Newbury in February.
Contesting a very competitive 2m Novices’ Hurdle under his 6lbs winners penalty, he picked up really well to see off Tutti Quanti (130) by a length, whilst also having the Mare Kientzheim (118) a further 4 lengths adrift. That good performance earnt him the right to have a go at the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at the Aintree Festival in April, but at the end of a long season and upped in class you can forgive him finishing 9th of 9 at the top level.
Now finally into the much calmer waters of Handicap company, a mark of 128 certainly doesn’t look beyond him – and most importantly Neil King seems to have his string quite forward for this time of year too, with Lookaway only beaten half a length at Uttoxeter last week before the yard recorded a double at Fakenham.
Cheltenham 15:00 – Oddschecker Novices’ Hurdle – 2m½f
Tip 3: Un Sens A La Vie - 1.5pt Win
15/8 widely available at the time of publishing.
My strongest fancy of the day on Friday is UN SENS A LA VIE, who could simply be a class above his rivals here if building on the promise he has already shown in his short career to date.
This Loughrea point-to-point winner cost £180,000 at the Cheltenham November Sales when joining the Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies team, and he made his debut for the yard 128 days later at Market Rasen in February. It was a bit of an odd race that day with one of the outsider’s saddles slipping, causing them to bolt off to the front. After that horse pulled up however, Sam Twiston-Davies took up the running, and effortlessly cruised to a 3.5 length success over Espresso Milan under a hands and heels ride.
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This 5yo made his Hurdles debut back at Market Rasen just 10 days ago, but having been sent off the 2/7f he certainly won in the style of a horse miles clear of his rivals. Making all of the running, he jumped well for the main but made quite a bad novicey mistake at the penultimate flight. Quickening up down to the last however he absolutely pinged it, before scooting clear to a 7.5 length success on the bridle.
He clearly has plenty of speed then, and if he can brush up his jumping from that first outing as you would expect him to do, then he could take some stopping for the in-form Twiston-Davies stable. The biggest concern would be the short turnaround, but Sam Twiston-Davies said in his winners interview 10 days ago that he didn’t have a hard race, and that this Graded contest would come under serious consideration.
Cheltenham 16:10 – Novices’ Hurdle (Class 2) – 2m4f
Tip 4: Dalston Lad - 1pt Win
3/1 bet365. 11/4 William Hill. 5/2 widely available.
Dan Skelton has a brilliant team of Bumper Horses to send Novice Hurdling this season, but one that is towards the top of my list in terms of an exciting prospect is DALSTON LAD.
This Dromahane P2P winner was a very impressive winner of his Bumper on debut for the yard at Ayr this time last year, beating subsequent winners Bespoke Tailor and Stride On by 9 lengths when still clearly learning his trade on the job under Harry Skelton.
Not seen again until Boxing Day, this 5yo then ran in another Bumper at Aintree – when having to shoulder a 4lbs winners penalty. Visibility was very much reduced that day due to fog, but when they emerged in the final furlong he had made all of the running, coming away from The Blue Room to score by 2 lengths.
The form of that Bumper is pretty ridiculous mind, with The Blue Room, Swindon Village, Race To Base and Is This For Real all winning since, and looking good Novice Hurdle prospects in their own rights. Connections decided to send DALSTON LAD to the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, but that race just was a bit too much too soon in his career, and he could only manage 15th.
Dropping back into much calmer waters on Hurdles debut is going to suit him much better, and considering the fashion in which he won his Bumpers by grinding them out, you’d have to say that stepping up in trip to 2m4f is another big positive. There are a few nice types in here, but if he is ready to go first time up, then he holds massive claims.
Cheltenham 16:45 – Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase – 3m1f
Tip 5 & 6: Regarde & Rockinastorm - Both 0.5pts Each Way - 5 Places
The concluding 3m1f Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chae is always a competitive affair, but I thought a very good case could be made for two Horses who have the best jockeys in the race on board, that don’t usually come across this early in the season.
First is Barry O’Neill, who is a very eye-catching booking for Jamie Snowden’s REGARDE. Barry actually rode this Horse 3 times back in his P2P career, but since moving to England he has been a bit of a slow burner. Last season was his most productive yet however, starting with a win at Kempton in October on his seasonal reappearance, beating Almazhar Garde (123) by 3.75L.
Following wind surgery in January and a 90 day break, he then returned to the winners enclosure at Haydock in March – this time beating next time winner Duke Of Deception (122) off a mark of 117 when staying on strongly over 3m4½f. He finished his season at Cheltenham in April when 2nd behind Ask Brewster (129) who boosted that form no end at Chepstow earlier this month, and he’s now undergone another wind-operation over the Summer.
An unchanged mark of 120 does not look beyond him, and his record fresh for the yard reads 4111, so this could be the time to catch him. The main concerns are whether this 3m1f trip is far enough for him these days, and how much rain he will want is also up for debate.
The second rider is Patrick Mullins, and his mount ROCKINASTORM looks to have equally strong claims. Last season he was progressive for the Henry Daly team, as following an effort at the Chepstow season opener meeting, he went to Ludlow and landed a 3m1½f Handicap Chase off a mark of 113, beating The Kniphand (127) and having a below-par Ask Brewster way behind.
Following up at Wetherby in December, he relished the soft ground when staying on to beat Are U Wise To That (122), and at Ascot in January he ran a really promising race to finish 2nd behind Venetia Williams’ useful In d’Or (133). Connections decided to try marathon trips with him on his next two starts, but I don’t think he really stays that far – as he weakened out of contention at both Bangor (3m5½f) and Haydock (3m4½f), with that latest 3rd place effort seeing him finish 5.25L behind Regarde.
Considering he still led at the 3m1f stage in that race and is now 7lbs better off at the weights with our other selection it puts him bang into contention, but the main concern is whether Henry Daly will have him forward enough to win first time up – as his record fresh reads 513. If he is ready to go though, then he certainly won’t mind the rain.
REGARDE 0.5pts EW (5 Places) @ 7/1
ROCKINASTORM 0.5pts EW (5 Places) @ 8/1
