Jake Price picks out his four best bets for Friday at the Cheltenham November Meeting.
13:10 Cheltenham
Tip 1: 13:10 Cheltenham - Conditional Jockey's Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) - 2m5f
This is an ultra competitive affair, but I thought amongst the best Handicapped in the race has to be A PAI DE NOM for the Dan Skelton team, and he benefits from the stable's second Jockey Tristan Durrell being able to ride and take off a handy 3lbs.
Second to Sober Glory on his Bumper debut last October, he made a very pleasing start to life over Hurdles in September at Newton Abbot when beating subsequent winner Maldini Milano by 2.5L, having cantered into the race under Hardy Skelton.
He then went back to Newton Abbot last month for another Novice Hurdle, but this time he of course had to carry a 6lbs winners penalty. Despite that burden he ran another very credible race however, this time tracking through the very talented Gentleman Toboot, and in the end he was only beaten 1.75L by that rival. Considering he was aiming to give away weight to what looks a very good prospect, I think he emerged with plenty of credit, and an opening Handicap mark of just 116 has clearly proved too tempting for connections to pass up.
13:45 Cheltenham
Tip 2: 13:45 Cheltenham - Veterans Middle Distance Handicap Chase (Class 2) - 2m4f
We don't get a cross-country this month due to the course being unraceable before the rainfall this week, but instead what we do get is a very competitive Veterans Handicap Chase over the 'middle distance' of 2m4f. That must have been music to the ears of FUGITIF's connections, and he surely has really strong claims here.
This horse has run 11 times at Cheltenham during his career, with form figures of 222413P5308. That win was in the 2023 December Gold Cup off 151, and as recently as last season he was 3rd in that same race off a mark of 150. Clearly he has started to struggle in all the usual Cheltenham Handicaps as he has got older and barely seen his mark drop (peaked at 157), but now he is a 10yo he can tackle Veterans company instead. In fact connections declared him for a Veterans Handicap at Warwick in February where he was a short-priced favourite, but they opted to instead run in the Grade 2 Denman Chase at Newbury where he was a respectable 6th.
If we concentrate on his Cheltenham record on just the Old course then his form figures are 245, and it was only 12 months ago he finished a very credible 5th in the Paddy Power off a mark of 152. Since then however he has finally seen his mark plummet, and he's now rated just 145 - his lowest rating since January 2023. What's more is that Charlie Maggs has been booked for the ride, and he takes off a crucial 5lbs in what has to be considered a class drop. Considering I don't think Gunsight Ridge stays 2m4f (especially at Cheltenham), I can see punters really latching onto the selection, and he will be hard to beat if ready to go first time up. The forecast rain will help his chances more than most.
15:30 Cheltenham
Tip 3: 15:30 Cheltenham - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) - 2m5f
This is a very competitive Grade 2 Novice Hurdle for the time of year, and you can see why market leader Heads Up is as short as he is. With his Maiden Hurdle form looking less than spectacular however I think a lot of faith has to be put into his Champion Bumper run, and as such I want to take him on with WELONLYHAVEDONE.
This Horse absolutely bolted up in his Maiden Hurdle at Galway in early October when scoring by 12 lengths, and connections decided to send him back to Galway just 19 days later for a Novice event over 2m4½f. Travelling extremely strongly into that context, he looked every bit the winner when jumping the last - but he just went through the top of the hurdle and came down on the other side.
Has he gone on to win that day then it would be a very solid piece of form too, with the eventual winner I'll Sort That a lovely horse in his own right, and priced up as 10/11f for the Grade 3 For Auction Novice Hurdle at Navan on Saturday. The other horse who would have been behind was Ma Jacks Hill, and again he is a nice type for Gordon Elliott who is as short as 4/1 for the Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan on Saturday. Gavin Cromwell is not in the greatest of form currently but we know this horse is fit, and he looks to have really solid claims here.
16:00 Cheltenham
Tip 4: 16:00 Cheltenham - Novices' Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) - 2m½f
If the forecast is correct then we will have had a biblical amount of rain by the time the last race on Friday rolls around, which could make plenty of the market leads vulnerable here considering most have been running over the last few weeks. One with plenty of experience and that handles softer ground however is SHADE OF WINTER, and I think he has a brilliant chance for Harry Cobden.
This 5yo was a Novice Hurdler last season, and he began his campaign with a low-key 3rd place behind The Winslow Boy (114) and Byzantium (114) at Chepstow. Stepping forward for that run considerably however, his next start over Christmas saw him finish 2nd behind Julius Des Pictons (138) in what can only be described as attritional conditions on Welsh National day.
He rounded off his campaign with another very credible effort when splitting Royal Rambler (127) and As Legends Have It (113) when tried over 2m3½f at Chepstow in February, but having led travelling best of all, he just didn't seem to really get home as strongly as the winner. Dropping back to 2m½f under what will hopefully be testing conditions could be just the ticket, and his official rating of 114 looks ripe for exploiting on Handicap debut.
SHADE OF WINTER 0.5pts EW (5 Places) @ 9/1
