Ryder heads into Friday’s racing with three confident selections across Cheltenham and Newcastle.
13:45 Cheltenham
Tip 1: 13:45 Cheltenham- Fugitif 3/1 (1pt)
There are lots of interesting ten-year-olds making their first starts in a Veterans’ Chase but the pick of those is FUGITIF (best priced at 3/1). Richard Hobson’s stable star has very little question marks coming into this race given his good form fresh, his previous Cheltenham form, his reduced handicap mark and his appealing handicap mark.
Fugitif won at Worcester on his reappearance in 2021, finished 2nd at this meeting in 2022, finished 4th in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at this meeting in 2023 and then finished 5th in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at this meeting last season. Those two runs in the Paddy Power Gold Cup were off marks of 153 and 152 and he is now down to a mark of 145. That makes him well handicapped given he beat Il Ridoto by a short head in the December Gold Cup in 2023 off a mark of 151.
With his previous three victories coming on soft ground, Fugitif will be well suited by these conditions and he looks the one to beat with Charlie Maggas taking off a handy 5lbs.
14:20 Cheltenham
Tip 2: 14:20 Cheltenham- One Big Bang 9/2 (1pt)
The James Owen trained ONE BIG BANG (best priced at 9/2) was declared to make his chasing at Kempton on Monday but was a late NR with a pulled shoe. The seven-year-old instead runs here in better company but at a track where he showed good form last season. He beat Doddiethegreat at Haydock in a Pertemps Qualifier and then ran well to finish 5th behind that rival in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival.
One Big Bang ended last season with a 3rd placed finish behind both Jeriko Du Reponet and Doddiethegreat at Punchestown. Four of the top five offspring from Masked Marvel all improved for going chasing (the other was Stayers’ Hurdle winner Teahupoo who has never run over fences) so this novice chase campaign should suit and he looks overpriced on his chasing debut with victories on both soft and heavy ground previously.
14:55 Cheltenham
Tip 3: 14:55 Cheltenham- Libberty Hunter 13/2 (0.5pt ew)
Jonbon could prove vulnerable on his reappearance as this looks a stronger contest that when he beat Boothill by 1 ½ lengths last season. He has to concede weight to all of his rivals including LIBBERTY HUNTER (best priced at 13/2) who will hopefully be primed for his reappearance run. His record at Cheltenham includes a victory in a novice handicap chase when beating Matata, a 2nd behind Unexpected Party in a Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival, a victory by 4 lengths on his reappearance last season and was then still in contention when falling at the 3rd last in the Champion Chase last season.
Libberty Hunter also has good form fresh with form figures of 12F21 after breaks of over 70 days and he looks the biggest danger to Jonbon in receipt of 6lbs from him and 3lbs from L’Eau Du Sud.
15:30 Cheltenham
Tip 4: 15:30 Cheltenham- No Drama This End 5/1 (0.5pt ew)
Heads Up deserves to be favourite based on his runner-up effort in the Champion Bumper when NO DRAMA THIS END (best priced at 5/1) finished 9th. Paul Nicholls won this with Hermes Allen in 2022, had Captain Teague narrowly beaten in 2023 and had no runner last year. The five-year-old was an impressive 23 length winner of a PTP prior to beating a smart prospect in Keops Des Bordes at Warwick in a bumper on his rules debut.
Many of the Paul Nicholls runners are coming on for their reappearance runs but this Grade 2 is an ambitious early season target and I would expect No Drama This End to be sharp for this. He should relish this 2m5f trip and can reverse that Champion Bumper form with Heads Up.
