Jake Price is back with his five best bets for Friday at Cheltenham's Christmas meeting.
12:40 Cheltenham
Tip 1: CALIFET EN VOL - 1.5pt Win
Nicky Henderson has a great record in this contest, winning all three of the last five renewals he has had runners in the race – namely Mister Fisher, Fusil Raffles and Jango Baie. He’s even won it with Whisper in the past, and the latest horse bidding to join quite an illustrious roll of honour is CALIFET EN VOL for the McNeill Family.
This point-to-point recruit was a progressive Novice Hurdler last season, as after bolting up on debut he then chased home The New Lion in a Newbury Novices’ Hurdle – whilst also having Electric Mason and French Ship behind. On his next outing he then stayed on strongly to get up and win the Listed Sidney Banks Memorial at Huntingdon, where he beat No Questions Asked and Jax Junior, who have both won since going chasing this campaign.
This 6yo ended his season when sent off 3/1 favourite for the Grade 1 Oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, but despite travelling best he sustained an injury in the run and understandably weakened quite tamely into 6th after the last. Connections have given him plenty of time to get over that issue however, and I am sure there will be plenty more improvement to come now going over fences. A stiff 2m4½f on the New Course at Cheltenham looks to be a perfect starting point, especially in a race where he receives 5lbs from Sixmilebridge.
13:50 Cheltenham
Tip 2: THE DOYEN CHIEF - 1pt Win
This is an intriguing race owing to the presence of L’Homme Presse, who’s official rating of 162 means he is giving away upwards of 16lbs to the remainder of his rivals. He is clearly the class act in the field as he won the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase as recently as January, but he is 10 turning 11 now, and it would be some weight carrying performance if he can get the job done. On this occasion I think he will find the task of giving 22lbs away to THE DOYEN CHIEF one step too far, and as such he is the selection.
This Alan King horse was an exciting prospect going into last season as a Novice Chaser, but he took a while to get his act together. Following a neck second at Taunton in February however, he then racked up a double at Kempton and Warwick off marks of 127 and 132 respectively. When running off a mark of 137 at Bangor in November on his return he travelled all over his rivals and just had to jump the last to win in what would have been an impressive performance, but sadly he got it all wrong and allowed Deep Cave (139) to go by and score nicely.
That run was very much in preparation for the Coral Gold Cup, and it was that contest for which he was quite well supported in the buildup. Those dreams were quickly shattered at the start that day however, as the race went to a standing start, and he shied away from the tape losing any chance immediately. Tom Bellamy very sensibly pulled him up straight away to save his horse for another day, and this looks a suitably valuable consolation prize.
Monopoly Sports
14:25 Cheltenham
Tip 3: FUGITIF - 1pt Win
With the addition of another version of this race back in November due to the cancellation of the Cross Country, I think I probably went one run too soon in backing FUGITIF, who very much shaped that day as if he would come on significantly for the run when travelling well to the second last and seeming to take a blow. With literally everything in his favour now returning to the Old Course however, he is surely worth one last chance.
This horse has run 12 times at Cheltenham during his career, with form figures of 222413P53085. That win was in the 2023 December Gold Cup off 151, and as recently as 365 days ago he was 3rd in that same race off a mark of 150. He started to struggle in all the usual Cheltenham Handicaps subsequent to that and the handicapper was initially reluctant to relent (peaked at 157), but now he is down to a mark of 143 – his lowest rating since January 2023. Charlie Maggs has been booked for the ride again to take off a further 5lbs, and the cheekpieces left off in November now return.
15:35 Cheltenham
Tip 5: KYNTARA - 1pt Each-Way
You can see why Long Draw is favourite for this race but he has struggled off a 1lb higher mark at both the October and November meetings now, and Lucky Manifest is up 5lbs for finishing second in a weaker contest than this. The first of two worth a play at bigger prices then is KYNTARA, who has loads of factors in his favour here.
He really struggled over fences last season, so it was quite amazing they persisted enough to run him in the National Hunt Chase when pulled up. Prior to that campaign he was an extremely progressive hurdler however, which was capped off by him finishing 2nd in the 2024 Pertemps Final when ran down very late in the day by Monmiral (147). That run was over this same course and distance, on soft ground, and it was also off the same mark he is on now of 131. It is also worth noting that he would have finished 3rd in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree afterwards where he fell at the last.
He made his reappearance back over hurdles at Aintree last month when contesting a Pertemps Qualifier, and it is safe to say expectations were low when he was sent off an unfancied 25/1. All things considered he ran a belter though, finishing 4th but only beaten 3.75L by Impose Toi (153) who has since boosted the form by winning the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury. Like most of Mel Rowley’s horses he should come on massively for that opening effort, and he will also appreciate the slower ground back at Cheltenham.
The other horse I thought was worth a smaller each/way play is TITAN DISCOVERY, who did really well to win a 3m Handicap Hurdle at the Windsor Winter Millions meeting. That victory came on his second start of the season having shaped like he desperately needed the run in the Silver Trophy first time up, and it is a race working out quite well with the likes of Push The Button, Deep Cave and Gwennie May Boy winning subsequently.
This season he returned to action in the ultra-competitive Stayers Handicap Hurdle at Haydock when 10th of 17, but once again he clearly needed the run. Dropped 1lb for that to 128, he is only rated 5lbs higher than his win at Windsor – and connections have booked Charlie Price to take off 3lbs. The whole profile is very similar to stablemate Love Of Neymore, who won second time out for Robbie Llewellyn at Chepstow on Saturday under Charlie. He has also shown he handles Cheltenham in the past too, finishing two lengths 6th in April 2024 despite running over a trip too short on ground too quick.
