Road to Cheltenham bagged a 4/1 winner in last week's column and is back with three selections for the upcoming weekend's races.
With the Cheltenham Showcase Meeting now very much in the rearview mirror, focus turns to this weekend – and it should be an enthralling few days of National Hunt racing.
We’ve got the first Grade 1 of the season at Down Royal, several Grade 2 races over two days at Wetherby and a couple of lucrative handicaps at Ascot.
It feels like a huge opportunity for key contenders to lay down a marker this season, and I’ve looked at some of the ante-post markets ahead of this weekend.
I landed a 4/1 winner with Here Comes Georgie in last weekend’s column and I’m full of hope and optimism for more success in the coming days. So, let’s get to it…
Wetherby, Saturday 1.10pm – CHUGGY
I was sweet on CHUGGY for the Crossley Handicap Chase on Friday but connections pulled him from that race and entered him for Saturday’s 0-125 Handicap Chase, and he looks primed to go close in a race of this calibre.
This horse has improved significantly for a fence and I think there’s still plenty of scope in his mark. He didn’t seem to enjoy conditions at Kempton in March so will need a bit of rain to fall, but that uncertainty may be factored into his current price of 11/2.
His success at Warwick last December has worked out extremely well, with the two in-behind (Norn Iron and third Old Cowboy) now 19lbs and 13lbs better off. Chuggy won off a mark of 115 that day and he looks well treated off 125.
The Patrick Neville-trained Tanking Along heads the ante-post market but he got a bit of a freebie up at Perth the last day and has been raised 8lbs for that success. I’d be fairly confident that my selection would get the better of his main market rival.
Sodexo Live! Regal Encore Handicap ChaseSee All Odds
Ascot, Saturday 2.33pm – LEAVE OF ABSENCE
The Anthony Honeyball-trained LEAVE OF ABSENCE looks well handicapped off a mark of 142 and 8/1 is a fair price for a horse that goes well fresh and likes the track. He is yet to finish outside of the first two in three starts at Ascot, in fact.
In addition, stepping up in trip has really benefited this horse and he has finished in the top three in five of his eight starts over 2m7f or further. Throw in his preference for good ground and it is easy to make a strong case for him running a big race on Saturday.
He was available at double figures last week but was quickly found in the market and it wouldn’t be a huge shock to me if he was vying for favouritism on the day. The form of his second in the Silver Cup Handicap Chase looks solid and he runs off a 3lbs lower mark this weekend.
There are several unexposed types in the field but Honeyball’s runners have been going well recently, with two winners from his last three runners over the past 14 days. As long as we don’t get a monsoon, he’s a likely runner and he should be competitive.
Charlie Hall ChaseSee All Odds
Wetherby, Saturday 2.55pm – BLOW YOUR WAD
BLOW YOUR WAD has some rock solid form in the book and he looks overpriced to me at 10/1, probably because of the presence of Pic D’Orhy in the race. Trained by Jamie & Josh Moore, he can run into the places in what looks like a wide-open renewal.
He always runs his race, finishing in the top three on eight of his 14 chase starts and he was bang there in some of the big handicaps last season, finishing second in the Greatwood Gold Cup and fourth in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Festival.
Connections have hinted at a potential Grand National bid for him down the line and he already has a mark to get into the Aintree showpiece. So why not aim high and see how he gets on? This is a ‘starting point’ but he can go well on Saturday afternoon.
Good to soft ground will suit him perfectly, so hopefully there will be a drop or two of rain before the weekend. In terms of his rivals, Pic D’Orhy is 11 turning 12, Handstands is a doubtful stayer and The Real Whacker is inconsistent. I’m going for the solid choice.
