Cheltenham Day Four ITV Racing Tips

Two fillies dominate this Gold Cup pre-cursor and both APPLES SHAKIRA (Best price 13-8) and Stormy Ireland have impressed in victory this winter. Preference can only be marginal for the former but the fact she has loads of course experience to call upon sways the decision in her favour. Nicky Henderson’s French recruit has only beaten a sum total of 13 rivals in three Prestbury Park victories this season but she has learned on the job and her last win, at the expense of Look My Way, will have taught her a little as she needed to be shaken up to score. 

She is not the bet of the season at the morning prices, but her speed figures have been good despite the small fields and the presence of front-runner Sussex Ranger and Storm Ireland should ensure she has a good pace to run at.

Given that Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins have trained 13 winners between them heading into the final day of the Festival, their runners will be under close scrutiny and BLEU ET ROUGE (Best price 10-1) may prove the pick of the Mullins quartet. The stock of his performance in the Betfair Hurdle behind Kalashnikov has risen since given his conqueror went close in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the selection will relish the conditions. I was taken with the powerful way today’s top weight travelled through that Newbury contest and, although he had no answer to Kalashnikov’s finishing burst, it was a fine performance on bad ground which should stand him in good stead today.

Outlining the case for BRELADE (Best price 33-1) winning a race of this nature needs a little more explanation. However, the decision to return him to the smaller obstacles and equip him with a tongue tie may prove a masterstroke by his in-form handler. Although yet to win over fences in five starts, the son of Presenting has been trying to keep tabs on the likes of Footpad and Petite Mouchoir in his native country and he has been far disgraced in the process. It is worth recalling he was only 10 lengths in arrears of Willoughby Court in last year’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle when the trip at that level looked a little beyond him. A strongly-run two miles with plenty of give in the ground could be the ideal test and he is worth a modest bet to spring a big surprise.

Historically, this event favours the more battle-hardened hurdlers who have been around the block once or twice so with this in mind POETIC RHYTHM (Best price 14-1) may prove the answer. Freshened up since narrowly landing the Challow Hurdle in horrible ground over Christmas, the seven-year-old fits the profile of a number of past winners, while this will be his seventh start at the track which could prove valuable course knowledge. Further rain should be no issue and a couple of his handler’s horses ran really well yesterday.

For a trainer of his class, Noel Meade arguably hasn’t enjoyed a Cheltenham record which mirrors his capabilities, but ROAD TO RESPECT (Best price 12-1) routed a decent field of handicappers at this meeting 12 months ago and has swiftly graduated into a high-class chaser this term. The seven-year-old’s challenge took on added significance with the result of the Ryanair Chase yesterday and he is taken to continue Ireland’s remarkable domination this week. The selection’s chief victim in the Leopardstown Christmas Chase was Balko Des Flos, a smooth and ready winner of yesterday’s Ryanair Chase, and victory was achieved despite a serious stumble in the back straight. Admittedly, there is a slight concern that a fiercely-competitive 18-runner Gold Cup may be a step too far at this stage of a career which is still taking shape, but a big field of battle-hardened handicappers were readily dispensed with 12 months ago so it could be a chance worth taking.

Another horse which would relish a gruelling examination would be OUR DUKE (Best price 5-1) who snugly beat RSA winner Presenting Percy at Gowran last time. Although last year’s Irish Grand National winner has undergone an unusual preparation after a setback sustained on his comeback, his latest display confirmed the fire and enthusiasm remains and he is a huge threat to all if he can produce a clean round of jumping.

Reports suggest connections of FOXROCK (Best price 8-1) are extremely happy with the 10-year-old and he is taken to recapture the form which saw him rattle up a sequence of wins last winter. Alan Fleming hasn’t had the selection that long following a switch from Ted Walsh, but he was fit enough to run the classy Gilgamboa to 10 lengths at Thurles on his comeback and he is entitled to leave that run behind now he is recovering his fitness. Connections quietly switch the headgear on the gelding who instead resumes an association with the blinkers, headgear which saw him rattle up a hat-trick in approximately six weeks last winter in Ireland. Hopefully, the change in headgear may work the oracle for the selection. Of those at bigger prices, Sir Jack Yeats also makes some appeal given he handles soft ground well and is still improving.