Jake Price's Free Cheltenham Festival Day Two Tips

Jake Price Day One Tips Results

OLD PARK STAR - 1pt Win @ 11/4 - WON
GLEN TO GLEN - 0.5pts E/W @ 10/1 - LOST
SARATOGA (ANTE-POST) - 1pt Win @ 14/1 - WON
HYLAND - 0.5pts E/W @ 11/1 - PLACED
KONFUSION (ANTE-POST) - 1pt E/W @ 20/1 - LOST
LOSSIEMOUTH - 2pt Win @ 2/1 - WON
LOSSIEMOUTH - 1pt Win @ 4/1 - WON
DOWN MEMORY WAY - 0.5pts E/W @ 10/1 - LOST
NEWTON TORNADO - 1pt Win - 5/1 - LOST
NETWON TORNADO (Ante-Post) - 1pt Win @ 14/1 - LOST

Jake Price Day Two Ante-Post Portfolio

Turners Novices’ Chase

Ante Post Tip: Ballyfad (1pt win, NRNB)
Price Tipped At: 8/1
Current Best Price: 11/1

Turners' Novices' Hurdle Tips

We begin Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival with a fiercely competitive maximum field renewal of the Turners Novices’ Hurdle probably owing to the majority of the stand out Novices’ running in the Supreme. I think that Gordon Elliott’s BALLYFAD has very strong claims here however, and I was buzzing to learn that Jack Kennedy picked him over stablemate Skylight Hustle on Monday morning.

This point-to-point winner won two Bumpers in three weeks during the Autumn, where he won in the style of a grinder rather than a speed horse. Over Christmas connections decided to send him Hurdling however, and running in the 4yo 2m Maiden Hurdle at Leopardstown on Boxing Day, he put in a brilliant performance to beat Supreme contender Leader d’Allier by a massive 9.5 lengths. When you are reading this you will know how he faired in the Festival opener, but he certainly looked a smart horse when he himself won by 9 lengths at Punchestown in January.

When stepped up into Grade 1 company at the Dublin Racing Festival I was particularly taken with BALLYFAD however, as he put in a proper performance that day. Going from the front he set a relatively sedate gallop, but when they began to quicken, he just continued to find and find. He was under a fair amount of pressure at the second last and produced a huge leap when he needed it, but turning for home King Rasko Grey was travelling all over him – so I thought he showed a tremendous attitude off the bridle to beat that rival by half a length.

Clearly both were run down late on by Talk The Talk who as I am writing is very well fancied for the Supreme itself, but I think that stepping up in trip to 2m5f is exactly what this 5yo needs in order to unlock further improvement. This is obviously a very competitive affair, but I think he will run a huge race. I have already advised him in my Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post column, but I would still recommend a 1pt Win bet at the current prices.

BALLYFAD [1pt Win @ 8/1)

BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle Tips

The BetMGM Cup (formerly the Coral Cup of course) is always a fiercely competitive handicap year in year out, but I don’t necessarily think it always goes to the best handicapped horse in the race. The likes of Supasundae (148), Diamond King (149), William Henry (151), and Commander Of Fleet (152) have all won it in recent renewals, and plenty of horses have hit the frame carrying big weights too. Instead of looking towards the bottom of the handicap, I am going to have two classier types on side.

The first of those is THE YELLOW CLAY, who is best known for running an absolute stormer in the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle on this card 12 months ago. He seemed to relish the Spring ground that day when narrowly denied by Champion Hurdle contender The New Lion (159), and the pair pulled nicely clear of Final Demand too, who is another seriously talented rival.

He fell at Punchestown when sent off the 5/4f to confirm form with Willie Mullins’ Brown Advisory contender, and plenty will say he hasn’t been quite the same since – but to my eye he still jumps fine, and he just hasn’t been 100% right so far this season. On reappearance at Navan in November they looked to go far too quick on very testing Soft to Heavy ground, and despite him plugging on into second it probably had a longer lasting effect than anticipated.

It was always the plan for him to try three miles for the first time in the Grade 1 at Leopardstown on the 28th December, and he was still sent off 4/1 against the likes of stablemate Teahupoo. I would just completely put a line through the performance however, as he either didn’t stay the trip, or he was still feeling the effects of that Navan effort 5 weeks prior.

Gordon Elliott has done the sensible thing in leaving him off the track for 73 days in order to come to Cheltenham as a fresh horse, and the British Handicapper was lenient in letting him race here off his Irish mark of 155. Now clearly that mark is steep enough, but part of the plan for running here was to book a 5lbs claimer, and one of the best around in Michael Kenneally jumps aboard. Back at a course and distance he ran so well over just twelve months ago, on some Spring ground, and with cheekpieces now added for the first time – I think he has to be a play.

The other classy type in the race I want to have on side is Nicky Henderson’s JINGKO BLUE, who ran an absolute belter in the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle when last seen on New Year’s Day. He faced a very tough task against Kabral Du Mathan (154) that day, but considering that Horse is now fancied for the Stayers Hurdle, it is a strong piece of form whilst also having stablemate Lucky Place (151) behind. It is worth noting that 2m4½f contest is run on the New Course rather than the Old that he will encounter on Wednesday, but that should be no barrier to success.

The handicapper has left him on a mark of 144 here which looks more than fair, and I like that James Bowen retains the ride on him owing to the fact that Nico de Boinville is almost obliged to ride Iberico Lord. Nicky Henderson certainly knows what it takes to win this race.

THE YELLOW CLAY 0.75pts EW (6 Places) @ 8/1
JINGKO BLUE 0.5pts EW (5 Places) @ 10/1

Cross Country Chase Tips

It was very hard not to be impressed with FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU in the Cross County race on Trials Day, and this horse is clearly in the form of his life this season – so I would be very keen to strike with him whilst the iron is hot. The market clearly agrees with my opinion too, as he has now usurped last year’s winner Stumptown as the favourite.

This multiple Graded winner had been out in the wilderness somewhat until this season, where they tried him in the December Cross Country race and he fell at the thirteenth obstacle. Going over the banks clearly must have sweetened him back up though, as despite being sent off a 66/1 outsider for the PaddyPower Gold Cup at Leopardstown over Christmas, he went on to record an impressive 4.5 length success of a mark of 140.

Going back over the Cross County fences in January, the market didn’t really know what to expect from him when sent off a 9/1 chance, but he put in an immaculate round of jumping and absolutely bolted up by 8.5 lengths back to J’Arrive De L’Est – who was trying for his life to win in order to go up in the weights and get a run at the Cheltenham Festival (something which has unfortunately not transpired for connections).

The fact he receives 5lbs from Stumptown is enough to swing this contest in the favour of FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU for me, and Jack Kennedy is an excellent rider around the Cheltenham Cross Country course. It is also worth noting that there is only a 20lbs rating band in the Cross Country, so he doesn’t have to give away quite as much weight as a mark of 157 would suggest.

FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU 1.5pts Win @ 5/2

Grand Annual Handicap Chase Tips

A horse who I have been on the wrong side off all season is VANDERPOEL, but this time I won’t be making the same mistake. Going into the season Ben Pauling had described him as his best Novice Chaser, but that really didn’t transpire on the track at Uttoxeter and Lingfield in the early part of the Autumn. When running at Ascot in December everything seemed to click when he easily beat Stencil (139) by 7 lengths however, and he effortlessly recorded another win at Sandown in early January off an 8lbs higher mark.

Connection have very sensibly kept him off the track since receiving a further 7lbs rise to a mark of 141, but considering Ben Pauling’s words at the beginning of the season, I would be shocked if they think he has reached his ceiling now rated 141. What’s more is that I don’t think this is a brilliant renewal of the Grand Annual either, and as such I am happy to take on everything else at the front end of the market. I cannot see world in where out lad does not run his race, and realistically there should be plenty more improvement to come.

At a massive price I thought that Paul Nicholls’ RUBAUD could also be worth a small play here, as he is a Horse who is desperate for decent ground to be seen to best effect. You only have to go back to last season when this 8yo was a Grade 2 winning Novice Chaser, having finished runner-up to L’Eau Du Sud at Warwick before then taking out the Pendil Novices’ Chase at Kempton over 2m4½f. He ended his season by finishing fifth behind Majborough in the Grade 1 at Punchestown, but he showed plenty of ability over fences.

This season he has been doing his winning over Hurdles, having taken his traditional path to land the Listed Hurdle at Kempton before winning the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton. Last month however he returned to Wincanton despite the ground being described as Heavy – and was only beaten just over a length by Alexei, despite having to give that horse 2lbs. His rating back over fences is now 148, and there could be scope for plenty of improvement there if he takes to the larger obstacles once again.

VANDERPOEL 1pt EW (5 Places) @ 8/1
RUBAUD 0.5pts EW (5 Places) @ 18/1

Champion Bumper Tips

I couldn’t put anyone off having a bet on Love Sign D’Aunou if they fancied him for this, and I will confess to having put him up to my followers Ante-Post – but you would have to say that he will not be getting his ideal ground conditions on Wednesday, as he seemed to relish the bottomless conditions at Naas in January. I am sure he will keep grinding away, but the horse with more obvious claims to me now we know the ground is QUIRYN.

Four-year-olds obviously have a pretty terrible record in the Champion Bumper, but this lad isn’t your ordinary four-year-old, as he was trained to run on the Flat last Summer when trained by Philippe Decouz. Unfortunately for those connections he just simply would not go into the stalls, and on his profile you will see that he was a non-runner at Saint-Cloud on two occasions.

Had he obliged to start in either of those two races then he would be ineligible for the Champion Bumper, so he was already an in a strong position when Willie Mullins acquired him over the winter ahead of his NH Flat campaign ahead. That aforementioned campaign began when he won a 4yo Bumper at Naas in January, and he ran out a very impressive 9 length winner under hands and heels that day.

Due to the fact that race was a 4yo only Bumper stable number one in these races Patrick Mullins was able to take the ride as he carried 11st10lbs, but in the Champion Bumper he receives 10lbs from his elders, therefore Patrick cannot do the 10st11lbs weight that he is due to carry. All the vibes from the camp are that Patrirck would indeed take the ride on this lad was he able to do so however, and the fact that Paul Townend elects to ride backs that up. All in all, he surely has to have very strong claims considering he has achieved a BHA Bumper rating of 125 and receives a 10lbs allowance to boot.

QUIRYN 1pt Win @ 9/1

Cheltenham Festival Day Two Content

Andy Holding's Cheltenham Festival Day Two Tips

Liam Firkin's Cheltenham Festival Day Two Tips

Road to Cheltenham's Free Cheltenham Festival Day Two Tips

Ginger Joe's Cheltenham Festival Day 2 Premium Tips