The clues appear for the festival puzzle that waits in March. Trials day is always an eye-opener on future trips and the entries each horse will receive, from the juveniles to the mighty old warriors that have delivered each and every year, their all.
The four races I am concentrating on outlining tomorrow are as follows:
2.10 Cheltenham - Rolling Star - The Nicky Henderson selection doesn't have the pressure on him tomorrow like Irish Saint. He is fairly short in the market 6/4 / 13/8 which means he is well regarded, but showed last time across the English Channel that he is determined to get his job done. I would rather go for Rolling Star as he could show more than the Nicholls joint favourite, who has won nicely at Kempton, beating McVicar, but did look like he needed all the experience to make him understand about the game. It either one or tother for me, but Rolling Star is preferred.
1.15 Cheltenham - Our Mick - The selection is a bit of a funny one. A long 319 day lay-off since his last run which was at the festival, he may well and truly need it. I can remember his win last year at Kempton was quite impressive and showed me that he can jump a fence quite well. Stating the prices that he currently trades at, he is as big as 12/1 at the moment but is as short as 15/2 at other bookmakers. Mixed emotions are surrounding this selection but this meeting to me is a card you can look at from different dimensions. There are other horses in the race which can run solid races, these including the favourite Katenko and Bless The Wings. The former winning well at Sandown last time, and who has a gold cup entry too, and the latter who holds a win here at this meeting last year. One or two of these in the race could prove tough cookies in future handicaps.
2.25 Cheltenham - Weird Al - A horse who many believe to be frustrating, not only with bursting blood vessels in the only two gold cup races he has ran in, but he is very good, but not top class. This Argento Chase in my opinion has the 'unknowns' in and I would rather have some value of Weird Al than most of the runners in the race. Tidal Bay has a small setback Thursday, making you wonder whether March will see him run a better race, Grands Crus, who myself and others I know from the Twitter world would rather Mr Pipe run him in the World Hurdle, than trying to slog it over fences come the festival and Hunt Ball, who is good, but this year, he has come unstuck. There are many others in the race who are limited to their days. Value is key, Weird Al or maybe Midnight Chase, course specialists, just like Imperial Commander, who knows the Cheltenham hill. It is anybody's race.
3.00 Cheltenham - The New One - Nigel Twiston-Davies believes he could be the best he has ever trained. He was 6th in the Champion Bumper after an impressive win at the course in his first outing, before winning the Aintree bumper from some useful sorts. He has proved to be a warrior over hurdles, winning in impressive fashion at one of my local tracks (Warwick) and at this trip, I think he should prove to have too much speed for Coneygree, who looks a small version of Denman, but battles so well and the 3 mile trip looks more his niche. The Neptune favourite The New One vs The Albert Bartlett Favourite Coneygree - In that order and two horses I wish all the best for at the festival, as they have made this jumps season exciting.
A tough card indeed and some performances will be recorded in the run up to Cheltenham. Have a successful day and be lucky!
Thanks for reading, any views or comments, drop me a message!
Ben - @blue_bajan - [email protected]
The four races I am concentrating on outlining tomorrow are as follows:
2.10 Cheltenham - Rolling Star - The Nicky Henderson selection doesn't have the pressure on him tomorrow like Irish Saint. He is fairly short in the market 6/4 / 13/8 which means he is well regarded, but showed last time across the English Channel that he is determined to get his job done. I would rather go for Rolling Star as he could show more than the Nicholls joint favourite, who has won nicely at Kempton, beating McVicar, but did look like he needed all the experience to make him understand about the game. It either one or tother for me, but Rolling Star is preferred.
1.15 Cheltenham - Our Mick - The selection is a bit of a funny one. A long 319 day lay-off since his last run which was at the festival, he may well and truly need it. I can remember his win last year at Kempton was quite impressive and showed me that he can jump a fence quite well. Stating the prices that he currently trades at, he is as big as 12/1 at the moment but is as short as 15/2 at other bookmakers. Mixed emotions are surrounding this selection but this meeting to me is a card you can look at from different dimensions. There are other horses in the race which can run solid races, these including the favourite Katenko and Bless The Wings. The former winning well at Sandown last time, and who has a gold cup entry too, and the latter who holds a win here at this meeting last year. One or two of these in the race could prove tough cookies in future handicaps.
2.25 Cheltenham - Weird Al - A horse who many believe to be frustrating, not only with bursting blood vessels in the only two gold cup races he has ran in, but he is very good, but not top class. This Argento Chase in my opinion has the 'unknowns' in and I would rather have some value of Weird Al than most of the runners in the race. Tidal Bay has a small setback Thursday, making you wonder whether March will see him run a better race, Grands Crus, who myself and others I know from the Twitter world would rather Mr Pipe run him in the World Hurdle, than trying to slog it over fences come the festival and Hunt Ball, who is good, but this year, he has come unstuck. There are many others in the race who are limited to their days. Value is key, Weird Al or maybe Midnight Chase, course specialists, just like Imperial Commander, who knows the Cheltenham hill. It is anybody's race.
3.00 Cheltenham - The New One - Nigel Twiston-Davies believes he could be the best he has ever trained. He was 6th in the Champion Bumper after an impressive win at the course in his first outing, before winning the Aintree bumper from some useful sorts. He has proved to be a warrior over hurdles, winning in impressive fashion at one of my local tracks (Warwick) and at this trip, I think he should prove to have too much speed for Coneygree, who looks a small version of Denman, but battles so well and the 3 mile trip looks more his niche. The Neptune favourite The New One vs The Albert Bartlett Favourite Coneygree - In that order and two horses I wish all the best for at the festival, as they have made this jumps season exciting.
A tough card indeed and some performances will be recorded in the run up to Cheltenham. Have a successful day and be lucky!
Thanks for reading, any views or comments, drop me a message!
Ben - @blue_bajan - [email protected]