Cheltenhams Open Meeting Day 1 - 11/11/2016

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12.55 Cheltenham – The Glenfarclas Veterans’ Handicap Steeple Chase.


Realt Mor looks to have every chance on the back of a facile victory at Down Royal a week ago and deservedly heads the market. Now 11, Gordon Elliott’s charge has had a rough time of things since winning the Grade 1 Powers Gold Cup in 2013 but has shown that he retains some of his old ability with his latest victory and evidently arrives here in form. However, he now races off a mark of 140 with a 6lb penalty here and doesn’t look particularly well treated if you consider that he was beaten 31 lengths off 1lb lower at Perth back in June. He may still be well in but I’m willing to oppose him given how quickly he is turning out with the problems he has had.

With this in mind, DUNRAVEN STORM is taken to run a big race and could well provide some solid each-way value. The now 11-year-old landed the Grade 2 Arkle Trial at this meeting two years ago and went on to finish a close second in the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase on his very next start. He went without a win until May this year when landing a valuable handicap chase at Kempton in good style and following a couple of below-par efforts, now find himself on only a 2lb higher mark. A line can be drawn through his pipe-opener at Chepstow last month as he usually improves for the run and although he steps into the unknown trip-wise, he has always shaped as though he would stay this far and an extended 2m4f could be the perfect tonic for him at this stage of his career.

Astracad has been mostly consistent throughout his career and should have his perfect conditions here with sound going underfoot. His form did tail off towards the end of last campaign but he has tended to be an early season horse in recent years and has gone very well fresh in the past, especially last season when getting the better of subsequent Old Roan scorer Third Intention in a competitive contest at Chepstow. He has dropped down to 1lb lower than that last winning mark here and this is just the kind of contest in which he can make his mark these days. He will likely be there or thereabouts.

Shuil Royale enters the contest in good form having struck in decent style at Aintree last month. A 6lb rise for that win sees him rise to a career-high mark of 149 and while he clearly arrives in good nick, conceding weight all round may well be a step too far in this company. The drop in trip is another concern for a horse that has been staying on well over three miles of late.

Nicky Henderson’s Ericht has been an enigma throughout his career. Plagued by injury, and temperament, issues, he has never really hit the heights since being sent off favourite for the 2011 Champion Bumper. Connections weren’t particularly confident about his chances even back then but have persevered with the now ten-year-old who never seems to run two races alike. He was an impressive winner at Kempton back in February but went completely off the boil after that and even his runner-up effort at Newbury wasn’t particularly inspiring. He could be entitled to come on for that however, for all that he remains a very risky proposition.

Bennys Mist is a likeable type but this is an altogether different test to that which he tends to excel. Venetia Williams’ charge seems to have a penchant for the National fences and while he doesn’t stay far enough for the big race itself, has finished runner-up in a Topham and landed the Grand Sefton last year. He is 8lb higher here but did put in a couple of good efforts at Ascot and in the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury off just 1lb lower and has the benefit of Charlie Deutsch’s 5lb claim taking some extra weight off his back. The suspicion is that this may just be a prep run before he heads back to Aintree.

Another who will likely have Aintree on his agenda is this year’s Topham winner Eastlake, although Jonjo O’Neill’s yardstick has proven effective around Cheltenham before. A mark of 148 looks as though the handicapper may have him in his grasp at present but conditions here will suit him much better than his opening gambit last month (was never going to stay 3m1f) and he does have a bit of class about him.

MY Advice

DUNRAVEN STORM – 1pt e/w @ 12/1 (SkyBet, William Hill)





1.30 Cheltenham – The BetVictor Handicap Steeple Chase.


Colin Tizzard is going very nicely at the moment, so it’s no surprise to see two entries from his stable in this valuable two-mile handicap chase. Both are new arrivals from Alan & Ann Potts having their first run for Tizzard after being moved from Henry De Bromhead, but despite an element of the unknown about both, it seems clear that Sizing Codelco is the higher-quality of the two, something a 5lb gap in the ratings doesn’t quite reflect. Bally Longford has run some fair races in defeat over the last couple of years and even defeated one of today’s opponents, Un Beau Roman, in a Galway handicap chase in August last year, but a mark of 136 seems very harsh on what he’s achieved more recently and unless Tizzard has unlocked something different in him, I find it difficult to see the eight-year-old contending at the business end.

Sizing Codelco on the other hand, looks to be relatively fairly handicapped off a mark of 141, 4lb below the mark he raced off in the Grand Annual in March. Unfortunately, he threw JJ Burke off his back after a blunder at the first fence, but on the form of his second to Shaneshill and third off 140 behind Bright New Dawn and Rock The World in a Grade B Handicap Chase over two miles, he has to hold strong claims here. Any softening in the ground would be welcome for this seven-year-old, especially over this bare two mile trip and he’s a horse that has gone well fresh in the past so a break is no concern either. The worries with him lie in the jumping department – he’s fallen or unseated three times in his last eight runs over fences and he’ll need to keep his concentration better in a race where the pace is likely to be fairly strong with plenty of prominent racers involved. Also bear in mind that no top-weighted horse has won this in the past ten years, so even though he may be the best horse in the race long-term, he might be worth swerving at short prices here.

A winner of this race back in 2014, Bold Henry races off a mark 15lb higher (140) than that day here and hasn’t run a decent race over fences off a mark any higher than 134. However, on his best effort, he’d be in with a squeak and the booking of Barry Geraghty does give some confidence in the Philip Hobbs-trained gelding – if his jumping holds up, he’ll enjoy the fast pace to tow him into the race. He’ll need some more rain though, he carries a lot of weight and no ten-year-old has won this in the last ten years, so he would be a slightly surprising winner.

The recipient of an 8lb allowance by virtue of being a 4-y-o, David Pipe’s Impulsive American must come into the race with some hope of hitting the frame after spending the last few months in good form, never finishing worse than fourth in any discipline. He’s won twice on the flat, three times over hurdles and twice over fences in 2016 so clearly knows where the line is, but at Ayr last week, he finished well-beaten in third despite receiving a similar allowance in a seemingly weaker race. Unless he’s improved significantly from that, he’s hard to fancy here.

Tom Scudamore rides him instead of nine-year-old Next Sensation, who he usually partners for his father, Michael and that is a good indication of where the one time Cheltenham Festival winner is right now. Despite winning at Newton Abbot in September off a mark of 129, he’s become very inconsistent and has also found issues with his jumping, falling twice in his last six runs. He’s another who will want to be handy, but despite that, I find it hard to see him as a player in this, even though he’s hugely well handicapped on some of his form from last year.

De Faoithesdream is another experienced campaigner at the age of 10, but also falls into the ‘inconsistent’ category – he seems to either win or run terrible races. The Evan Williams-trained gelding was last seen winning a Listed handicap chase at Ayr off a mark of 128 and, like many of these, is best when he strides off the front. The jump up to a mark of 134, his highest ever, is not insurmountable, but it does make things much more difficult in a race where he’s not sure to get his own way.

Consistency has been the name of the game though, for Martin Todhunter’s seven-year-old, Monbeg River. He’s finished second on four of his last seven starts and won twice, so a rise in the weights from 105 to 129 doesn’t seem too harsh, even though he’s gone up 7lbs without winning in his last five starts. He was staying on well over the very sharp two miles at Wetherby last time out behind Owen Na View, giving that horse 4lb, so this test will suit better and the booking of Noel Fehily looks a good one. He’s steadily progressive, but whether he’s good enough to mix it at this level is the niggling doubt – it’s a big step up.

Over the years, we’ve seen that Irish entrants in this type of event at this time of year (see Rock The World last year, Black Warrior running well a few weeks ago as just two examples) are always ones to take a lot of notice of. Here, Barry John Murphy sends over his seven-year-old, PAIROFBROWNEYES, who has some very smart form in the book including a second placed finish to Sub Lieutenant at Limerick, who went on to beat Outlander in a Grade 2 Chase at Down Royal after. He was fifth on his seasonal reappearance in the Grade 2 PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park, staying with some useful rivals such as Ballycasey, Road To Riches and The Game Changer until after the last when his lack of fitness told – that’s some pretty strong form in the context of this race. His decent third place in a 2m4f Grade A handicap chase at the Punchestown festival also reads well as it was won by subsequent Charlie Hall winner Irish Cavalier, again, just weakening late on as the distance stretched him a little. This return to shallower waters and a stiff two miles should be spot on and even though he’d love for the heavens to open, he’s no slouch on decent ground either. A mark of 136 might underestimate him and he wouldn’t be being sent over by a trainer with a very small string unless there was a good chance of coming back with some prize money – he looks a good each-way bet in a race that could be there for the taking.

MY Advice

PAIROFBROWNEYES *- 1pt e/w @ 13/2 (BetVictor)





2.05 Cheltenham – The Steel Plate And Sections Novices’ Steeple Chase.



With a roll of honour boasting subsequent Gold Cup winners Denman and Imperial Commander in the last ten years, this is a contest that always gets the pulses racing and this year’s renewal looks to be another high quality affair.

Barters Hill will likely be a warm order and probably deserves his place at the head of the market. Unbeaten in his first seven starts, including the Grade 2 Champion bumper at Aintree and Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury, Ben Pauling’s charge suffered his first defeat when fourth in the Albert Bartlett at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. He probably just didn’t quite get home there and shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the drop back to the extended 2m4f but this is a tough race to be making his chasing debut in and given the number of front runners in the field, it is unlikely that he will be able to bowl along in front as he would like.

With the likely strong pace on offer, it could prove a test of jumping which may well inconvenience the other two chasing debutants in the field. Sizing Tennessee was a fairly smart bumper horse earlier in his career with Willie Mullins and had reportedly schooled well over fences when with Henry de Bromhead. Now with Colin Tizzard, he could well prove a decent chaser but this looks a tough opener for a horse who has had his fitness issues over the years.

O O Seven completes the chasing debutants and he boasts some very smart form over the sticks having finished runner-up in a pair of Grade 1s earlier in the year. His inexperience may just catch him out here while the ground will likely be against him given the two times he has ran on good going, he has been well beaten (for all that they were in the Champion Bumper and Neptune Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival).

His stablemate Theinval is a likely outsider but boasts the most experience over the larger obstacles. He shaped well for a long way at Chepstow last time out and will be winning races but looks up against to turn the tables on his re-opposing vanquisher Rock The Kasbah despite an 8lb pull at the weights.

Philip Hobbs’ charge looked supreme in winning on his chasing debut, travelling smoothly and jumping well in the main before finding another gear to forge clear on the run-in. That race looked to be a pretty tough early season contest on paper but he emerged head and shoulders clear of the opposition and entered many a notebook. However, he has the burden of the maximum 8lb penalty for that win and although I believe he can go far in the novice chasing ranks this year, conceding at least 3lb all round may be a step too far against this calibre of opposition.

Flying Angel fell in the contest won by Hobbs’ six-year-old but looked beaten when doing so and despite being a most progressive handicap hurdler last term, doesn’t look to have enough quality to get in the mix here. Therefore, ITS’AFREEBEE is the selection on the back of his debut chase win at Fakenham last month. He won in decent style, as he was entitled to, but it was the way he jumped that really caught the eye as he popped over every obstacle. Granted, his jumping wasn’t put to the test late on, but it still proved to be a decent pipe-opener. He had fairly inauspicious beginnings in bumpers in Ireland before being snapped up by Dan Skelton and embarked on a rapid progression culminating with victory in the Grade 2 Supreme Trial at Haydock. His only defeat on British soil came when a highly respectable third behind Yorkhill and Yanworth in the Neptune (when almost forced out) and with further progress expected, he can lay down a marker in the novice chasing ranks.

MY Advice

ITS’AFREEBEE – 1pt win @ 5/1 (General)




2.40 Cheltenham – The Neptune Investment Management Hyde Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 2)



This is perennially one of the most fascinating early season novices and, with a roll of honour including the likes of Coneygree, Black Jack Ketchum and Fingal Bay, while Blaklion, Reve de Sivola, Berties Dream, Wichita Lineman and Imperial Commander have all finished in the frame in the last ten years, it really is a race where the notebooks must be out!

Champion Court is the only winner since the race achieved Grade 2 status not to have a hurdles win to his name (it would have proved difficult given he had only competed in two bumpers!) and given the quality of the race, it would prove difficult for a maiden to prevail. Of the two that fall into this category in this year’s renewal, Nicky Henderson’s Baden has the strongest credentials given he does have an Irish point win to his name and he did produce some decent displays over the sticks last season. However, his jumping left a bit to be desired at Punchestown last time out and he can’t afford to make any mistakes in this company.

Bally Gilbert was a warm order ahead of his British debut back in April but was just found out for a bit of toe over an extended two miles in a Market Rasen bumper having tried to lead from pillar to post. That was probably to be expected given he had stayed on well in a pair of Irish points and he should be more suited to the trip here. The form of his bumper second has been franked with the winner going in under a penalty subsequently but a contest of this nature is no easy starting point going hurdling.

The Irish have been out of luck in the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle with not even a single victory to their name since its inception back in 1996. Powerhouses the likes of Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins have sent challengers over and failed which doesn’t bode well for the pair of Irish raiders lining up here. On official ratings, Crosshue Bay looks to have a lot to find with the rest of the field but was travelling well at Punchestown last time out when brought down and does have the benefit of Davy Russell (who has 100% strike-rate on the six-year-old) in the saddle.

Peter Fahey’s Peregrine Run boasts the best form in the book having stayed on well to score at Listed level at Limerick last month. He only broke his maiden at the end of August at the seventh attempt but has gone from strength to strength since then. A sound surface seems to be the key to him so conditions should be ideal but there may just be a few less exposed improvers in the field.

In the eight years the Hyde has been run as a Grade 2, only Fingal Bay (who went on to win the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle two starts later) has managed to shoulder the top penalty to victory. It could well prove to be a difficult task once more but Wholestone has improved immeasurably on the drying ground and fully deserves his place in the line-up. The five-year-old showed a great attitude to win in a 3m novice at the Showcase Meeting and is clearly well thought of by connections but the drop in trip wouldn’t seem the obvious move and is 3lb wrong at the weights with the re-opposing West Approach.

The 3lb pull puts Colin Tizzard’s charge on an even footing with his old adversary but he is another that would probably be more effective over further. That being said, although he remained a maiden all last season, he broke his duck in fine style over 2m1f at Newton Abbot back in May in a race that has worked out very well with the runner-up Ozzie The Oscar hosing up at Wetherby recently and the third-placed Black Corton going in twice subsequently, including in a Listed novice hurdle at Kempton. He is one of the more experienced competitors in the field and could run a big race.

Leith Hill Lad was easy to back at Kempton last time out but forged clear in eye-catching fashion and justified favouritism to win by a length from Lough Derg Leader. The runner-up boosted the form when winning at Bangor on Wednesday but he looks a little bit short of the quality required to take this contest.

Of altogether more interest is SPIRITOFTHEGAMES who remains unbeaten after a win in an Irish point and a dominant display in a maiden hurdle at Ayr last time out. He passed through the ring at the Goffs UK Spring Sale in May for a reasonable £50,000 and went some way to repaying that back when creating a grand impression on debut for Dan Skelton last month. It was an even more striking performance given that most of Skelton’s have come on for the run and leaves it only to the imagination as to how good he can be. Barring a minor mistake at the last, his jumping was proficient throughout and he kicked on in some style to put the race to bed on the run-in. This is a big step up but he escapes a penalty and receiving weight from the majority of the field (7lb in some cases) makes him a major player.

Fellow four-year-old Pilansberg could prove to be the biggest danger if he puts it all together over hurdles. The ex-French campaigner changed hands for 100,000gns at Tattersalls last October having finished third in a Group 2 on the level for David Smaga at the Arc meeting earlier that month. He rated a fascinating recruit to the national hunt ranks but mistakes put paid to his chances when pitched in at the deep end in the Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle at Kempton in February and he was subsequently put away for the summer. His jumping was better when scoring on his return at Fakenham but there was still room for improvement and he showed distinct signs of greenness, which is a tad bemusing given he had run 11 times on the flat. His ability is undoubted but this may just come too soon for him at this stage of his hurdling career.

MY Advice

SPIRITOFTHEGAMES – 1pt win @ 11/2 (BetVictor & Paddy Power)





3.50 Cheltenham – Markel Insurance Amateur Riders´ Handicap Chase.



The final race on the first day of the meeting sees the amateur riders take centre stage and the weights are headed by Silvergrove, who was last seen finishing third in Kim Muir over 3m2f at the Festival. Prior that that, Ben Pauling’s eight-year-old had been progressing nicely, winning twice at Newbury and Kempton and in truth, he didn’t lose much in defeat behind a ready winner in Cause Of Causes. He returns here off just 1lb higher and whilst I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the mix, I think he could find it difficult to concede weight to some of the less exposed members of the field.

A glance at the recent roll of honour suggests than it is often the better known jockeys who come out on top in this contest. Whether that is down to their riding ability or the fact that they tend to be on the better horses I’m not sure but it is certainly a factor worth considering. In this year’s field there are a couple of familiar names including Jamie Codd, who partners Fayette County for Tim Vaughan. The nine-year-old has always been thought highly of by connections but he has largely found it difficult to find his way into the Winner’s Enclosure. However, he managed just that at Worcester last time, rallying gamely under pressure to get up in the shadow of the post. He has gone up 5lb for that effort and with Codd taking over from 3lb conditional Alan Johns, he is effectively up 8lb so from a handicapping point of view I think he has plenty on his plate.

Katie Walsh also heads over from the Emerald Isle to partner James Nash’s Your Busy who was second at Aintree on his most recent outing. Despite being at the ripe old age of 13, the gelding has turned in two solid efforts on his last two starts, having finished a close third to Double Ross at Chepstow the time before. Both of those runs came in veterans’ races but they were both competitive affairs and if he reproduced those efforts here, he wouldn’t be too far away.

Sam Waley-Cohen is of course no stranger to success at Cheltenham and he gets the leg up on Charlie Longsdon’s KILFINICHEN BAY. The eight-year-old last got his head in front at Warwick in September and the form of that race has worked out well, with the runner-up Master Dee having won twice since. Longsdon’s gelding couldn’t build on that at Kelso last time but he likes to be held up and I think this big-field scenario will play to his strengths here. He has won off his current mark of 135 in the past and with the stable very much amongst the winners, I think he has a solid each-way chance.

There are a number of others who need a mention including David Pipe’s Top Wood who has been given a chance by the handicapper. He was rated as high as 144 when tenth in the Summer Cup at Uttoxeter but a modest display over an inadequate trip last time has seen the nine-year-old dropped to a mark of 136. Pipe has booked crack Irish amateur Lisa O’Neill to ride and having taken this race twice in the last decade, he looks to have a leading chance this time around.

Troika Steppes loves it around here and was seen to good effect when making just about all to win over course and distance in October. Ali Sterling seems to get a good tune out of the eight-year-old but the handicapper has put him up 9lb for his latest effort and that could make life difficult. Robert Walford’s Saint Raph also arrives in from having won on his final two starts of last season. He is up 11lb for his ready success at Taunton in April, which looks harsh enough considering there were just the five runners and the second hasn’t done much since.

Godsmejudge won the Scottish Grand National off a mark of 139 back in 2013 and whilst he has sparingly shown that sort of form in the last two years, he could be thrown in here on a mark of 122. However, the most interesting runner in the field could be Tony Martin’s Our Sox who gets in here on 10st 2lb. He was just held at Musselburgh last week but travelled well for a long way under Denis O’Regan and he has next to no weight on his back here. His trainer is renowned as a shrewd placer of horses and although he needs to step up again to win here, he can’t be ruled out.


MY Advice


KILFINICHEN BAY – 0.5pt e/w @ 14/1 (BetVictor, Paddy Power)