A much better day yesterday and I was fantastic so see both Bob Oliger and Caldwell 'Anthony' Potter get the job done at nice prices. Today's another day though and punters will need to have their wits about them.
14/03/25, 13:20 – Cheltenham (Hurdle - Good To Soft) 2m 179y
JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo) £84,405 - Runners: 18
This isn’t a race that I can get overly excited about, and this year’s renewal is a farce with Willie training 11 of the runners!
East India Dock has taken well to hurdles, and I’ve been impressed by his jumping and his cruise speed. I think he deserves his place towards the head of the betting, and we all know that this is a tried and tested route for connections, but I do also think that it’s relatively easy to pick holes in his form.
Lulamba is a horse with a big reputation, and he made a winning start at Ascot when running out a ready winner over Mondo Man. Now Gary’s horse hasn’t franked the form since (had excuses) and I’m not sure that Lulamba has had an ideal preparation either, but I guess the market will ultimately tell the world what’s truly expected.
Lady Vega Allen has work to do to reverse form with Hello Neighbour but I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility. French bred horses have a good record in this race and it's not often you see this kind of price about Willie's number one hope for this particular race.
Gibbs Island is a lovely specimen and as a syndicate manager myself, I’d love to see this horse run well here. He’s certainly not without hope and while his form to date is a little below what’s usually required, he’s entirely unexposed and has done nothing wrong so far.
Mondo Man is an immature type with a very big engine. I have no idea how they’ll ride him tomorrow but there’s no way that we’ve seen the best of him yet. He could well be a Goshen 2.0.
Selection: LULAMBA (2/1) - WIN
NB: MONDO MAN (20/1) + LADY VEGA ALLEN (14/1) - EW
14/03/25, 14:00 – Cheltenham (Hurdle - Good To Soft) 2m 179y
William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+,155) £61,897 - Runners: 16
A fascinating handicap and one where it might not be too difficult to find the winner.
Kargese is a mare with bundles of class. Her only real weakness is that she’s doesn’t always settle which means she can be found wanting in the finish. However, her form is arguably head and shoulders above this field and she’s certainly trained by the right man as Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton have been responsible for 9 of the last 10 winners.
Absurde comes into this race looking to retain his crown having won last year off a mark of 138 (now 146). Like Kargese, he has some class, but you’d have to think that Paul had the choice, and he rarely gets it wrong. Plus, the break from the track would be a slight cause for concern.
Lark In The Morning was an impressive winner of the Boodles last year and he didn’t go unbacked on the day either. Since then, his from has levelled off slightly but Joseph knows how to plot a handicapper, and I won’t be at all surprised to see this horse miraculously return to form here.
Valgrand deserves a positive mention simply because he’s trained by the Skeltons. He looked very good when wining the Grade 2 here back in October but was then comprehensively put in his place by Potters Charm on his next run and has shown little enthusiasm for the game in his two starts since. Of course, there’s a chance that he’ll be another horse from the yard to ‘come alive in the spring’ but he doesn’t quite fit the mould I’d expect to see from one of their winners here.
Selection: KARGESE (4/1) - WIN
NB: LARK IN THE MORNING (9/2) - WIN
14/03/25, 14:40 – Cheltenham (Chase - Good To Soft) 2m 4f 127y
Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Registered As The Liberthine Mares' Chase) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) £73,151 - Runners: 9
An interesting contest but one which doesn’t really inspire me to pile in from a betting perspective.
Dinoblue is probably the right favourite here but at the same time, she’s let me down one too many times and I’m not convinced that this course plays to her strengths.
Allegorie De Vassy has been in my bad books for a while now as she’s a horse I simply cannot catch right. There’s no doubting that she can win this and probably win it comfortably, but If I back her, I can almost guarantee that she’ll finish 4th.
Limerick Lace is hard to fancy on what she’s shown so far this season. I saw Gavin talking about her earlier in the year and he sounded both disappointed and exasperated in equal measure. I think her hopes rest on the first-time headgear having the desired effect, couple with the return to distance and direction. She’s a risky proposition but on her day, we know she has the beating of both Dinoblue and Allegorie.
Brides Hill is probably Gavin’s second string on paper, but she’s got work to do to reverse prior form with a few of these. I do think the track will suit though and she’s another who might pick up the pieces if the top two in the betting fail to fire.
Selection: BRIDES HILL (4/1) – WIN
NB: DINOBLUE (6/4) - WIN
14/03/25, 15:20 – Cheltenham (Hurdle - Good to Soft) 2m 7f 213y
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The Spa Novices' Hurdle) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) £84,405 - Runners: 20
A minefield of a race and I don’t even know where to start when it comes to reviewing it!
Wingman has some solid looking form and while his Gordon hasn’t been at the races so far this week, I think this horse gives him a real chance of earning a trip to the winner’s enclosure. He wants good ground, he’s the pick of Jack Kennedy and he’s likely to sit up, or on the lead throughout.
Derryhassen Paddy puts his unbeaten record on the line and Lucinda has already landed a festival winner earlier in the week. He’s been ridden aggressively on each of his starts to date and has look beaten on a few occasions before rallying again. I like that, as it suggests there’s more in the tank and a good attitude is certainly required to win any race at the festival.
Ballybow is probably the second string but Gigginstown like winning this race, and this horse must have some kind of chance. My only slight reservation would be the ground, as he looks more of a plodder than a turn and burn type, but his form is solid, and he goes there with EW claims.
Selection: WINGMAN (9/1) – EW
NB: DERRYHASSEN PADDY (8/1) + BALLYBOW (14/1) – EW
14/03/25, 16:00 – Cheltenham (Chase - Good to Soft) 3m 2f 70y
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) £363,999 - Runners: 9
A woeful renewal of one the world’s most historic races. It’s all about Galopin Des Champs and rightly so but I would’ve loved to see a little more strength in depth of opposition.
Galopin Des Champs is a superstar, there is no doubt about it and one paper, he’s virtually impossible to oppose despite being Denise’s Super Boost today. So far this week that has proven to be a kiss of death, but Galopin was also a super boost on his last start, and that didn’t stop him from getting the job done while also making Fact To File look distinctly average! For most punters he’s the NAP of the meeting, and I agree.
Selection: GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (4/7) – WIN
NB: MONTYS STAR (10/1) – EW
14/03/25, 16:40 – Cheltenham (Chase - Good to Soft) 3m 2f 70y
St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase (Class 2) (5yo+) £24,445 - Runners: 24
Every year I pick my bet in this race using a Hunter Chase system which was given to me on an old racing forum many moons ago. For that reason, I won’t both with a review.
Selection: ANGEL’S DAWN (3/1) – WIN
NB: ROCKYS HOWYA (10/1) – EW
14/03/25, 17:20 – Cheltenham (Hurdle - Good to Soft) 2m 4f 56y
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+,145) £39,022 - Runners: 26
The final race of the festival and one which is always a fantastic watch as jockeys and trainers all desperately try to get a festival winner on the board. The problem however is that this year, JP seemingly holds all the cards.
Kopeck De Mee has been the talk of the town for weeks. A French recruit who’d been given a gift of a mark and therefore give punters the potential to back a graded horse in a handicap. It’s yet to be seen whether that assumption is correct but for me, he’s now far too short to be of any interest at all.
No Ordinary Joe let me down last year on various occasions when my money was down but I’m going to keep the faith simply because his run at Warwick was too eye-catching to ignore. I think he’s been laid out perfectly for this race, which makes you wonder whether the fav is really a good thing.
Wodhooh has gone from strength to strength winning each of his last 6 runs. This is another race which Gordon’s likes to target, and you certainly can’t knock this mare’s ability but to win 6 in a row and then win a festival handicap at the end of it, is probably rather unlikely imo.
No Questions Asked is an unexposed type and one who may offer some EW value at a decent enough price. He’s yet to find his ceiling, he jumps really well, and I think the mark of 138 leaves him with scope to improve.
Selection: NO ORDINARY JOE (10/1) – EW
NB: KOPECK DE ME (9/4) – WIN + NO QUESTIONS ASKED (20/1) - EW
DAILY ACCA
2:00 - Kargese (3/1 - 5 Places)
3:20 - Wingman (9/1 - 4 Places)
4:40 - Angel's Dawn (3/1 - 4 Places)
5:20 - No Ordinary Joe (10/1 - 6 Places)
EW LUCKY 15
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