Five tracks go racing in Britain and Ireland on Friday, with the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle the highlight at Cheltenham alongside the flat at Doncaster and Newbury before Wolverhampton and Dundalk take over under the lights.
Andrew Mount has a trio of horses to watch at Cheltenham, including one in the feature contest.
3.00 Cheltenham – Matiwo (0.5pt e/w – 16/1 generally)
Matiwo wouldn’t look an obvious bet in this Grade 2 contest after finishing second at odds of 2-7 at Newton Abbot late last month but that run would have been needed and he looks worth a small each-way bet in this Grade 2 novices’ hurdle. Jane Williams (and ex-husband Nick Williams when she trained in partnership with him) doesn’t tilt at windmills and the stable has a long history of doing well when stepping one up into Graded or Listed company. Matiwo tried this level of competition at Kempton last term, finishing an 18-1 fourth of 12 in the Dovecote and the yard has a 46 from 142 record (32.3% strike-rate) in novice hurdles with runners who finished in the top three last time out for a profit of £31.52 to a £1 level stake at SP.
3.35 Cheltenham – Palacio (1pt win – 9/1 generally)
Calico is bidding for his third straight win in this 2m handicap chase, but his chance is well covered in quotes of around 7-2, especially with the prospect of further rain and the ground being softer than ideal. I’d rather take a chance on the Sam Thomas-trained Palacio who, like most from his yard, goes well when fresh. His trainer’s chasers are 22 from 68 (29.4% strike-rate) on the back of a 150 days or longer absence for a profit of £48.53 to a £1 level stake at SP. The eight-year-old won first time out at odds of 20-1 at Chepstow two seasons ago and, last term, bolted up by eight and a half lengths (4-1) when reappearing at the same venue. He faces competition for the early lead but still looks over-priced.
4.45 Cheltenham – Unanswered Prayers (1pt win – 15/2 Hills, 13/2 generally) & Jupiter Des Borders (0.5pt e/w – 20/1 Sky Bet, four places, 25/1 elsewhere but only three places)
Those higher up the weights usually struggle in this amateur riders’ handicap chase with those ranked one to seven in the weights winning just once from 85 runners since 2015 (11 renewals). It’s also been a good race for riders claiming a 3lb or 5lb allowance and combining the two angles (i.e. eighth or lower in the weights, jockey claiming 3lb or 5lb) would have found six winners from 27 bets in the study period for a profit of £45.33 at SP (no qualifiers in 2019, so effectively ten renewals). This year’s three qualifiers are Unanswered Prayers, Better Off Alone and Jupiter Des Bordes, with preference for the first-named who was a close-up 50-1 fifth of 18 in this race 12 months ago. Jupiter Des Bordes is also worth an interest, as he runs well when fresh, won’t mind if the ground turns soft and is likely to be finishing to good effect in a race that should be run at a strong pace.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets Today
3.00 Cheltenham – Matiwo (0.5pt e/w – 16/1 generally)
3.35 Cheltenham – Palacio (1pt win – 9/1 generally)
4.45 Cheltenham – Unanswered Prayers (1pt win – 15/2 Hills, 13/2 generally) & Jupiter Des Borders (0.5pt e/w – 20/1 Sky Bet, four places, 25/1 elsewhere but only three places)
FAQs: Today’s Racing Tips
Which racecourses run on Friday 23 October? Cheltenham, Doncaster, Newbury, Wolverhampton & Dundalk.
Who is Andrew Mount? Andrew Mount is a professional tipster with over a decade of experience following UK and Irish racing. He combines form study, market moves and trainer intelligence to identify value bets each day, and shares his tips daily on X as @TrendHorses.
When was today’s article published? Today’s article was published at 7.08am on Friday 23 October.