GG Editor Rob Plumbridge runs you through his selections across the six races live on ITV tomorrow.
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1.45 Cheltenham – Banbridge (7/2)
Monmiral will probably make a good chaser in time, but I’m wary of backing one first time out over fences at a short price at a track like Cheltenham. It’s a tough place to make your debut, and so I’m inclined to look elsewhere. BANBRIDGE could be the one and is good play here for Joseph O’Brien. He won the Martin Pipe here at the Festival and I was really taken by his attitude going up the hill that day. He won on debut over fences really comfortably at Gowran Park and will be all the better for that here. This is a better race of course, but he will go from the front here and try to make it all. If he can get a clear round in he will put these Novices under pressure and any mistakes will be punished round here.
2.20 Cheltenham – Stolen Silver (7/1) & Umbrigado e/w (16/1)
STOLEN SILVER has run well at this meeting before and went close on the Friday here last season. He’s on a career high mark thanks to his emphatic 11-length Silver Trophy win at this venue last April over the distance. He was well held at the Festival the run before that and has a bit of improvement to find with stalwarts like Coole Cody. However, Sam Thomas’ charge is only a seven year old and his best days are yet to come. He’s won first time out before, so that isn’t a concern either and I’m expecting a big run.
At the prices UMBRIGADO stood out to me as a real each way play. I think he has a bit of wiggle room off his chase mark here going off 144 – the same as he won the Greenwood Gold Cup at Newbury last year. He’s been in great form in his two starts over hurdles this year, with a second and a win to his name. This will have been the plan for him. He stays a lot further so he’ll be after some good pace up front which he should get. If he can get in a good position he can pick off a few and challenge in the latter stages and get us some place money at the very least.
2.35 Lingfield – Summerghand (11/4)
This is a nip and tuck sprint where I’m going to play things very straight and put up the ultra-consistent SUMMERGHAND. David O’Meara’s stalwart has been in great form all summer, and seems to produce the goods nearly every time he is asked. He hasn’t been on the all-weather in the UK for a while, but the last time was at this venue where he duly obliged with his customary late surge. He surely goes close here.
2.55 Cheltenham – Shearer (7/2)
On a tricky Cheltenham card, SHEARER stands out as the strongest favourite to me in the line-up. He has the crucial course and distance form here having won here in October. He stays 3 miles really well and gets up the hill.
He beat Twig last time out and that rival has since won really well at Kempton by 14 lengths. So the form has real substance and I think he’s overpriced at 7/2 in a moderate looking race.
3.10 Lingfield – Millebosc e/w (14/1)
Millebosc is now a non-runner, replaced with Bolshoi Ballet
Millebosc is a really interesting runner here having moved from France to William Haggas’ yard. He had to pull out of his first run for that yard due to ground concerns a few weeks ago and makes his debut here. He has run well in some really fancy races in France, including an excellent third in the 2021 Group 1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club won by St Mark’s Basilica no less. That is superb form in this context and the hope his Haggas and his team will have him freshened up and ready to fire. 14/1 could look very big if he’s anywhere near his top form today.
3.30 Cheltenham – Wiseguy (7/2)
Very keen to take on favourite Unanswered in this given his record fresh is not the best. Instead I was keen on WISEGUY here for the Henderson yard who are going well right now. He’s got some smart form including a winning debut beating the highly rated Hillcrest. He’s started life in hurdles very well too. He was a close third on debut to Datsalrightgino who was a brilliant winner the other day. He needed that first run over the obstacles and looked a different proposition next time where he was stepped well up in trip and obliged by 7 1/2 lengths at Doncaster. He looks unexposed here and can finish the day off in style for us under Nico De Boinville.