The new jumps season really gets going at Prestbury Park on Friday, as the Showcase meeting at Cheltenham opens with a seven-race card. Planters Punch heads the Sharp Novices’ Hurdle, while JPR One takes on Calico in the valuable handicap chase and the Irish raiders are out in force across the afternoon.
Joe Napier has three selections from Cheltenham for Friday.
1.15 Cheltenham – Cloonainra
John McConnell has had success at this meeting in the past and CLOONAINRA looks overpriced on each-way bases. The mare is a former Grade 2 novice hurdle runner-up who usually does good work earlier in the campaign. That was evidenced last year when she made a winning chase debut at Listowel, beating a quartet of 120-rated yardsticks. She was considered good enough to contest the class 2 “Chasing Excellence” novices’ chase on this card a year ago before her form began to slide. Nevertheless, she is still only seven and ran a good race at Kilbeggan in August when a close second. The majority of her better runs of late have come over timber, as her overall profile bears out. A mark of 116 could prove lenient on these shores.
2.25 Cheltenham – Wondering Why
This is wide open, but the most upside belongs to WONDERING WHY for Ben Pauling. The bumper winner proved consistent in maiden and novice company last season, placing twice before getting off the mark at Lingfield in January. He had previously chased home former Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly at Huntingdon and beat 17 rivals when eventually gaining a victory. He disappointed at Warwick thereafter, but the winner of that race is useful and Wondering Why delivered on handicap debut next time out at the same track. His mark is only 4lb higher here and Elliott England could well prove one of the most talented conditionals in this line-up, with him able to claim 8lb here.
3.35 Cheltenham – JPR One
Although Calico goes for a third win in a row in this race, and proved better than ever last season, he may find it difficult against the classy JPR ONE here. The Skelton runner is back down to a decent mark, but is still 6lb higher than when winning 12 months ago. Similarly, the selection is a Graded level horse, as he showed last season. He was only third on his return, but that was behind handicap blot Thistle Ask and he has twice won on his comeback run. The nine-year-old latterly finished third behind Calico at Ascot, but kept kicking forward, including a win in the Scottish Champion Chase at Musselburgh. He ran a game race in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham too, leading towards the second last after going a great gallop and jumping well. Even more significantly, he was within a length of making a Grade 1 breakthrough in Sandown’s Celebration Chase to conclude the previous campaign and resumes here off 158. That puts most of his rivals out of the handicap here and he can take advantage carrying 12st.
