A cure for all the celebratory hangovers, New Year’s Day’s racing at Cheltenham is seven races strong. With a number of top runners in action, GG’s expert editor has a selection in every race alongside an excellent offer from William Hill, who are offering Bet £10 – Get 30 In Free Bets to new customers.
GET A TONIC (12:15 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle) 5/1
The opening race on New Year’s Day is a Listed novices’ hurdle over 2m 4½f on the new course.
The headline act is Nicky Henderson’s I Am Maximus, conqueror of My Drogo when the pair met in a bumper last season. He got off the mark over hurdles at Newbury last time after being turned over on his hurdles debut.
For all his talent, however, he has a rather ungainly running style which could be found out on a track with the topography of Cheltenham. Preference is instead for the sole mare in the field, GET A TONIC for Dan and Harry Skelton.
Although beaten on her hurdling debut too, that form is working out very well with the fourth and fifth having won since. Get A Tonic herself has won both starts since with each of those coming over a similar trip to this. The runner-up from her Uttoxeter victory, in which she carried a penalty, won a maiden hurdle over the Christmas period.
Ultimately, her form has been franked in many places and she returns to having her 7lb mares’ allowance here. She looks very capable of making the most of that.
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ECLAIR SURF (12:50 New Four Eighty Restaurant At Cheltenham Festival Handicap Chase) 10/1
This is a very open handicap and it’s difficult to choose between a few of the principles.
If Destinee Royale can continue her progress after a layoff she is very dangerous, but a 283-day break is substantial enough to warrant caution. Meanwhile, The Wolf may well have won on his return but for a mistake late on and remains on the same mark of 136 here.
However, ECLAIR SURF has gradually slid to a tempting mark just 2lb above the one he won off at Sandown in February. He was still firmly in contention when falling at Bangor in a race won by Becher Chase heroine Snow Leopardess on his return and also made a blunder that put paid to his chances at Chepstow most recently.
His tendency to throw in one poor jump is a worry, but given he appeared to have a chance in both races, each of which has worked out very well, suggests the consistent easing of 1lb in the handicap is generous enough.
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L’HOMME PRESSE (1:25 Paddy Power Novices’ Chase) 7/4
A turnout of nine is as many as the previous two renewals combined and more than any running since 2011.
There are a few who are of interest. Chief among those is the rapidly improving L’HOMME PRESSE, who is difficult to oppose on recent form. He was very impressive in a graduation chase at Ascot. The race might have fallen apart, but Venetia Williams’ charge was very well on top and should not have any problem with soft ground.
Millers Bank will be in receipt of 3lb, which gives him the best chance on ratings, but his jumping was scrappy even before he unseated at Newbury on his last start. Oscar Elite was extremely disappointing last time, but may have been feeling the effects of his fall here and given how well he was travelling that day, he is worth noting.
Once again, the only mare in the field is of consideration, as The Glancing Queen appears to have improved on her hurdles form over fences.
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FUNAMBULE SIVOLA (2:00 Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase) 7/1
This won’t be easy to win off top weight, but FUNAMBULE SIVOLA may simply be a class above his rivals in this contest.
His rate of improvement last season was substantial, ensuring that he was the only horse to give Shishkin any semblance of a contest at Aintree in April. His return saw him finish second in the Peterborough Chase, his effort bottoming out slightly late on.
It is therefore notable that Venetia Williams keeps this horse over 2m4f, suggesting that it was freshness rather than stamina that saw him weak at the finish last time. Moreover, though he was receiving weight from most of his rivals, that was a Grade 2 contest and a mark of 155 looks a winnable one. He should be back in Graded company soon enough.
Coole Cody simply loves Cheltenham and is only 4lb higher than for his Racing Post Gold Cup success over course and distance. At a bigger price, an each-way alternative is Espoir De Teillee, whose efforts this term are respectable and who is falling slightly in the ratings.
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PILEON (2:35 Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle) 11/2
Two recent handicap winners at the track, Art Approval and Kansas City Chief head the obvious contenders in this three-mile hurdle.
The latter did so over course and distance, but will be 13 on New Year’s Day and may not be open to as much improvement. The horse most capable of better is probably PILEON now he has regained the winning thread.
He was second in the Martin Pipe at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, but seemed to have his confidence knocked by a disastrous spell over fences. Once he was back over hurdles, he started with form of P80.
However, he returned with a very encouraging fourth at Aintree when upped in trip and then won for the first time for nearly two years at Sandown at the start of December. He may well have rediscovered a taste for the game now he is running over three miles.
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STORMY IRELAND (3.10 Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle) 7/1
There is an interesting mix among the principles between those who have regularly shown their best at Cheltenham and those who simply have not.
Two in the latter category are the favourites in Brewin’upastorm and McFabulous. The former has often been seen to best effect on flatter tracks, none more so than when winning cosily at Aintree last time. His best form here was when fourth in the Ballymore in 2019, but he has never won at Cheltenham.
McFabulous has not done so either and even though he has had only the one run here, he was well beaten in that particular bumper.
STORMY IRELAND is another who has not won at Prestbury Park but she was second in the 2019 Mares Hurdle and has become a Grade 1 winner this year. On that evidence she is overpriced in comparison to the aforementioned duo and should be able to dominate from the front as she loves to do.
Both Guard Your Dreams and Indefatigable have performed to a high level at Cheltenham. The first-named had everything going for him in the Grade 2 International Hurdle last time and might suffer more now under a penalty, while it’s difficult to get Indefatigable’s aberration in the Long Distance Hurdle out of the memory.
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BEYOND BOUNDARIES (3.50 Pony Club “Junior” National Hunt Flat Race) 13/2
This looks a trappy bumper to be involved with. The form of dual winner Poetic Voice’s form so far is nothing special, while the likes of Alazwar, Legionar and Iliade Allen have disappointing defeats to sit alongside their victories.
One runner stands out very distinctly and that is BEYOND BOUNDARIES for Andrew Balding. He is a full brother to Aidan O’Brien’s Listed winner Western Australia, who’s victory at that level on the flat came at just shy of this trip.
While he is unlikely to get even close to that level of form in National Hunt company on his first start, he is far more expensively purchased and flashily bred than any of his rivals and could simply be too classy.
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