Cheltenham is back this weekend, and in anticipation of this, our expert has delved through the card to produce their best bets for Friday’s action. Check these selections out below, alongside an exclusive Betfair offer which provides £50 in free bets.
DAME DU SOIR – 1.50 Cheltenham CF Roberts Electrical & Mechanical Services Mares’ Handicap Chase 20/1
An open mares’ handicap chase in prospect here and it may just be worth taking a chance on the David Bridgwater trained DAME DU SOIR at her current odds of 20/1.
This 8yo daughter of Axxos spent the majority of last season over hurdles, but she made a promising return to the larger obstacles when third at Fontwell last month.
That was her first start after wind surgery, so this could be the ideal time to catch her, and the forecast deluge set to hit Cheltenham this week won’t inconvenience a horse that has won on heavy ground in the past.
The handicapper has dropped David Bridgwater’s charge 2lb since last seen, so she is now a pound lower than when scoring over hurdles at Chepstow last season, and her form figures when running in December and January currently read an impressive 1213213, suggesting this is the time of year to keep her on side.
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COMMODORE – 2.25 Cheltenham Betfair Handicap Chase 12/1
Venetia Williams took this Grade 3 handicap with Aachen in 2015, and six years later, her COMMODORE is backed to land the spoils.
This 9yo was still well in contention before unseating his rider at the final fence in this race last year. A couple of below-par subsequent runs result in him coming into this off a 4lb lower mark, and he tends to save his best form for when fresh.
On last season’s reappearance, Commodore bumped into recent Becher Chase winner Snow Leopardess, and the season prior he looked certain to finish no worse than third before sprawling on landing after the final fence.
With the forecast rain a huge plus for his chances, the 12/1 available looks worth taking.
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DIESEL D’ALLIER – 3.00 Cheltenham Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase 13/2
DIESEL D’ALLIER made a promising debut to life for this yard when third over course and distance last month.
He’d previously finished fourth in the Cross Country proper at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival and as an 8yo he still remains relatively young for this discipline, so the best is very likely still to come.
That latest third here came on good ground, but his best form prior to that had come on a testing surface, so any ease won’t inconvenience.
A 3lb pull with Back On The Lash may be enough to see him reverse that form, particularly as connections would still have been getting to know Diesel D’Allier and can now be expected to have a much better handle on what is sitting in their stable.
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BOTOX HAS – 3.35 Cheltenham Citipost Handicap Hurdle 12/1
Gary Moore’s BOTOX HAS clearly hasn’t hit the heights once expected of him but he caught the eye staying on from no man’s land to finish eighth in the Greatwood here last month.
Tackling 3m looks well worth a try on that evidence and Botox Has is now 10lb lower than when fourth at Newbury last season.
On his start prior to that, Botox Has was a winner of the Masterson Holdings Hurdle here, where he saw off the now 138-rated The Pink’n and now 150-rated Allmankind. That run in isolation makes Botox Has look potentially very well treated off a mark of 136, and considering that latest eighth came on the back of two non-completions, it should do Botox Has’s confidence the world of good.
Sporting John warrants strong respect on the back of his latest course win, but at the prices, it is Gary Moore’s charge who rates the one to side with on Friday.
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