Cheltenham returns for the first time this jumps season with the first day of its showcase meeting, and Andrew Mount shares his best bets across the day.
Back his selections with BetMGM’s HUGE new customer offer of £40 in Free Bets when you deposit and bet £10!
Posted: 10.28am, Thursday, October 24th
1.15 Cheltenham – CALLIN BATON ROUGE (1pt ew – 7/1 generally)
I was very keen on CALLIN BATON ROUGE at Fakenham the other day before her race was abandoned and want to get involved with the Charles & Adam Pogson-trained six-year-old in this more competitive contest. She took her record for her current yard to 111 (3-3) when scoring by eight lengths at Stratford last month where she was the only winner on the card to come from off the pace. That performance was backed up by the clock and the 21-length fourth gave the form a boost when a 12-1 winner at Plumpton earlier this week. She was often let down by her jumping when with Warren Greatrex, who usually ran her on soft or heavy going, but good ground has been the making of her since she changed yards. I’ve saved on WYENOT.
Join our 20k+ subscribers to receive the latest horse racing news, offers, and expert tips directly in your inbox — 100% free!
2.25 Cheltenham – SCARFACE (1pt win – 8/1 Ladbrokes, Paddy Power)
Last season, connections of SCARFACE were talking about stepping the seven-year-old up in trip to three miles this term, so it’s fascinating to see him reappear in this two-mile contest. It’s also interesting to see in-form Joe Tizzard’s stable jockey Brendan Powell ride this one, as opposed to last year’s runner-up Triple Trade. The son of Milan took a little time to get the hang of chasing but the introduction of cheekpieces signalled a change of fortunes at Plumpton in January where he scored in comfortable fashion and his full record in the headgear reads 12113 (3-5). Part-owner Richard O’Dwyer made a very interesting comment to the Racing Post after the gelding’s hurdle win at Ascot in November 2022 – “he’ll be better in a better race, he wants to be covered up and towed along as he’s got a high cruising speed”. He certainly going to encounter a strong pace today, as there are plenty of pacesetters in opposition, including Matata (9-4 favourite at the time of writing) and last year’s winner DANCING ON MY OWN. I’m surprised to see Matata put in so short as he’s something of a fruitcake who tends to jump markedly left-handed into the wings of the fences. Dancing On My Own, three from three in October, could be the biggest danger and I intend to play him in a forecast with Scarface.
3.18 Doncaster – MAGICAL SPIRIT (1pt ew – 12/1 bet365, 11/1 William Hill)
Doncaster is rarely regarded as a track that produces course experts, though older readers may recall Amron who won on his first six visits here for Alan Berry in the early 1990s, with the first win coming off a handicap mark of 56 and the sixth one in Listed company. Kevin Ryan’s MAGICAL SPIRIT has a touch of the Amrons about him, recording form figures on Town Moor of 3124011 (3-7) with the wins at 25-1, 9-1 and 11-2. The third place can be excused as he failed to appreciate the good to firm going (his seven turf wins have come on good or softer ground), the runner-up effort was by just a head in a 15-runner Listed race won by a peak-form King’s Lynn who went on to land the Group 2 Temple Stakes just two runs later, the fourth place by less than two lengths when 12-1 for this race in 2021 and the ‘duck egg’ (14th of 19) came from a terrible draw when an 18-1 shot in a race won by stablemate ALEEZDANCER, the 9-2 favourite. The veteran won easily over course and distance on soft ground on his reappearance this year and is only 1lb higher after a string of modest efforts, often at big prices on unsuitable tracks. He again faces Aleezdancer – worth a saver with Neil Callan back on board for the first time since his York win in May – but looks the value each-way play. Regular pilot Tom Eaves switches to the Ryan third string Jehangeer but that might be down to weight, as he could struggle to do 8-10 at this time of year.
5.11 Newbury – WINTERCRACK (1pt win)
WINTERCRACK can’t have the ground soft enough and her six runs on ground rated heavy, very heavy, extremely heavy or bottomless by Proform’s going adjustment have produced four wins and a second place. I advised Pam Sly’s filly when she landed a gamble (11-2 from 16-1) at Nottingham on October 9th, scoring by almost five lengths, and I’m backing her to follow up despite the 7lb ratings hike for that victory. They’re calling it heavy at Newbury today and she looks set to run another big race.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
1.15 Cheltenham – CALLIN BATON ROUGE (1pt ew – 7/1 generally)
2.25 Cheltenham – SCARFACE (1pt win – 8/1 Ladbrokes, Paddy Power)
3.18 Doncaster – MAGICAL SPIRIT (1pt ew – 12/1 bet365, 11/1 William Hill)
5.11 Newbury – WINTERCRACK (1pt win)
Andrew Mount’s tips for Friday, 25th October 2024.
Andrew Mount’s Myth Busters – Venetia Williams Runners Must Have Soft Ground
November is just around the corner, so stand by for a glut of winners trained by Venetia Williams and the inevitable “her runners need soft ground” comments in the racing media. I’ve already heard this recently – after her stable jockey Charlie Deutsch won a Goodwood handicap for professional jump jockeys earlier this month –…
Tue 22 Oct 2024Looking For More Racing Info? Check Out Our Racecards & Top Tips Sections
Make sure you’re following us on all our social media platforms to keep up to date with all the latest horse racing news and the best tips.