Cheltenham will host a fascinating eight-race card on Saturday 24 January, as Festival Trials Day is set to throw up a whole host of Cheltenham Festival clues. With the Unibet Hurdle seeing Sir Gino and The New Lion doing battle, whilst the Cotswold Chase and Cleeve Hurdle can throw up more Cheltenham clues, it’s set to be a superb day’s action. We pick out our best Cheltenham tips for the day below:
1.15 Cheltenham – JAGWAR (1pt win – 7/4)
Sent off favourite on his comeback run in the December Gold Cup at the track last month, Jagwar ran an excellent race to finish in third place behind Glengouly and Vincenzo. A winner of the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase at the festival last season, the Josh Guerriero & Oliver Greenall-trained seven-year-old is sure to come on for that run and a 1lb rise is more than fair. The form was franked at Ascot last weekend with Vincenzo claiming a big pot at the Berkshire track, and whilst Booster Bob and Triple Trade are two in-form rivals it’s hard to not see Jagwar get his head in front here.
3.35 Cheltenham – GOWEL ROAD (1pt win – 12/1)
A winner of the Cleeve Hurdle last season, Gowel Road will attempt to retain his Grade 2 crown at 3.35pm, and whilst he will face the hugely exciting eight-year-old stayer Impose Toi the small field could play into the hands of the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained veteran. Sure to be sent out to the front from the flag fall, the ten-year-old could look to dominate proceedings and he could very hard to catch. He found the trip too short in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, but this 3m trip has always been his ideal distance and the Naunton inmate could very hard to catch in the closing stages. Impose Toi is bidding for a four-timer and is the most likely winner, but Gowel Road will fancy giving a bold effort out in front and he is sure to be fully wound up for this contest.
4.10 Cheltenham – ACT OF INNOCENCE (1pt win – 11/10)
Beaten by Minella Yoga at Newbury last time out, Act Of Innocence is looking to bounce back to form and the Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old has been found a perfect contest to return to winning ways. Entered for both the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Turners Novices’ Hurdle, the Seven Barrows inmate is still a lightly-raced performer and he is sure to improve as the season progresses. He may have just lacked that extra gear in that Newbury race, so it’s interesting that Henderson has opted to send him over a further trip here, and that can be what brings on the improvement and he can cement his place as a leading contender for the 2m 5f novice hurdle at the festival in March with a dominant win over the likes of Taurus Bay and Heads Up this weekend.
Cheltenham Tips For Festival Trials Day On Saturday 24 January
1.15 Cheltenham – JAGWAR (1pt win – 7/4)