We welcome the return to Jumps racing at Cheltenham on Friday 25th October 2024, as day one of the Showcase meeting takes place. Another epic season is set to unfold at Prestbury Park and while Friday’s card may lack the stars of March it will see throw up some competitive action and our in-house tipster provides his best bets for Friday’s card…
2:25pm Cheltenham – squareintheair.com Handicap Chase
Henry De Bromhead’s Dancing On My Own will attempt to win this race for the second year on the bounce, but the ten-year-old is 2lbs higher than his mark 12 months ago and off top weight he could struggle to a more attractively handicapped rival. Triple Trade is one with winning form around the track, but the one to side with is MATATA, who drops back into the handicap sphere having contested top notch Graded novices last season.
Fourth of ten in the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained six-year-old will enter calmer waters here and if he can produce his best then he could be more than capable of landing this prize off a mark of 147. He failed to figure in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree on his last start, but that Arkle form and a second in the Grade 2 Lightning Novices’ Chase at Doncaster should be good enough to land this race.
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Matthew Sutcliffe’s Value Punts – Tips for Doncaster and Cheltenham from Our Value Man
Cheltenham and Doncaster both host high class meetings over the weekend. Both are fodder for Matty Sutcliffe’s value microscope, and he has three best bets across both. Published: 1.27pm, Tuesday, October 22nd (Odds correct at time of writing) 1:45 Cheltenham – William Hill Betting Done Properly Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) – Millforce…
Tue 22 Oct 2024
3:35pm Cheltenham – Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
Ben Pauling’s MOLE COURT won this race by half-a-length in 2023 and the consistent stayer can taste success again in 2024 off a 10lb higher mark. A winner off 115 last year, he will have a mark of 125 to contend with here, but he followed his Cheltenham win with a Huntingdon handicap chase win off 120, so he doesn’t have too much to find on the ratings.
He was last seen running a fine race to finish seventh in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen and this test certainly looks a little easier on paper. However, it’s the step back to 3m+ that should bring about the major improvement, as he was doing all his best work in the closing stages last year as he stayed on gamely up the hill and he can do the same again here on Friday.
4:45pm Cheltenham – Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
There’s a devilishly difficult betting heat to the end day one of the Showcase meeting, but it could be the Pauling team that reign supreme once again as FIERCELY PROUD can claim victory in the finale at 4:45pm. The five-year-old ended last season finishing seventh in Sandown’s novices’ championship final, but prior to that he was an excellent second to Lump Sum in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton.
Rated 129 for this event, Fiercely Proud’s Dovecote form has been given a huge boost with Lump Sum storming to a one-length win in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las, so the Pauling youngster has some strong form in the book. He has winning form at Cheltenham having won a bumper at the track back in January, so he has shown he can deliver the goods at GL50 and he can record a second win at the course on Friday.
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