Cheltenham returns to our screens with racing on Friday, as well as three races on the flat from Doncaster. GG’s in-house tipster Joe Napier gives his four best bets, including three at long odds.
2.25 Cheltenham – Squareintheair.com Handicap Chase
This race marks a very fun return to the jumps season, with recognisable names mixing it with some second season chasers just out of novice company. Matata was fourth in the Arkle, while Arclight is particularly interesting given how progressive she was for most of last season over fences until Nicky Henderson’s stable form fell away.
However, the defending champion and top weight DANCING ON MY OWN is only 2lb higher than he was when beating Triple Trade a year ago and has had two runs over the summer to keep him fit. That form last year worked out superbly, with runner-up Triple Trade winning twice in his next three, third-placed In Excelsis Deo now rated 12lb higher, and the fourth, Notlongtillmay, finishing runner-up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup next time out.
Henry De Bromhead’s yard have been in pretty good form of late and he can always be counted on to have readied one for Cheltenham. The ten-year-old may be advancing in years, but his summer efforts read well, with his second to a very well-handicapped winner at Killarney seeing him finish well in front of Galway Festival runner-up The Dasher Conway and Kerry National winner Flooring Porter. Enough ability has shown to be retained that he can defy giving weight all round.
3.00 Cheltenham – Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
Gale Mahler probably sets an unassailable standard here, but in a six-runner field there could be a play for the minor honours who could exploit any chink in her armour. Though the days of flat horses easily transferring their skills to top-level hurdles have mostly passed, DANCING IN PARIS progressed really well on the level this season and can have a case made for him.
The two unbeaten British novices, Valgrand and Brave Knight, have only earned ratings of 118 and 127 respectively so far, but while they have experience, those are hardly unreachable heights for a horse of Dancing In Paris’ quality. He has won three times since May, reaching a mark of 87, which if we take a general translation of 45-50lb between the flat and jumps, immediately puts him past both those rivals.
Of course he has to prove that, and this is a tough first assignment for a novice hurdler, but his flat performances over staying trips suggest he will have no issue seeing this out on good ground. There should be no fitness worries, and even accounting for a few pounds lapse in jumping ability would leave him with little to prove to beat those two rivals and potentially even serve it up to Gale Mahler.
Andrew Mount’s Horse Racing Tips – Friday, 25th October
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 –…
Thu 24 Oct 2024
3.18 Doncaster – William Hill More Top Prices Handicap
Those looking for short-priced accas could do much worse than including Altmore alongside Gale Mahler given William Haggas’s charge is a warm order according to the bookies. He is up 11lb for his Pontefract success earlier in the month though and we’re going to throw another dart here at outsider JEHANGEER.
In a nine-race career so far, he has only twice raced on ground softer than good. In those two contests, he has recorded two of his four best RPRs, though it is very arguably that they represent his two best career performances: he was third in a York Listed event on soft as a juvenile, doing best of those to have raced in rear, while easily his best ever effort came when winning a Thirsk handicap off 2lb lower in July on good-to-soft. The second, fourth and seventh that day all won within their next three starts.
Kevin Ryan’s son of Kodiac has been down the field in three starts since, but all on good-to-firm in fields of 11, 19 and 25 (Ayr Gold Cup). He has been eased slightly by the handicapper and looks clinically overpriced given the going angle, as he is a full brother to the yard’s soft ground Group 1 winner Hello Youmzain.
3.35 Cheltenham – Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
Our very own Matty Sutcliffe wrote about Gavin Cromwell’s Cheltenham record for his Saturday tips, but there may be one on Friday who can also make hay. He had nine winners from 30 runners at the track last season, though will rarely have had won as lowly-rated as INDIVIDUALISTE, a newcomer for the stable having joined from Paul Nicholls.
The six-year-old’s form tailed off for Nicholls last term, but he was a winner off this mark over hurdles last December by 16 lengths. That was also his last run on ground quicker than soft, so with good going expected at Prestbury Park, that looks to be in his favour.
He ran very respectably after a mammoth absence prior to last season’s debut, so this being his first race since March is no concern. The one unknown element is how he will cope with this step up in trip, but I doubt the change of yards would have anything other than a positive impact.
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