The ITV7 is worth a lucrative £50,000 on Saturday. To try and win big just before Cheltenham, get your entries in for the seven races before the off, and to guide you along, here are GG tipster Joe Napier’s thoughts and selections.
Race 1 – 2.10 Newcastle – Virgin Bet Eider Handicap Chase
The Eider Chase is a famous stamina test and it may pay to side with a proven 4m+ winner in GABORIOT. The nine-year-old was a prolific hunter chaser last season and has been competitive in some hot handicaps over 2m5f-3m this season. He does stay further though and good-to-soft ground probably suits him best, so he could relish the emphasis on stamina here given his ideal conditions.
Race 2 – 2.25 Kempton – Ladbrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2)
The most likely winner has to be MONDO MAN after his promising debut at Ascot. The former talented flat performer was getting 10lb from Triumph Hurdle favourite Lulamba that day and could only finish second, but time might well tell that that was still a very useful performance, and he was rusty enough in terms of keenness and jumping that day too. The fifth, St Pancras, won at Listed level next time out and re-opposes, so it has already been franked and any improvement should ensure he is too strong for his rivals.
Race 3 – 2.31 Chepstow – Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle
Guard The Moon has probably done enough already to qualify for the final of this series at Cheltenham, while the likes of Maximilian, Anna Bunina and Lossiemouth are high enough in the handicap that they likely need only place to sneak in at the Festival. ICARE ALLEN, on the other hand, is still low enough in the ratings, and yet to qualify, that a win might be paramount and two of his last three runs for the O’Neills have been vast improvements. He stays well and should be in the reckoning.
Race 4 – 2.40 Southwell – BetUK Hever Sprint Stakes (Listed)
Ostraka is respected after the improvement he showed to win at Dundalk last time out, but VALIANT FORCE could easily turn the tables with a 3lb swing in the weights. He has impressed on his other two all-weather starts of late and the Irish raider ticks the most boxes in terms of race suitability and form. Both last year’s winner Diligent Harry and hat-trick seeking Marshman have at least one question to answer in those respects.
Race 5 – 3.00 Kempton – Ladbrokes Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
Useful bumper horse Tripoli Flyer has looked very useful in dispatching inferior rivals of late, but this step up in class brings him up against Grade 1 runner-up MIAMI MAGIC. The selection was beaten just over two lengths by Potters Charm at Aintree in that top level contest, but proved he is versatile in terms of tactics. Given the third has come out and filled the same position in an Irish Grade 1 since, that looks very creditable form and he gets 3lb from his biggest dangers in the market.
Race 6 – 3.15 Southwell – BetUK Winter Derby Stakes (Group 3)
Royal Champion resumed his career on these shores with an impressive triumph at Lingfield and that form has been boosted. He sets the standard, but it could be surpassed by the upwardly mobile MILITARY ACADEMY. The four-year-old put up just as taking an effort on his first all-weather start last time out and he may just improve past Karl Burke’s charge, especially as the Gosden team have won four of the last six renewals of this Group 3.
Race 7 – 3.35 Kempton – Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase
The novices hold convincing sway over the market, but while Lowry’s Bar and Hyland have the greatest ceilings of potential, they are weighted accordingly, whereas BEACHCOMBER gets 12lb and 11lb from that pair respectively. He was a wide-margin winner over course and distance back in December when belying previous left-handed form. Going sharply right-handed on this flat track really suited him and with the exception of the runner-up, that form is generally working out well. He is up 9lb, but a similar effort would put him right in the mix.
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