The second day of the Cheltenham Showcase meeting takes place on Saturday and Matty Sutcliffe follows up four bets for Friday with a whopping six different tips for you to follow.
1:10 Cheltenham – William Hill Each Way Extra Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4yo+) – Springs A Girl 16/1 0.5pt 4 places EW + Newton Tornado 15/2 1pt WIN
All four winners of this contest had a recent run under their belt and were ridden prominently and just five of the 14 runners qualify regarding the former, four of them hailing from Irish yards with two of those for last year’s winning yard Ian Patrick Donoghue.
I would have preferred the sole British qualifier SPRINGS A GIRL to have a more prominent style of racing, but given Martin Keighley teamed up with Sean Bowen to win this with another mare in Found On in 2022, she’s taken to put her fitness and chasing experience to good use and come home late under the excellent Sean Bowen who can do no wrong at the moment.
The daughter of Irish Wells was progressive over hurdles for the yard last season after unseating at the second on her hurdles debut, with her form reading 16124 and the sole blip coming when beaten 21 lengths behind The New Lion in a race which has worked out seriously well.
She made her chase debut under Sean Bowen at Worcester when 8lbs out of the weights and while she looked beaten a fair way out, she rallied strongly up the run to go down a length to Breaking Cover, who’d won well on his chase debut and franked the form to a degree last time out when a three-length second.
Given her best form over hurdles came between 2m5f-2m6f, that was a solid effort over two miles at Worcester and she’ll be better suited now stepping up in distance with that chasing experience over the majority of the field.
I’d also like to chance NEWTON TORNADO on his chase debut if those with experience come up short, as the consistent son of Cokoriko can take his form to a new level for Rebecca Curtis now going chasing.
He was purchased for £85,000 after comfortably winning a Ballindenisk point-to-point, and the runner up is now rated 118 under rules for Henry De Bromhead. He skipped bumpers and went straight into novice hurdles, with his form reading 322221. Despite the uneasy amount of second places next to his name, he was unfortunate to bump into some smart sorts such as giving 7lbs to the subsequent Dawn Run third Diva Luna and the 145 rated chaser Saint Palais, before belatedly landing the odds at Ffos Las to fend off a dual subsequent winner.
His dam is from the family of eight-time Graded chase winner Nickname (sire of Cyrname, Frodon and Yala Enki) so he’s bred to match the visual impression he’ll improve for fences, and a mark of 121 will surely underestimate him in time in this sphere.
1:45 Cheltenham – Play William Hill’s Final One Standing Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) – Minella Supreme 9/2 1pt WIN
John McConnell has successfully raided this meeting in recent years including winning three of the last five runnings of this contest and with his overall record of 24-6-10 (£7.87+) in non handicap hurdles here in the last five seasons, MINELLA SUPREME is taken to continue that strong record.
The Soldier Of Fortune gelding had form figures of 321 in bumpers prior to making his hurdles debut at Downpatrick in August when 5/2F, and he was going strongly throughout to the head of affairs prior to falling two out in the same contest the yard won with Intense Approach last year prior to winning this contest.
Minella Supreme made no mistake at Kilbeggan next time out when 2/1 favourite giving 12lbs to the half a length second, fending him off on the turn and still going away at the line. That was a fluent performance in the main, and his prominent style will be strongly suited to this test. While he may lack the potential of some of these, he’s likely to have been primed for his life to take this contest and rates the main threat to the 132-rated Gordon Elliott favourite.
2:20 Cheltenham – William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) – Fascile Mode 20/1 1pt EW 5 places
Danny Mullins comes across for just the one ride on Saturday on FASCILE MODE, who arrives off the back of a career best effort over fences. Having landed a Punchestown Maiden Hurdle by 12 lengths in October 2023, he was given some stiff tasks in novice company with four of his next five starts coming in Grade 1s. It took him until June that season to return to the winners enclosure when comfortably winning a Punchestown Hurdle beaten 1/3F Ash Tree Meadow, though he again went south in two subsequent starts.
Fascile Mode made a winning chase debut last season back at Punchestown, fending off Touch Me not who franked that form generously in G2 company next time out before a three lengths third to L’eau Du Sud in the G1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, though again he came up short in better company throughout the year.
Since being equipped with cheekpieces, his form appears to have improved after finishing second in a Listed Hurdle at Galway in August, and his four lengths third in a Sligo Chase was a much improved effort behind the consistent Riaan and the 151-rated Jesse Evans. He rallied well there after a mistake at the last to stay on well for third after making most of the running, and that effort suggested this step up to 3m1f will strongly suit, unsurprisingly given he’s by Walk In The Park out of a Presenting mare.
This revised mark off 137 puts more on his plate, but should the trip unlock further improvement and he can put his race fitness to good use, then at this stage he looks a solid proposition at 20/1 to return to the winners enclosure and take his October record to 1131.
2:55 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) Electric Mason 20/1 1pt EW 5 places
I’ve long been of the opinion that ELECTRIC MASON can become a smart hurdler for Chris Gordon and this step up to three miles may prove the key.
He was purchased for £110,000 at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival sales having split two smart types in a Tinahely point-to-point in February, with the winner now rated 140 and the third rate 134, latterly placing in the G3 Handicap Hurdle at the Aintree Festival.
He had some smart form in bumpers, bumping into the likes of Celtic Dino and Laurens Bay before finishing mid division in the G2 Aintree bumper. He came on from his hurdles debut when reversing bumper form with Laurens Bay who subsequently came from the clouds to in the valuable G3 EBF Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown in March, and he posted a solid third at Newbury next time out. That form is some of the best on offer in this field as the winner, The New Lion, subsequently won the Challow and the Turners and the second, Califet En Vol, subsequently won the Sidney Banks.
Electric Mason was far from disgraced in the Challow when only nine lengths behind The New Lion as well as the likes of Wendigo and Regent’s Stroll, before comfortably winning a run of the mill novices’ hurdle at Fontwell.
He went off the boil a touch in his latest two starts, but his form from last season suggests a mark of 128 is more than workable and given his point form, it’ll be no surprise should this step up in trip see him ply his trade in staying handicap hurdles this season.
4:05 Cheltenham – William Hill Extra Places With Bog ‘Chasing Excellence’ Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+) – Leave Of Absence 7/1 2pt WIN
The bet of the weekend comes in the form of the appropriately named LEAVE OF ABSENCE, who returned from a 758 day break at Kempton last season to finish a length second on chase debut to smart hurdler Iberico Lord. Having taken a keen hold and jumping left throughout, it was unsurprising to see him collared late on by Iberico Lord, though it was still a promising chase debut.
He can be forgiven for his 24-length second to The Changing Man in the Reynoldstown next time out as he lost his left hind shoe and failed to get competitive under what was a strong gallop set by the winner, and he’s better judged on his Newbury success on handicap debut. He made most of the running under Rex Dingle and comfortably dispatched the field to win by two lengths giving 15lbs to the next two home, and the third there has since improved 25lbs after five subsequent wins over the summer jumps.
He’s evidently a fragile sort, but with overall form figures of 31131221 he’s unlikely to be left short for this reappearance and his tendency to shift/jump left in his races should see him take well to this track, with the expectancy he’ll attempt to make all and stick as close to the rail as possible.
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