Having already begun his quest for ante-post winners at the Cheltenham Festival, Matty Sutcliffe has dived into the opening meeting of the year at Prestbury Park this Friday. He has picked out four value punts across the day’s card.
1:15 Cheltenham – William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-140) – The Expensive One 12/1 1pt EW 5 places + Minella Missile 0.5pt EW 20/1 0.5pt EW 5 places
The opening meeting at Cheltenham generally favours prominent racers with a run already in them thus proving fitness to the fore, and that significantly heightens the interest in the unexposed THE EXPENSIVE ONE.
The Harland gelding gave Nico De Boinville his first win back from his injury when staying on well at Stratford displaying a good engine having been ridden from some way despite the omission of the hurdles in the straight. Prior to that, he perhaps did too much on the front end with the other prominent racer beaten thirty lengths when second at Worcester on seasonal debut, but it was still a promising hurdles debut displaying a good aptitude for the jumping game.
While his excellent half brother The New One plied his trade over two miles, this one looks to be suited by this step up to 2m4f just as his other half brother The Newest One was (won over three miles/fences here last season) and given he carries just 10-2 with James Turner taking off a further 5lbs, his low weight will be of a huge benefit from the front on ground that’s likely to soften over Thursday night for a yard who are typically bang in form this time of year.
I’d also like to save on MINELLA MISSILE for Evan Williams, who also has his string in fine fettle this month. This selection requires a bit of faith as he went completely off the boil last season after returning from injury, but his reappearance at Windsor in a competitive class two handicap was full of promise, beaten only nine lengths and he wasn’t given an overly hard time in rear to put it politely, travelling very well throughout when unfavourably pitched wide.
Three of his next four efforts came in Group Three handicap hurdles, including at the Cheltenham/ Aintree festivals and he was midfield in the latter, so the bare form rates a tad better than at first glance and he’s now 11lbs lower than that eye-catching Windsor run.
He’s a horse with bundles of ability, having comfortably won a maiden hurdle at Chepstow on yard debut before winning the Grade Two Hyde Novices’ here over 2m5f, so if the yard can keep him sound and he can tap into his earlier promise then it’ll only be a matter of time before he takes advantage of a very lenient mark of 127.
2:25 Cheltenham – Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle (Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Qual) (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-140) – Torquay Road 7/1 1pt WIN
All of the last four winners of this contest won their previous outing of the season, including Cian Collins’ Impero last season who was only rated 103 prior to winning a run of the mill Downpatrick Maiden. The sole qualifier in here is Collins’ TORQUAY ROAD (King William Rufus the other last time out winner but that came in April) and the improving son of No Risk At All can follow up for the yard.
Torquay Road won a Sligo Maiden Hurdle on yard debut, staying on strongly after jumping well throughout to lower the colours of the Henry De Bromhead trained favourite. He went completely off the boil subsequently, tailing off when 7/2 favourite at Ballinrobe next time out and his winter campaign saw form figures of 00000, held up in rear in each of them.
He returned after a 151-day layoff in June when ridden more prominently at Kilbeggan to finish third with the second going in twice subsequently. He bumped into the second at Roscommon next time out when a six-length fourth, though the second there has won three times since now rated 23lbs higher.
Torquay Road got back to winning ways over 2m2f at Sligo off top-weight, and followed that up under Eoin Staples when making quick headway from midfield before coming in between two rivals up the run in to win by half-a-length.
He looks a much improved model this season and while he is 11lbs higher this time around (15lbs factoring in Staples’ claiming 3lbs), he’s evidently thriving and holds a fitness edge above the majority of his rivals to the fore of the market for a yard who are two from three here in the last twelve months.
3:35 Cheltenham – squareintheair.com Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) – Uncle Phil 14/1 1pt EW 3 places
Chester Williams has had the dream start to his training career with both of his runners winning first time up under Harry Cobden and the pair look to make it a hat trick with 14k purchase UNCLE PHIL.
The Walk In The Park gelding had mixed form for Willie Mullins early on in his career, though he looked impressive when putting in a jumping exhibition at Kilbeggan second time up over fences to fend off the then 148 rated hurdler Winter Fog (whose chasing career admittedly ended there). Uncle Phil won a Listowel Novice chase in comfortable manner after bombing out at Wexford, before beaten a length in a Grade 2 Novice Chase at Punchestown prior to comfortably making all in the Dan & Joan Moore Grade 3 Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse, beating a strong enough field.
He went off the boil subsequently, but he’s only 6lbs above his last winning mark and the switch to a smaller operation could see him regather that earlier enthusiasm for racing.
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