Here we go for day one of the 2020 Cheltenham festival and Sam Turner has plenty to report from his speed figures.
Pentland Hills/Ballyandy/Silver Streak (Cheltenham, 3.30)
PENTLAND HILLS, authoritative winner of last season’s Triumph Hurdle, polarises opinion with statisticians pointing to the record of five-year-olds in this race since 1987 which stands at 2-102.
Last year’s winner blew that stat out of the water though and the selection has undergone a small wind operation to help him finish his races off stronger. He has raced too keenly on both starts this term, but a bigger field and the presence of front-runners like Not So Sleepy, Petit Mouchoir and Cornerstone Lad should enable him to settle better and his cruising speed could prove a valuable asset.
Get 9/1 Pentland Hills @ Betway
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I will look to play the selection in the win market and take up the offer of the enhanced place terms for the likes of BALLYANDY and SILVER STREAK, third in the race 12 months ago.
Ballyandy’s Cheltenham record when he has completed reads 1134432 while three of his career wins have been achieved in fields of 13 or more.
Get 22/1 Ballyandy @ Unibet
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Silver Streak has run three times at Prestbury Park finishing 223, with his record for rider Adam Wedge reading a highly impressive 112235132 so both appeal as each-way possibles given they possess plenty of Cheltenham form and experience of big-field hurdle events.
Get 25/1 Silver Streak @ bet365
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The Conditional/Discorama (Cheltenham, 2.50)
THE CONDITIONAL failed to quite see out the trip of Warwick’s Classic Chase last time, but he travelled strongly for a good percentage of that race and, with the runner-up and sixth-home winning since, it could be a race to take seriously.
An October win over course and distance on desperate ground increases confidence and he was an honourable runner-up in the Ladbroke Trophy which looks a much stronger handicap than todays.
He is reported to be in good order at home and Brendan Powell Jnr has struck up a good relationship with him in recent months so the combination are fancied to give a good account.
Get 15/2 The Conditional @ Coral
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DISCORAMA has been second in a NH Chase and in the conditionals’ handicap hurdle when unfavoured by the run of the race so boasts plenty of Festival experience and looks to have been trained for today.
His yard were keen to give him a spin over hurdles at Limerick over Christmas to preserve his handicap mark and a recent wind operation is said to have been a success on the lead up to this event. With that in mind and some firms offering as many as six places, he looks worth supporting too.
Get 8/1 Discorama @ Coral
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Hold The Note/Imperial Aura (Cheltenham, 4.50)
Three of the last four winners of this contest fought out a Graded novice chase on their previous start so HOLD THE NOTE makes plenty of appeal having shaped with a good deal of promise at Warwick last time.
The three-mile trip in deep ground just proved beyond the six-year-old as he faded late on having travelled powerfully into the race, but he bumped into a horse that day with copper-bottomed stamina at the trip so there was no disgrace.
Get 9/1 Hold The Note @ Unibet
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Today’s drop in distance looks ideal for a horse which boasts plenty of pace and one which ran well in a bumper at this venue (8 of the past 13 winners ran in a NH flat race). Hopefully his jumping, which has looked pretty sound in three starts over fences (11 of the last 12 winners had run three or four times over fences) will stand up and he can deliver another big performance for connections which won this with Mister Whitaker in 2018.
IMPERIAL AURA looks a huge threat following a fine run behind Simply The Betts in a strongly-run course and distance handicap on Trials day in January. He had Champagne Court behind him that day and galloped all the way to the line behind a horse which is rated a very smart chaser in the making. He looks worth a saver even if his price is nothing special.
Get 11/2 Imperial Aura @ Coral
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SAM TURNER’S TOP TIPS
Pentland Hills 1pt win (3.30 Cheltenham) 9/1 Betway
Ballyandy 1/2 ew (3.30 Cheltenham) 22-1 Unibet (4 places)
Silver Streak 1/2pt ew (3.30 Cheltenham) 25-1 bet365 (4 places)
The Conditional 1pt ew (2.50 Cheltenham) 15-2 Coral
Discorama 1pt ew (2.50 Cheltenham) 8-1 Coral
Hold The Note 1pt ew (4.50 Cheltenham) 9/1 Unibet
Imperial Aura 1pt win (4.50 Cheltenham) 11-2 Coral
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Betway are offering a superb 40/1 on Benie Des Dieux to win the Mares Hurdle.
New customers from UK and Ireland only. Valid debit/credit card or Paypal. Bets only eligible for the 16:10 Mares Hurdle race. Min deposit €/£10. Max stake €/£1. Race Winner singles only. Winnings paid in Free Bets. Offer expires 10/03/20 at 16:10 GMT. 18+ gambleaware.org Full Terms Apply