2m½f (2m87y) (Old) McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (Registered As The Fred Winter) (GBB) (Class 1) (4yo)
This is always nails and I make no excuses that sometimes you’d be better off throwing darts at a board. But I’ve been looking to see where WINSTON JUNIOR would end up for several weeks after he hosed up at Ascot in January and I thought he wouldn’t be out of place in the Triumph.
Instead Winston Junior runs here, and if he can keep his cool noting that he can sometimes be quite keen then I think he is definitely well-handicapped. He was desperately unlucky in the Triumph Trial in December where he pulled like mad before getting hampered up the run in. Clearly his hold-up tactics could pose a problem here, but I am not about to desert him now having fancied him to run well in this or the Triumph for many weeks. I like that he has run well at the track and the booking of Jack Kennedy just makes it look obvious. So although he is favourite, he gets my vote.
Both of the Nicky Henderson horses could be worth a bet with Manlaga and Mustand De Breuil but the ground may be on the quick side for them so instead I’m siding with a flat horse here in the shape of GLEN TO GLEN. Joseph O’Brien has had the magic touch in this race for the last few years and he has clearly targeted this race with Glen To Glen since he won at Cork in December. In fact both of his two juvenile starts were in the exact same two races that Puturhandstogether rather in last year before going on to win this. Glen To Glen was flat rated horse in the mid-90s, so he should be at least 140 horse over hurdles. He gets in off a mark of 129 and he looks an interesting pick for this.
1pt win Winston Junior @6/1, 14:40 Tuesday, Cheltenham
1pt win Glen To Glen at 9/1, 14:40 Tuesday, Cheltenham