CLAN DES OBEAUX is a deserved favourite for Saturday’s Caspian Caviar Gold Cup over two-and-a-half miles around Cheltenham. His novice chasing form is working out really well with Whisper, who has beaten him less than a length on two occasions in the past year, going so close in the Ladbrokes…
1.5pts win Finian's Oscar @9/4, 13:45 Sandown, Saturday
If the Tingle Creek this year doesn’t look the deepest of renewals, the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase earlier on the card looks vintage with four of the top ten in Cheltenham Festival’s Arkle market going to post. I was a little surprised to see Nicky Henderson’s Brain Power…
0.75pts each-way Westerner Point @12/1, 13:30 Aintree, Saturday
The Becher Chase has a familiar looking feel to it with last year’s winner Vieux Lion Rouge re-opposing Highland Lodge (second), The Last Samuri (third) and Portrait King (sixth) all in attendance. David Pipe’s charge is 10lbs higher, and it was a bit of a lacklustre comeback run behind the…
1pt win Ar Mad @16/1, 14:55 Sandown, Saturday
For the second year running Willie Mullins and his star chaser Douvan have let down ante-post punters by flirting with participation in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek… before pulling the plug at final declarations. Zzz. Sadly it’s left just Fox Norton as a truly top-class participant in this year’s renewal.…
0.75pts each-way Coneygree @16/1, 0.75pts each-way Missed Approach @22/1, 15:00 Newbury, Saturday
Formerly known as the Hennessy Gold Cup, this race has parted ways with a long time affiliate and takes on a new identity as the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase. The substance of the race remains unchanged, however, with the complex mixture of improving second season chasers taking on the higher-rated and…
1pt win Traffic Fluide @33/1, 15:00 Haydock, Saturday
Grade 1 action returns to Britain this Saturday as the opening top-level race of the season, the Betfair Chase, takes centre stage at Haydock. Three-time winner Cue Card would usually be favourite for this race but he’s pushing twelve years old and has fallen on two of his previous three…
0.75pts each-way Theinval @22/1, 14:25 Cheltenham, Saturday
The feature Betvictor Gold Cup on Cheltenham’s Saturday card looks really tricky with no obvious class horse and no horse with obvious claims to being well handicapped either. If there is a class horse it might be Kylemore Lough for new trainer Harry Fry who makes his reappearance and saddles…
1pt win Momella @9/2, 15:35 Cheltenham, Friday
The jumps season slips into top gear tomorrow as Cheltenham hosts the biggest meeting this side of Christmas, the three-day November meeting where many big names will be returning to the track. I think there’s a bet in the closing novices’ hurdle on Friday’s card as the second-favourite Calett Mad,…
1pt win Couer De Lion @11/1, 15:00 Wincanton, Saturday
With a profitable flat season over until the spring, we’re turning to Wincanton and specifically COEUR DE LION to get our jumps season of to a big start. Race fit after placing second in the Cesarewitch trial at Newmarket and putting in a good performance in third at York –…