2pts win

The Paddy Power Gold Cup form is asked a number of questions with several horses re-opposing over the New Course at Cheltenham. It’s fair to say the market is dominated by the outcome of that race with the first and second priced at 7-8/1 and locked in a battle for…

At 14/1, Private Malone stands out as the value bet in this three-mile novice chase. Never outside the top two in his five career starts, he looks to have been dismissed by the bookies despite an impressive seasonal début at Haydock. He travelled like the best horse, jumped well and got…

Five go to post for this 19-furlong Sunday Grade 2. Hurricane Desmond seems to have let the Huntingdon area off lightly, so the going remains good to soft, soft in places. Despite being the grand old age of 12, last year’s winner Wishful Thinking arrives in really good form, having finished…

A really tricky Grade 1 to call, though the weather may have the final say with an inspection due at 8am. Heavy rain has led to heavy going and, despite the two-and-a-half-mile trip, it’ll be a real test of stamina. That won’t help Shark Hanlon’s Hidden Cyclone, who arrives in good form…

It’s quality over quantity as just four go to post in this three-mile listed contest. Last season’s Hennessy, Betbright Chase and Grand National winner Many Clouds returns after making hard work of his seasonal debut behind Cue Card in the Charley Hall at Wetherby. The long-term target remains a repeat…

Sod the hurdlers, two-mile chasers represent the best the National Hunt game has to offer and this year’s renewal of the Grade-1 Tingle Creek Chase was shaping up to be classic. With the back-in-form Sprinter Sacre, his fragile stablemate Simonsig out after a near-three-year hiatus to finally deliver upon the promise of…

Cue Card’s trainer Colin Tizzard has had a stranglehold on this race in recent years with Hey Big Spender winning on three of the last four occasions. Having been retired in the spring, Tizzard attempts to add to that run with Masters Hill parachuted in for an in-form yard. He…

Coneygree’s absence has changed the complexion of this year’s Hennessy Gold Cup. His catch-me-if-you-can style would have strung the field out long before respective treatment by the handicapper came into play. I’m confident he’d have won. His absence is great news for our ante-post selection Bobs Worth, as he couldn’t cope with…

Monetaire finished a disappointing eighth on his seasonal reappearance for the Pipe yard in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, and is turned out reasonably quickly here at Newbury. This is a much easier contest and Pipe was fairly positive on his chances before that race. It may just be that the…