2m1f (2m179y) (New) JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo) He’s by no means my most likely winner but ADAGIO is a ridiculous price for the Triumph. This is a very good renewal with a strong Irish hand and Tritonic also looking high class, but there’s only one of them with Cheltenham…
1pt each-way Cayd Boy @16/1, 13:55 Cheltenham, Friday
2m1f (2m179y) (New) McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) He’s got plenty of weight but I fancy there’s loads of improvement in CAYD BOY on good ground, particularly as he’s so lightly raced. Mark Walsh has chosen to ride him and I loved the way he travelled and jumped…
2pts win A Plus Tard @9/2, 15:05 Cheltenham, Friday
3m2½f (3m2f70y) (New) WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) If I would have taken one winner for the whole week it would be A PLUS TARD in the Gold Cup. I was very sweet on him for the Ryanair last season but it rode like a two mile chase…
1.5pts win Imperial Alcazar @11/2, 1pt each-way Storm Goddess @20/1, 13:55 Cheltenham, Wednesday
3m Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (GBB Race) (Class 1) The ultra-competitive stayers handicap hurdler can go the way of IMPERIAL ALCAZAR. He ticks all of the boxes for this given he is lightly raced and with just the one handicap win his mark is still relatively modest…
1pt win Flooring Porter @12/1, 1pt win Beacon Edge @18/1, 15:05 Cheltenham, Thursday
3m (New) Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (Class 1) Paisley Park looked back to somewhere near his best last time out in the Long Walk Hurdle. He remains the one to beat, but is certainly no sure thing at 2/1 having had his problems in this last season. His…
1pt win Fakir D'Oudairies @7/1, 1pt win Samcro @12/1, 14:30 Cheltenham, Thursday
2m4½f (2m4f127y) (New) Ryanair Chase (Registered as The Festival Trophy) (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) This looks wide open and last year’s winner Min is worth taking on after a very disappointing effort at the Dublin Racing Festival. The stand out price is two-time Festival winner SAMCRO at 12/1, who gets good his…
1pt win Telmesomethinggirl @8/1, 16:15 Cheltenham, Thursday
2m1f (2m179y) (New) Parnell Properties Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered as The Dawn Run) (Class 1) (4yo+) Heaven Help Us’s runaway win in the Coral Cup rubberstamped the form of TELMESOMETHINGGIRL for the in-form Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore. She has to be the bet in this race now as she placed third…
1pt each-way Monte Cristo @10/1, 1pt each-way Craigneiche @10/1, 14:30 Cheltenham, Wednesday
2m5f (Old) Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) I’ve been backing MONTE CRISTO for this race for months. He was super impressive over Christmas round Kempton but was slapped with a 12lb rise to 145, which is hardly generous yet perfectly fair. We’d be banking on him improving again…
1pt win Three Stripe Life @8/1, 16:50 Cheltenham, Wednesday
2m½f (2m87y) (Old) Weatherbys Champion Bumper (A Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race) (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4-6yo) We’ve little evidence to go by but THREE STRIPE LIFE looks a good bet in the bumper at 8/1. He impressed on the clock at Navan and it’s telling that Jamie Codd put him up…
1pt each-way Amoola Gold @16/1, 16:15 Cheltenham, Wednesday
2m Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (Class 1) It’s a race that throws up plenty of surprises with 16/1, 18/1 and 66/1 winners in the last few years. The top of the betting is dominated by the Irish yards with Embittered and Entoucas both appearing…