A horrible race for novice chasers in recent years, and although Diamond King will come in for plenty of support given his yard’s form, his price is a rather uninspiring 5/1 in a hugely competitive handicap and, unless he figures in doubles/trebles, it could pay to look elsewhere.
He had a dream run last year over hurdles in the Coral Cup and quickened away nicely off a 1lb lower mark, and it would be no surprise if we see a much improved chaser on better ground, but the race feels like there is a value play given recent winners have generally been double figure prices. By that logic you have to also draw a line through Starchitect, despite perhaps racing on a favourable mark, as there is no guarantee he will reverse the form with Baron Alco on worse terms. Although I think he will make the frame, I would rather stick with more experienced chasers.
VILLAGE VIC and Baron Alco are bound to make this a stern gallop, and I’d expect to see the field plenty strung out as they come down the hill. There will be plenty arguing that the top-weight will carry too much on his back, but he is used to having top-weight and he has been holding his form extremely well this season off his current mark with form figures of 232.
The better ground will make it easier for him to tackle this challenge, and Richard Johnson gets on with him extremely well. Un Temps Pour Tout won off 11st 12lbs on Tuesday with the going certainly helping – the better the ground, the less the weight slows them down.
Village Vic looks to have been aimed at this, has excellent course form at Cheltenham, is versatile on any ground and has had a nice long break to freshen him up for this race.
Last year connections aimed him at the Ryanair chase, where he acquitted himself very well, but this company is more to his liking given he had several of these behind him during this season and take him on off worse terms. His last race was a battling second behind Shantou Flyer over this course and distance when giving him 9lbs – Top Gamble was back in third and he ran a blinder in the Champion Chase – so that is pattern company form.
He rates an excellent each-way prospect with five places on offer at 16/1.
It’s not a race which on-paper appears to have plenty of well-handicapped horses other than potentially the novices, but SIZING CODELCO could be in that category having raced just the four times since switching to Colin Tizzard. The trainer of this season has gone under the radar this week, but Sizing Codelco looks to be on a workable mark of 140 to put his team firmly back in the spotlight going in to the Gold Cup on Friday.
He unseated at the first in Grand Annual Chase last year for Henry De Bromhead off a 5lbs higher mark, but put in two excellent rounds of jumping on his last two starts to dispel any fears over his jumping.
Firstly, he chased home leading JLT fancy Top Notch when giving him a 1lb, and he was only beaten by just over a length at Ascot (gd-sft). He then shaped like an improved horse over 3m 2f last time out here putting in a clean round of jumps before fading up the straight to more out-and-out stayers.
Those staying qualities should help him here as it is bound to be a decent test, but the handicapper has kindly dropped him 2lbs for that run, and Tizzard admitted that was an inadequate trip.
The first time cheekpieces may also bring out some improvement in him and we want to keep him on side.
0.75pts each-way Sizing Codelco @14/1, 16:10 Cheltenham
0.75pts each-way Village Vic @16/1, 16:10 Cheltenham
Both horses can be backed with five places on offer at a 1/4 odds with Coral and Ladbrokes respectively.
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