3m6f (3m5f201y) (Old) National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+ 0-145)
It may not be the most original, but I am looking at the top of the market here.
Rebecca Curtis claimed this with Haiti Couleurs last season and she is back again with another unexposed stayer in the shape of NEWTON TORNADO. This son of Cokoriko was running a big race on his chase debut at the course when making a mistake on the second circuit with three fences left. I imagine he would have won that contest.
He did get off the mark comfortably at Bangor in bottomless ground before being pulled up at Newbury on his next start having made a bad error. That rustiness over fences was firmly ironed out by the time he went to Doncaster last time out when scooting away to victory. That looks strong form with the second and third winning next time out. A mark of 133 seems lenient and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a stone in hand here.
Emmet Mullins has only sent one horse to this race before and that was Corbetts Cross who hosed up. He enters BACKMERSACKME who ran a cracking race on good ground in October here when finishing second to Three Card Brag. Backmersackme stayed on best out of that field as he went up the hill and looked like he would show his best at a marathon trip. He was fancied for the Paddy Power Chase but made a bad mistake at the first at Leopardstown which basically wrote off his race and he reminds me a little bit of Noble Yeats in his style of racing. He was back at that course to win a valuable handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival and still appears to be on a reasonable mark of 135. He looks a dour stayer and his odds of 5/1 are fair here.
1pt win Newton Tornado @5/1, 17:20 Tuesday, Cheltenham
1pt win Backmersackme @5/1, 17:20 Tuesday, Cheltenham