The jumps season is very much back and we have three selections from a saturated Cheltenham.
2m5f (Old) Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Hyde Novices’ Hurdle) (Class 1) (4yo+)
Thyme Hill clearly has the best form in this, having placed in the Grade 1 Champion Bumper at the Festival and opened his account over hurdles at Chepstow. He should win as there are no real concerns over the soft ground, but it’s early days and I do think HAPPYGOLUCKY is well up to this level. He jumps, travels and stays really well, and his late sire Jeremy has produced some genuinely top-class hurdlers in recent years. The bad ground can’t be a concern as he was added to the race after it was switched from Friday, so he looks a very live 10/1 shot.
1pt each-way Happygolucky @10/1, 12:05 Cheltenham, Saturday (1-3, 1/5)
2m½f (2m87y) (Old) JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Registered As The Prestbury Juvenile Hurdle) (Grade 2) (Class 1) (3yo)
I’m very keen on flat convert ALLMANKIND in this race. He’s by the good flat sire Sea The Moon and hosed up on his first go over hurdles after a flat career where he tried to pull his jockey’s arms out on every start. He’s not quite all man anymore as he’s been gelded for those sins. He’ll surely blast off in this race, but if settling out in front and finding a rhythm, it might take a good one to peg him back. He might just have the X-factor and at 13/2 I’m paying to find out. It’s win-only for me because I can see him being boom or bust – first or last.
1pt win Allmankind @13/2, 12:40 Cheltenham, Saturday
2m4f (2m4f44y) (Old) BetVictor Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (Class 1) (4yo+)
I’ve been through this race a few times and think the market has it right with Slate House and SIRUH DU LAC vying for favouritism. Slate House has Grade 1 potential and so fits the bill for what I like to look for in these valuable Cheltenham handicaps, but surely he is a boat crying out for 3m. He’s slow and I’d much prefer to be on the front-running fluent jumper Siruh Du Lac, who will make this a real test. He’s a horse on a roll and is still only six, so there’s plenty more scope for improvement back at a course he loves. The others I liked were the ultra-consistent Happy Diva and Us And Them, but it’s usually best to side with the most progressive horse as long as the price is right.
1pt each-way Siruh Du Lac @13/2, 14:25 Cheltenham, Saturday (1-6, 1/5 Paddy Power)
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