Cotswold Chase Tips: Belting Renewal In Store

In one of the most interesting races of the weekend, Albert Bartlett hero of 2023 and unbeaten novice chase prospect Stay Away Fay will dip his toe into open company for the first time in tackling five rivals in the Cotswold Chase. A high class affair awaits and Billy Grimshaw has penned the preview for us... 

It is rare to see a race of this standard in which a case can be made for any of the sextet, but that is what we are treated to in the Cotswold Chase of 2024. The Cheltenham Betting Sites are struggling to separate the top two in the market, Royale Pagaille and Stay Away Fay. These are two horses very much at different ends of the experience scale, although plenty may be surprised to see Venetia Williams' Rich Ricci owned charge is still only a nine year old. Many will crab his chances due to his 'poor' Cheltenham record, however in his three Gold Cup runs he has actually run with credit in some.

In 2021 he finished lame behind Minella Indo, which can be excused, while in 2022 he was actually disputing third place behind the awesome de Bromhead duo who ran away with the race - A Plus Tard and Minella Indo once more. Last year admittedly he was never in the race, but his whole 2022/23 season was a bit of a write off. He has clearly bounced back this year, perhaps even running to a career best when winning the Betfair last time out at Haydock.

He likes to race prominently, but will have a bit of a job on his hands with The Real Whacker and Ahoy Senor also in the field. These are two horses that can only win by running one way, getting to the front and having nothing peg them back. The presence of the other is a real hindrance to both horses' chances of victory here to my eye, and they do both in fact have points to prove after flopping last time out - although Ahoy Senor has often been a spring horse to be fair to him.

One horse who will love a blistering pace to aim at is Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino, who claimed that Newbury showpiece with a brilliant last to first display. He has earned his chance at a graded contest like this and could well prove to be better than a handicapper in the fullness of time, however there is a suspicion that he will always perform better in a big field as he clearly settles best in the hustle and bustle. Capodanno ran a blinder to finish third in the Savills Chase last time out, admittedly 20 lengths off his awesome stable mate Galopin Des Champs in first.

There is no one in their right mind anticipating Capodanno ever troubling Galopin Des Champs or the Gold Cup field in general, however Willie Mullins would not send a horse like this over if he didn't fancy its chances and Paul Townend will be riding just one other horse at the meeting - Lossiemouth in the International. The field are all sub 8/1 at the time of writing, which shows the competitive nature of the Grade 2, and Capodanno is the outsider of the field with most firms. His run style should be more suited to this than a few of the others, and therefore I would be surprised if he were the horse to finish stone last.

Just one more horse to go then in terms of analysis and that is the favourite and my fancy, STAY AWAY FAY. This is a classic Nicholls staying chaser, more in the Denman than Kauto Star mould, and his win in the Albert Bartlett last season when unfancied proved he possessed everything (except the obvious ability to jump a fence) needed to excel as a Grade 1 staying chaser. It is a punchy move from Nicholls to throw him into open company here off the back of just two runs as a novice, but there is nothing to suggest he is not already up to this kind of test. Cotswold Chases through the years have tended to be strongly run and this year's could be run at a ridiculous gallop, which would suit this strapping grinder of a horse to a tee.

Victory here for Stay Away Fay would mean plenty would call for him to go for glory and the Cheltenham Gold Cup this year, and that would be some prospect seeing him attempt to emulate Coneygree. Wherever he goes after the Cotswold however, I think he is the most likely winner of this race with the expected pace in the race and the abundance of stamina that will be needed. He could go off shorter than the 3/1 available right now, so take the price!