Cheltenham November Meeting Friday Tips: Through The Card Picks at Prestbury Park
A fabulous Friday of racing awaits National Hunt fans at the Mecca of Jumps racing, Cheltenham. The Hyde Novices' Hurdle is the highlight of Day One of the November Meeting and while he has previewed that race in detail, Billy Grimshaw has three more he recommends backing to win at Prestbury Park...
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13:10 Cheltenham - Lycetts Insurance Brokers Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle
Off To A Flyer interested me a lot here to get the meeting, well, off to a flyer, but despite his claims and the form the Joe Tizzard stable are in, I was a bit put off to see his handler would be aiming him either over fences or at the Pertemps in his stable tour. With that in mind this race seems very much like an afterthought or a prep run, and so with his price contracting all the time as I type I thought it best to give him a swerve.
At Cheltenham in recent years it seems as though being prominent or leading has been a real positive, albeit this trend is more obvious over fences than hurdles. Another trend that nearly everyone will have noticed is how well the Irish raiders tend to do coming over and it is with Conor O'Dwyer's charge SKADRIN that I want to be with. He will be ridden by son of the trainer Charlie O'Dwyer, who takes off 3lbs, and his run last time out at Cork screamed of being merely a prep for a bigger prize. The horse is a habitual front runner and blazed a trail over 2 miles before unsurprisingly being reeled in by speedier types.
He clearly is no two-miler and this step back up in trip to closer to what he won over in April at Fairyhouse should suit perfectly. The main pace rival looks to be 33/1 poke High Stakes but hopefully Skradin can shake him off and stretch this field out. It looks a devilishly tricky race to solve and with extra places it makes sense to back him each-way, but I do think 20/1 underestimates this Irish challenger and I'll be disappointed if he's not in the first five or six home.
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13:45 Cheltenham - Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Handicap Chase
Ballybreeze has once again been well backed here and his claims are solid enough, with him probably going to win last time out at Market Rasen before tipping up. He's been off seven months, had wind surgery and has a light weight to contend with here, so could well make amends for Market Rasen, but with 11/2 the top price at the time of writing in another tricky race I'm inclined to look for something at bigger odds.
Calico is the right favourite as he is another that without a fall last time out, his coming in the Maghull, when last seen (he would probably have been second behind Jonbon that day) he would be a off considerably higher mark than 139. Do Your Job also makes appeal as Lucinda Russell does well with this type of switcher and on his second run after a wind op, he could be dangerously well weighted if returned to peak form, but at double figure odds I thought MADARA showed enough last time out to warrant a wager.
He may not have been going to go on and win over this C&D at the Showcase Meeting, but he was still running a fine race as a 33/1 outsider on stable debut before tipping up three out and while obviously falling at this track is a worry, as a four year old one would expect him to still be learning. The softer ground is a positive too and although he is a hold up horse and I'd prefer one more prominent, this race looks set to have a strong pace which should suit Sophie Leech's charge. 14/1 each-way looks fair enough and hopefully he rights the wrongs of his last visit here.
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Check out Steve Chambers' preview of the Arkle Trial at 14:20 on Friday at Cheltenham in the article below...
Cheltenham 14:55 - Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
After going for two more speculative plays to start the card, this race looks more straightforward. DELTA WORK is rock solid. The two time Cross Country hero at the Festival may not be quite cherry ripe here, but he has at least had a run already this season and in that race he ran a cracker. He and stablemate Galvin of course battled out the finish back in March and although Galvin is pegged to carry 1lb more, he will actually be better off due to Rob James claiming seven. However, Delta Work is simply a better horse than the younger Galvin in my view over this test.
The market will be a crucial guide here and if big money comes for Galvin close to the off and Delta Work drifts I will be sweating, as the younger rival does have a fantastic record fresh, however with the ground likely to be soft which is in Delta Work's favour and his formidable record over the banks here I think anything north of 2/1 represents a belting price for the Cross Country legend to take out another prize in this sphere. In years gone by it has paid dividends to take on the class horses in this race as it is a handicap unlike the Festival, but even giving away over a stone Delta Work and Galvin look a class apart. If any firms are offering a boosted price on the Gordon Elliott pair to finish 1-2 in any order, I'd advise taking that as well.
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I've penned a preview of the Hyde Novices' Hurdle, in which I am taking on the hot favourite Captain Teague with a progressive sort who could spring a bit of a surprise and is still an each-way price. Have a look below...
Cheltenham 16:05 - Valda Energy Novices' Handicap Hurdle
The curtain closer of the card is another tough looking puzzle for punters to solve, albeit there is clearly confidence behind favourite Impose Toi for JP McManus, Nicky Henderson and Nico De Boinville judging by his price of 11/4. Perhaps the team think an opening handicap mark of 121 looks lenient and he does have the type of profile to really kick on from here, however he is short enough on what he's done and in a deepish field I'm happy to give him a swerve.
Brook Bay is another with a noteworthy profile, after costing a fortune out of the Irish point scene before disappointing somewhat in all his starts for Jonjo. The yard are not averse to tender rides in bumpers and novices for this sort of horse and then dotting up in a handicap and his price does look tempting, however I'd say he is still a big baby and it may be a few more starts until we see the best of him, despite an appetising mark. Showman coming over for Peter Fahey has a 7lbs claimer to help him out and has to be respected looking at how well the Irish raiders did at the October meeting, but I will be looking to a more local team for my idea of the winner.
TINTINTIN will be ridden by Paddy Brennan for Fergal O'Brien and this combo have a mean record at this course and indeed at this meeting. Brennan is not afraid to go the route less travelled around Prestbury Park and it has paid dividends, and while the horse was winless last season he still ran some crackers for three second places. Now coming here off the back of wind surgery and on a mark that looks more than workable, I'd be disappointed if he isn't there or thereabouts come the finish. Of the rest, Lucinda Russell is set to send Caithness here and he was last off the shortlist, but the worry was the front runner could find things tougher now in a harder race than his Kelso precessions, especially as he is up eight pounds.
