4.05 Cheltenham
Swing Bill 16/1
Although David Pipe's other runner in the race has been heavily backed into favouritism from a double figure price, I think his 11 year old grey Swing Bill looks a far better value call in a race he won last year off this very mark and also a race he came 2nd in back in 2010. He comes here on the back of a break (just like he did last year) and although his form at the back end of last season was pretty discouraging I'm hoping his break has freshened him up and given his performances in the last 2 year I don't see why he won't be fully wound up for this. Starting with last years race, Swing Bill won very impressively off his current mark of 134 by 7L (a further 12L back to the 3rd) under a fantastic ride from Tom Bellamy. Sitting midfield, he made a bad blunder that surely would have sapped a fair bit of energy from him but he still had more then enough left in the tank to win going away. The form of that race was franked in no uncertain terms with the 2nd Stewards House winning on his only subsequent start off the same mark in a better race. Swing Bill ran another fine race on his next outing a week after this triumph off a mark of 141 under a huge weight of 12-1 where he finished a gallant 7.5L beaten 3rd. Again, the form of that race looks very solid with the 2nd Fruity O Rooney winning his next start impressively off the same mark before running an absolute blinder off a 5lb higher mark at the Cheltenham Festival when finishing runner up in the JLT Speciality Handicap Chase.
For the rest of last season, Swing Bill took in a very adventurous calender last season that included the Kym Muir, Grand National and Bet365 Gold Cup where it is understandable that he struggled. His final start came over a trip that was probably too short at Worcester in June where he was pulled up and I'm hoping the break has reinvigorated him and that, once again, David Pipe has him spot on for this. In this Amateur Riders handicap, Mikey Ennis takes the ride and claims 5lb off his back. I've watched back a couple of his races and he seems a confident rider who looks rather adept at judging how much horse he has under him. I do have a niggling doubt about his ability to ride out a finish but he would be one of the more experienced jockeys in the field. I am, however, a little concerned that he is 0-17 for David Pipe but a top trainer wouldn't continue to utilise him if he wasn't confident in his abilities so I'm hoping this race has been earmarked for this amateur rider to land his first success for him. Back to his last winning mark in this race last year, I definitely think Swing Bill is on a mark he can exploit (even another year older) and he truly demolished this field last year. If his break over the summer has revitalised him, I'm confident that the return to Cheltenham will bring about a much improved performance and I think he has a good chance of landing this for the 2nd consecutive year at a lovely price with David Pipe having a fantastic record at this meeting.
... Dont who it was...
