3.20 Cheltenham
Coneygree 10/1
I'm really looking forward to the Cheltenham show-piece this year as it looks a wide open contest aside from Silviniaco Conti and I'm hoping the brave decision by Mark Bradstock to run Coneygree in the Gold Cup as a novice pays off. Twice a winner around here over hurdles, Coneygree has been plagued by injury throughout his career but the yard have gotten him sound this year after a long time off the track and he's been a seriously impressive recruit to fences. A horse at ease with his jumping, Coneygree has been oh so impressive in his 3 starts over fences to date which culminated in a stunning front running performance in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Chase at Newbury last month that meant the handicapper gave him the highest rating to a staying Novice Chaser for 15 years - and 5lb above that of Gold Cup winner Denman's RSA Chase win in 2007. It's been a brave, brave call to skip the RSA this year and head straight for the Gold Cup as a Novice but with the rain forecast today it certainly looks like it's the right decision in terms of the ground will definitely be more to his liking than it would have been on Wednesday. Although novices in the Gold Cup have a really poor record, the fact that Coneygree is a front runner slightly negates that fact for me as if he's able to get on the front end and go a pace that he's comfortable with then it shouldn't really make too much of a difference to him as his rivals will be behind him and will need to get by him to win and at 8 years old he's older than a lot of Novices. Additionally, given his injury plagued past there's no guarantee he will be sound for next year’s contest and I think he'll run a huge race. If the ground isn't too testing than I think Road To Riches 12/1 also has a great chance in a race that several rivals have legitimate claims to the crown but if settling into a rhythm out in front I think Coneygree can land the daddy of them all and win the Gold Cup
4.40 Cheltenham
Killultagh Vic 12/1
Willie Mullins has 3 in this contest and all look well handicapped but I'm hoping Killultagh Vic will be the best handicapped of the lot off a mark of 135 and think he could come on top of this. A talented bumper performer who finished 6th in last year’s Champion Bumper at the Festival, Killultagh Vic ran out an easy winner on his hurdling debut at Clonmel over 20f in December before finding the 2m miles up against the talented L'Ami Serge at Ascot too quick for him as he was no match for that rival in December/ However, I thought he ran a fine race on his last start when 3rd in a good Grade 2 Novice Hurdle over 2m4f at Leopardstown back in January. Held up in the rear of the field by Ruby Walsh, Killultagh Vic put in a fair few jumping errors throughout the contest which certainly didn't help his cause but he looked to hold every chance coming to the last where he didn't pick up as well as it looked like he would as he was beaten less than 4L. Perhaps the mistakes at his hurdles took a bit out of him and he had no finishing kick at the end of the race but nevertheless it was a fine run and he was surrounded by horses that have or will be contesting the Grade 1 Novice hurdles at the festival. The winner Outlander (6th in the Neptune; sent off 4/1), and Albert Bartlett bound Martello tower finished in front of him whilst Neptune winner Windsor Park (I don't think for a second that you can equate that form to this race as he was brought along steadily) and Albert Bartlett bound No More Heroes (apparently wasn't right that day) finished directly behind him in that order and given that he's been assigned a mark of 135 for this contest I think it's very reasonable to assume, in tandem with his bumper form, that the handicapper has been favourable to him. One thing that very much stands out to me is that Ruby Walsh decided to ride Killultagh Vic over Outlander who was thought good enough to contest the Neptune which adds weight to my belief that he's well treated for his handicap debut. Sure to have been heavily schooled since then, I'm happy with the booking of the talented Luke Dempsey for this Conditional Jockeys contest as he has his first start for the Irish Champion Trainer and although a lot of horses in here are probably ahead of their mark I'm hopeful that Killultagh Vic can go close in this wide open contest.
Shame I backed the wrong one lol 
