Saturday's Meetings Navan N/H 8 Races 11:40-3:43p.m. Wetherby N/H 7 Races 11:57-3:20p.m. Uttoxeter N/H 7 Races 12:10-3:38p.m. Cheltenham N/H 7 Races 12:35-4:00p.m. Newcastle(E) A/W 9 Races 3:15-7:18p.m. Wolverhampton(E) A/W 9 Races 4:30-8:30p.m Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Cheltenham 15,30 Kings Hill 16/1 e/w WH, bet365, Lads, Coral, PP and betfair three places, 14/1 sky four places
Cheltenham 14,55 Zeeband 20/1 e/w Lads and Coral three places, 18/1 WH four places, 14/1 sky five places
I find the first anf final races at Cheltenham rather fascinating In the bumper (races I always leave alone) the fav Korinthia was impressive last time but 13/8 looks very skinny in this field of interesting runners; Settle Down Gill looks interesting, having been bought in as a 4yo at £120k, roughly 18 times what she cost as a 3yo and pitched straight into this following a fairly comfortable PTP win, with the 2 JFs well beaten. 9/1 looks an OK price but probably need to watch the market. The 50/1 outsider caught my eye, being by Derby winner Wings of Eagles who was himself sired by Derby winner Pour Moi who was sired by Arc winner Montjeu
... and the opener (accidentally deleted the second part of my earlier post, which is annoying) sees some lovely pedigrees, notably East India Dock by Derby and Arc winner Golden Horn out of a Galileo mare and My Noble Lord, by Qipco Champion Stakes and Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Noble Mission, out of a Dubawi mare
More importantly to me, the field are nicely related to some really useful jumps horses too. EID related to Burdett Road (massive chance tomorrow). Priaire Angel related to Praire Dancer. Moutarde related to El Jefe. Irisante is a half to Irish Hill.
The Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham today is probably only a trial in name - only Katchit and Defi Du Seuil have gone on to win the Triumph Hurdle after taking this race and the increasing Irish dominance in the Triumph Hurdle (won the last 5 runnings) means we are more likely to see the Triumph winner at the DRF than here. Today's renewal is probably a 3-horse race between East India Dock, Prairie Angel and My Noble Lord. The first named is pretty short at around 5/4 fav and is another well-bred flat horse to be sent juvenile hurdling by the Gredleys (@Sir Barney Chuckles would no doubt approve). Despite running pretty freely on hurdles debut at Wincanton he still had plenty in the tank at the business end and won going away from 2 horses who were about his level on the flat but no match for him over hurdles. My Noble Lord's flat rating isn't quite up there with East India Dock's but he did win 4 of his last 5 on the flat and battled back tenaciously at Chepstow to land his hurdles debut. He is a big, strapping brute of a horse who will make a smashing chaser one day but I can see him being done for speed today. Prairie Angel is from a yard that does really well with its juvenile hurdlers and she is 2 from 2 over hurdles having done it the hard way from the front at Down Royal last time. I think she could give the favourite most to think about and looks a bit of value around the 4/1 mark.
Wetherby has 33 runners for it’s 7 race card so that didn’t take much studying! Looking forward to seeing Ginnys Destiny at Cheltenham this afternoon. No prep run but that didn’t stop fat Paul’s Stage Star last year. Jimmy the Digger to hopefully go one better in the amateur chase and Breizh River in the novice chase.
14:20 Cheltenham - Ga Law e/w Class-1 Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) over an extended 2m4f on good ground Has excellent course record and won this race 2-years ago. The Sinndar gelding has a top chance to gain a podium finish, at the very least. Cheek-pieces applied, as in previous races. Gavin Sheehan rides for the Jamie Snowden yard. 11/2 best price in many places early-doors, on the ATR site
These early season novice hurdle races can be a bit misleading in terms of the top novice races in the spring but Bleu De Vassy did it really well on hurdles debut and I am looking forward to seeing him again in this grade 3 at Navan.
