GRAND SANCY

TUESDAY

1:30 SKY BET SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE (GRADE 1)

Al Dancer became all the rage for the Supreme after his impressive Betfair Hurdle win at Ascot but on the same day at Wincanton, Grand Sancy arguably produced an as good, if not better piece of form when winning the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle.

The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old came out of novice company to gamely fend off the 154-rated Sceau Royal, whom he had to concede 2lbs, and the 150-rated Vision Des Flos, who he raced off the same weight with and who boosted the form significantly when winning the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell next time out.

A second season novice, Grand Sancy failed to hit any sort of height as a juvenile last season but he is clearly a different proposition this year, progressing all through the season with four wins. He also finished second to Elixir De Nutz in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown (pictured), the race that provided the first and second in the Supreme last season. He improved significantly to win at Wincanton so he can put it up to Colin Tizzard’s horse this time and though he lacks the scope for progression other rivals have, Nicholls is adamant a big field and fast pace can improve him again.

The British handicapper moved Grand Sancy up to a rating of 152 after Wincanton, the same mark as Al Dancer, yet you’re still able to get a four times bigger price on the Nicholls horse.

HARDLINE

2:10 RACING POST ARKLE CHALLENGE TROPHY NOVICES’ CHASE (GRADE 1)

The Arkle has looked a weak renewal ever since long-time favourite Le Richebourg came out but in Gordon Elliott’s Hardline, you have a real solid form line to that J.P. McManus runner. The horse that links the pair is Us And Them who Hardline beat easily in a Grade 3 contest at Navan and who went on to get closest to Le Richebourg (closer than he got to Hardline) in two Grade 1 events at Leopardstown. In the meantime Hardline went down to Limerick and turned over Getabird to win his own Grade 1. Clearly there was an element of luck in that win given the Willie Mullins-trained horse made a costly error at the last, but Hardline was bang on terms to take advantage and even when the favourite was revitalised by Ruby Walsh, Hardline was able to repel him. It’s more than fair form to beat Getabird going left handed and it was 22 lengths back to Riders Onthe Storm, a winner on his next start and a candidate for the Close Brothers Novices’ Chase. That form puts Hardline up there with everything else in the Arkle and it is no surprise that there has been plenty of money for him this week.

SAMS PROFILE

WEDNESDAY

1:30 BALLYMORE NOVICES’ HURDLE (GRADE 1)

You always take notice when Mouse Morris sends a horse to the Cheltenham Festival. War Of Attrition, Rule The World, First Lieutenant, China Rock, Fota Island and Venalmar were all delivered to Prestbury Park to produce their very best and often followed a similar approach, three runs early in the season and then trained for their target race - all the time working back from Cheltenham. This looks to be the case with Ballymore hope Sams Profile who has been educated by running over three different distances but produced his best performance on his latest start in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle. There he finished second to Battleoverdoyen and all the talk was about Gordon Elliott’s winner after the race, however Sams Profile might have been unlucky on the day and his effort deserves marking up. He was just about to make his move in the straight when Jack Kennedy moved Battleoverdoyen to block him and though that hardly cost him the race, it stopped his momentum at a vital stage. He was only beaten just over two lengths and he could have got closer. Still available at 14/1, he could easily get closer to Battleoverdoyen, the clear second favourite in the race, this time around and again, trust Mouse to have him ready to run for his life.

POSH TRISH

THURSDAY

4:50 NATIONAL HUNT BREEDERS SUPPORTED BY TATTERSALLS MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE (GRADE 1)

Epatante has been all the rage for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle this week but at 7/4 she looks shocking value on what she has achieved - two wins in standard novice races. Honeysuckle is a huge threat but at a bigger price of 6/1 Posh Trish looks an excellent proposition. Paul Nicholls’s mare is four from five over hurdles and produced arguably the best piece of form on offer when comfortably accounting for Indefatigable, to whom she was conceding 5lbs, in a listed race at Taunton in December. That performance was significantly boosted when Indefatigable went on to give Mares Hurdle contender Lady Buttons a fright in a Grade 2 contest at Doncaster.

Posh Trish has Cheltenham form to her name, having a won a listed bumper at the course, and has been trained for this race in mind all season. Nicholls purposefully left her off since that Taunton run to freshen her up which makes perfect sense as her form reads 1131 when either making her debut or appearing off a break of 78+ days.

ELEGANT ESCAPE

FRIDAY

3:30 MAGNERS CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP (GRADE 1)

Rain in the forecast is a big positive for the chances of reigning champion Native River but it will also help his much unheralded but strikingly similar stablemate Elegant Escape, an improving horse, who could be made for the Gold Cup test. Colin Tizzard’s seven-year-old was no match for Presenting Percy in the RSA Chase last season but unlike that rival, he has come out and proved himself this season, progressing to win the Welsh National where he showed all of his staying prowess. His second to Frodon when favourite for the Cotswold Chase was disappointing on the face of it but he had to come off a soft pace that day, a huge disadvantage to him, trying to chase down a seriously in-form horse who had the run of things up front. An extra furlong, a bigger field, a stronger pace and a good chance of soft ground make him really interesting at a price of 25/1.