Rory Delargy

CHELTENHAM SATURDAY

1.15 TIMEFORM NOVICES’ HANDICAP CHASE (2M5F)

This contest has thrown up the likes of Monsieur Le Cure, Royal Auclair and La Landiere, all of whom went on to score again at the Festival, while The Giant Bolster, who won in 2011, has made the frame in a trio of Gold Cups. This particular renewal looks unlikely to throw up another superstar, but a couple of these have higher aspirations. Stellar Notion is unbeaten in two handicap starts over fences on goodish ground, and has entries in both the Arkle and JLT in March. He does need to show he will be as effective on the deeper ground here, but he was a facile winner in the mud at Newcastle over hurdles a year ago, which suggests he’ll not be inconvenienced by underfoot conditions. His mark was very lenient starting out in this sphere, and while he’s been hiked up by a cumulative 17lb for those wins, he still appears to be ahead of the assessor. With further progress virtually guaranteed, he makes easily the most appeal of those who have been declared.

Generous Ransom was behind the selection at Kempton, but ended up with too much to do that day, and is entitled to get closer on revised terms, but it’s Carole’s Destrier who is feared most. Neil Mulholland has a stunning record with his chasers at Cheltenham, and his strapping son of Kayf Tara is much better than he showed at Chepstow last month. Normally a bold-jumping front runner, he came in for a very strange ride that day, with connections seemingly toying with the idea of testing hold-up tactics. Whatever the reason, he reacted badly to the experiment and was never out of last place, but it’s easy to strike a line through the run, and his previous defeat of Carraig Mor and Return Spring at Exeter was notably strong form, with the placed horses winning subsequently, and both rated 142 by the official assessor. Carole’s Destrier is just a pound higher despite handing that pair a comprehensive beating, and looks well handicapped despite top weight.

1.50 BETBRIGHT CUP CHASE (3M1F110Y)

King George runner-up Dynaste is the one to beat according to the formbook, and he’s respected, but the extended trip here isn’t exactly what last year’s Ryanair winner wants, and preference is for the unexposed Smad Place, who can take advantage of the weight he receives from all his rivals. Second in last year’s RSA to O’Faolains Boy, he can certainly be regarded as at least the equal of Many Clouds as a novice, and trainer Alan King was at pains to preserve his handicap mark for a tilt at the Hennessy. Unfortunately, the task of going to Newbury without a run proved almost impossible, and Smad Place saw lack of race fitness cost him behind Many Clouds. That remark also applied to Djakadam, who bounced back from his Hennessy flop to land an impressive win in the Thyestes at Gowran on Thursday, and Smad Place is a fairly confident choice to follow suit.

I was sweet on Many Clouds pre-season and his big-race win came as no surprise. There are reasons to be slightly wary of him here, most notably his trainer’s post-race assertion that the gelding had endured a very hard race, and that his Newbury success had been the sole aim for the year. Sherwood was quoted as saying he “didn’t give a monkeys” what happened subsequently, and while he’s been bullish in recent bulletins about his charge, the earlier comments temper confidence to a large degree.

2.25 FREEBETS.COM TROPHY CHASE (2M5F)

Little Jon has long been on my list of novice chasers to follow this year, and got it right at the first time of asking at Newton Abbot in October, despite finding that track sharp enough. He’s completed only once since, but that might prove a blessing, as his trainer’s insistence on running him against the top novices at this venue threatened to ruin a workable handicap mark. As it is, we’ve not seen the best of him, and that has helped to stay the handicapper’s arm. A run-out here in December is best put down to a lack of concentration, as he’s certainly not looked quirky before, and he then fell when still lobbing along on New Year’s Day.

Those runs make him appear a risky conveyance, but he’s generally a very bold jumper who can be forgiven his latest lapse. A look back at his performance in the Arkle Trial in November shows how good he might be, and he looked a possible winner at the last despite the trip being very much on the sharp side for him. This long-striding individual finally gets a chance to see what he can do at a more realistic level, and has found a surprisingly uncompetitive event by the track’s standards.

Of his opponents, Easter Day will be well supported, but the fly in the ointment may be Annacotty, who ran a stormer on this card a year ago, and has been freshened up by a spell in the hunting field since pulling up in the Hennessy. As we’ve seen, a poor run in the Newbury showpiece is nothing to baulk at, and the fitting of cheekpieces should also help him get back on target.

3.35 GALLIARDHOMES.COM CLEEVE HURDLE (3M)

A race weakened by the defections of At Fishers Cross, Beat That and Holywell from the five-day entries, but still a fascinating affair, and one in which Cole Harden is selected after a highly creditable effort behind Rock On Ruby at the last Cheltenham meeting. On that occasion, the Warren Greatrex-trained gelding was dropping back to a trip short of his best, and was also ridden away from the better ground on the outer of the track, so the fact that he could live with the former champion for so long is a tribute to his improvement this season.

He’d previously won the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby from Medinas and simply did too much in front when finding that form reversed at Newbury next time, pulling well clear of World Hurdle winner More of That in the process. That’s about the zenith of the staying hurdle form in the Britain at present, and he should be too good for Ascot winner Reve De Sivola here. Saphir Du Rheu was put in as early favourite for the race, but it seems that owes more to those who recall Big Buck’s winning this in the same colours having also abandoned a chasing career. The switch back to timber for the grey is somewhat surprising as he was spring heeled when scoring at Exeter and can be forgiven a subsequent fall in Grade 1 company. He’s got the class to win, but can’t be backed at the projected prices.

Perhaps the most interesting runner is the expensive Un Temps Pour Tout, who slammed Cole Harden in a novice hurdle at Ascot less than a year ago. That appears to give him strong claims, but while the selection has improved markedly for a step up to three miles, David Pipe’s €450,000 purchase isn’t at all short of speed, and may find the new trip stretching his stamina. If he stays, he will probably win, but that’s a very big ‘if’ in my opinion.

RECOMMENDED

STELLAR NOTION 1.15 Cheltenham - 1pt Win

SMAD PLACE 1.50 Cheltenham - 2pts Win

LITTLE JON 2.25 Cheltenham - 1pt Win