Cheltenham Saturday

12.35 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m 87y

No more than a passing interest for me here, with the market seeming to have the right horses in the top spots. I suspect My Noble Lord may improve a fair bit from a workmanlike debut win at Chepstow and he gets ideal conditions here, but he’s priced accordingly, and I’ll take a watching brief.

1.10 Steel Plate & Sections Ltd Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase 3m 1f

The booking of Patrick Mullins for Transmission takes the eye and he gets the vote. He looked in need of the run beforehand when making his debut for Neil Mulholland last month but shaped well for a long way when 15 lengths second to Hyland in a novice contest.

Transmission looked a big threat on the home turn that day before tiring up the hill and should strip much fitter. Mulholland won this race a few years ago with The Young Master and looks to have laid the ex-Colm Murphy gelding out with this race in mind.

1.45 Paddy Power Arkle Trial Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) 1m 7f 199y

L’Eau Du Sud is a warm favourite after winning a handicap chase at Stratford on his debut over fences, but while he was impressive there, his main danger was given a considerate ride and the others were outclassed. Timeform rate him as already better over fences than hurdles, but that’s a premature verdict and plenty of horses who get rave reviews for dominant debut successes turn out to have feet of clay (who remembers Celtic Son?)

Irish point winner Lookaway has always threatened to make a better chaser than he did a hurdler, so it was hardly a surprise he was able to make a winning debut over fences in a match at Uttoxeter a fortnight ago. He looked like a run would bring him on there too, and he was safe rather than spectacular with his jumping there, looking to gain confidence as he went through the race.

He dug in after the last to see off Personal Ambition by a length and is sure to progress. I think there’s probably an easy lead for Jack Quinlan if he wants it and both track (won the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle at this meeting last year) and ground will suit him on this step up in class.

2.20 Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase 2m 4f 44y

Ga Law is the pick in a Paddy Power short on obvious improvers and the selection has a really solid profile at trips short of three miles when the going is good. His lifetime record on such a surface reads 11121F22, improving to 111212 at around this trip.

He returned to action with an excellent second to Grandeur d’Ame in a two-mile, three-and-a-half-furlong handicap at Chepstow last month, beaten two lengths by a useful rival to whom he was conceding 22lb.

Ga Law had several of today’s rivals behind when second at Chepstow and he produced an excellent effort on the clock that day, matching anything he had achieved previously. He’s got nothing to hide from the handicapper, but class should tell in this renewal of Cheltenham’s traditional curtain-raiser, and he looks nigh-on impossible to kick out of the frame.

His win in this race two years ago shows how well suited he is to a race of this nature and horses who run well in big Cheltenham handicaps tend to continue to do so even when climbing the weights. He’s obviously much higher in the weights than he was in 2022 but that isn’t by accident and the eight-year-old is at his physical peak now.

2.55 From The Horses Mouth Podcast Handicap Hurdle 2m 7f 208y

Doyen Quest had the option of the two-mile, five-furlong intermediate hurdle at this meeting so the fact that he’s given his chance here negates any concerns about the suitability of the longer trip, and the fact that his dam is a half-sister to a three-mile, five-furlong winner also bolsters confidence on the stamina front.

The selection was the only horse to put down a challenge to the winner when an excellent second of 17 to Josh The Boss in the Silver Trophy at Chepstow last month and that race – always a very competitive event which throws up clues to the future – has worked out really well, with four of those in behind winning next time, notably the selection’s stablemate Take No Chances who won a listed hurdle at Wetherby last week with some ease.

The handicapper has been kind in putting Doyen Quest up just 3lb for that improved effort and he looks a handicap snip, particularly if improving as expected for the increased emphasis on stamina.

3.30 Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle 2m 5f

Hamsiyann is a danger to all here having improved again on the flat since finishing an eye-catching third on his handicap debut over hurdles at Ascot in the spring, running well to be second over two and a quarter miles in the Chester Plate in May when trying to give the guts of a stone to stable-companion Alphonse Le Grande.

That form has been well advertised since, and I’m sure Tony Martin would like nothing better than to get his first winner since a well-publicised ban on the television at Cheltenham.

Champagne Twist is the alternative – he was over the top at Aintree in April (failed to impress in the paddock) and is best judged on his improved effort to win the valuable EBF Final at Sandown on his previous start, where he beat stablemate Pic Roc.

As tends to be the case with that hugely competitive handicap for improving novices, the race has already thrown up a hatful of subsequent winners and I doubt whether a 7lb rise for that will handicap Champagne Twist out of things.

Cheltenham Sunday

2.55 Holland Cooper Handicap Chase 3m 3f 71y

Most of these have no secrets from the handicapper, but there is sure to be more to come from Harry Fry’s lightly raced Hymac, who had had a winning warm-up over hurdles having looked one to follow in staying contests when winning at a similar trip here on his last start of the 2023/24 season.

Hymac raced with gusto and jumped superbly when beating Midnight Our Fred in a 16-runner handicap chase here in April and although up 10lb in the weights for that, he looked like he would be able to hold his own in better company given how smoothly he travelled and jumped, and he gets into this better contest with a very light weight.

15.30 Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle 2m 87y

The Greatwood does look competitive but there is a lot to like about the chances of Grade 2 bumper winner Dysart Enos, who remains unbeaten under rules and can reap the benefit of her novice season ending early.

She was a strong fancy against Brighterdaysahead and co in the Dawn Run here in March before injury ruled her out, and she had beaten Dawn Run winner Golden Ace in bumpers to underline the esteem in which she’s held.

Dysart Enos would likely be a fair bit higher in the weights had she run again last season and a mark of 131, while appropriate on the bare form of her hurdles win, could look very lenient in time.

She wasn’t the most fluent on her first couple of starts over timber but will have had plenty of practice since last autumn and I’d be disappointed if she wasn’t much more fluent with the benefit of previous experience. She makes plenty of appeal as by far the least exposed runner in the field.

Recommended

Saturday:

Lookaway 1.45 Cheltenham – 1pt win @ 7/2 (Bet365, 3/1 general)

Ga Law 2.20 Cheltenham – 2pts e/w @ 13/2 (Bet365, Hills – 4 places)

Doyen Quest 2.55 Cheltenham – 1pt win @ 9/4 (Bet365, Hills)

Sunday:

Hymac 2.55 Cheltenham – 2pts win @ 11/2 (general)

Dysart Enos 3.30 Cheltenham – 1pt win @ 5/2 (general)