Cheltenham Saturday
1:10 Wienerberger Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase 3m 1f
Mole Court hasn’t looked back since switched to fences, showing remarkable improvement in winning four of his five starts over the larger obstacles, and he can follow up his course and distance win in a similar contest last month, where he was value for more than the winning margin in a congested finish.
A sound jumper, he led after the last here on his latest start before idling, and then picked up again when joined on the run-in. He started life in handicaps off a lowly mark but has blossomed physically since and could rank much higher in time.
Once again, he has the excellent Jack Andrews on board while many of the runners are ridden by inexperienced amateurs.
1:45 From The Horse’s Mouth Podcast Novices’ Chase (Listed) 3m 110y
Good Risk At All had multiple entries coming into this meeting, and the others were over significantly shorter trips. He’s never struck me as a guaranteed stayer at this trip, and while I’m a fan of the stable, I’d have to pass him over here.
Broadway Boy was conceding weight to both Flooring Porter and Weveallbeencaught when splitting that smart pair at the last meeting here, and the five-year-old is meeting his stablemate on 5lb better terms today.
He should me much shorter in the betting, but with Sam Twiston-Davies again preferring the latter, the market is assuming he must know best. I don’t think he does.
I was lured into supporting Weveallbeencaught last term given the comments made about him by his trainer, but I thought he had no real excuses last time, accepting it was a perfectly reasonable chase debut in the circumstances, and he is looking ever so slightly boat-ish.
Broadway Boy, on the other hand, is just a proper, old-fashioned chaser and I loved the way he went about his job last time. He is once again too big in the early market to ignore.
2:20 Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier
Handicap) 2m 4f 44y
Once again, Sam Twiston-Davies’ loss could be Tom Bellamy’s gain as the former unsurprisingly opts to ride The Real Whacker in the Paddy Power leaving the ride on Torn And Frayed to Bellamy.
That might be seen as a negative to the chances of the latter by some, but the decision to retain the partnership with a Grade 1 winner is a no-brainer for Twiston-Davies, who would hate to lose the ride on a genuine Gold Cup prospect.
The case for Torn And Frayed assumes he’s going to come back from a lengthy absence at the top of his game, but those with long memories will remember Nigel Twiston-Davies orchestrating more than one successful gamble in this contest over the years, and I’ve no doubt he’s been lining this horse up for the contest for some time.
A useful novice chaser two seasons ago, Torn And Frayed produced a career-best effort to land a Grade 3 handicap chase here in January 2021 where he impressed with the way he scampered clear up the hill from a strong field, and is only 5lb higher here despite being 1lb wrong at the weights.
Torn And Frayed missed the spring and all of last season but remains unexposed at this trip over fences and while he doesn’t want heavy ground, he should be fine here assuming the heavens don’t open
2:55 Paddy Power Games
Handicap Hurdle 2m 7f 208y
Placenet has yet to tackle three miles, but the ex-French performer has won three times at two and three-quarter miles, the longest trip he’s been asked to tackle, and has shown very useful form over both hurdles and fences for Guillaume Macaire and Hector de Lageneste.
A BHA rating of 124 looks very fair on the basis of his French form, and it’s encouraging to see that David Pipe has entered him in every possible early-closing event, from the Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock later in the month to the Coral Welsh Grand National. That approach suggests Pipe thinks he has a well-treated horse on his hands, and while it’s never easy to equate French and British form, it may be worth taking a swing at the son of Network.
3:30 Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle 2m 5f
It’s no surprise that Springwell Bay has been well backed given his progressive profile last term, and this intermediate trip looks ideal for him.
Plenty are keen to mark up his run at Aintree in the spring when he was slightly hampered in two incidents involving fallers, but my view is that any trouble he met was minimal, and he just didn’t find as much as expected having been one of the last off the bridle.
He may end up a false price here, and I’d prefer a small interest on Rock My Way, who impressed when beating Pembroke here in January having run Weveallbeencaught close on his rules debut.
He failed to go in the spring, finding the Albert Bartlett too much in terms of both trip and class. He shaped better than the result when well held over the same three mile trip here on his return to action, and the drop to two miles five furlongs after that pipe-opener can see him much more competitive from what ought to be a big price.
Cheltenham Sunday
3:30 Unibet Greatwood Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 2m 87y
Despite top-weight, I find it hard to get away from the progressive Nemean Lion, who won a Grade 2 at Kelso last season in fine style and looked better than ever when winning the Welsh Champion Hurdle.
A smart stayer on the flat in France as a three-year-old, he has taken really well to the winter game, and is thriving in the care of Kerry Lee, who has enjoyed greater success since slimming down the size of her string a few years ago.
Nemean Lion needs good to soft or softer ground and the rain due on Friday night will ensure that he has conditions to suit. This isn’t the strongest renewal of the Greatwood and I don’t see a big weight as a hindrance to a progressive and talented gelding who has yet to reach his peak.
Cheltenham Saturday:
Mole Court 1:45 – 1pt e/w @ 8/1 (Bet365 – 5 places, 13/2 general)
Torn And Frayed 2:20 – 1pt e/w @ 20/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes – 4 places)
Placenet 2:55 – 1pt win @ 5/1 (general)
Rock My Way 3:30 – 0.5pts e/w @ 14/1 (Skybet – 4 places)
Cheltenham Sunday:
Nemean Lion 3:30 – 2pts win @ 10/1 (general)