Cheltenham Saturday

1.50 Nyetimber December Gold Cup Handicap Chase 2m 4f 127y

Two horses appeal here and I’m happy to back both on ground, which will suit the pair better than most of the field.

Gemirande had a curate’s egg of a season last term, not reappearing until the start of March and never recapturing his best form, but he was back to his very best when scoring with plenty in hand at Ascot on his return and, while it’s often suggested that the Williams chasers are mudlarks, Gemirande is at his best on ground which isn’t too testing and his lifetime record on good or yielding turf over fences is 222112301, with his only blip coming here in April when clearly out of sorts.

Despite going up in the weights for his easy Ascot win, he’s still only 1lb higher than when second in the Grade 2 Silver Trophy here in April 2023.

Ga Law is another who is at his best on good or yielding turf and he’s also best short of three miles, with his chase record on yielding or faster at two mile/two miles five reading 111231122.

He’s pretty much bombproof under these conditions and, although 1lb higher than when second to Il Ridoto in the Paddy Power, he’s expected to reverse that form on 8lb better terms and holds both Madara and Fugitif on that running.

2.25 BetMGM Handicap Chase 2m 62y

Master Chewy is turned out quickly after falling at the sixth in the Tingle Creek a week ago and, while it might be assumed he’s coming here for a confidence booster, that’s not really the Twiston-Davies approach and I expect him to be very competitive, despite the impost of 12st.

Master Chewy had Libberty Hunter behind when runner-up in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April and that excellent effort backed up the impression he made in the Arkle, when he was in front of Il Etait Temps and keeping on when crumpling on landing at the second last.

He and Found A Fifty boosted that form by fighting out the finish of the Maghull, while Il Etait Temps won Grade 1 prizes at both Aintree and Punchestown thereafter.

In short, Master Chewy fully deserves the weight he will carry here, and backing high-class chasers conceding weight has always been a profitable angle, so it’s worth making the assumption that the son of Walk In The Park is none the worse for his recent spill.

3.00 Albert Bartlett (Bristol)

Novices’ Hurdle 2m 7f 213y

Skyjack Hijack has been superbly placed by Jennie Candlish to win six on the spin since August, but he’s not had to beat much of note, with the highest official rating of any of those he’s beaten being 117.

He had something to spare when beating Zanndabad at Newcastle last time, but this requires more and he looks short at 2/1.

Western Knight looks the sort to keep progressing over hurdles, doing plenty wrong when beating a subsequent winner at Uttoxeter on hurdles bow, before showing improved form and a good attitude to beat the 142-rated chaser Excello at Ascot last time.

That effort suggested that he’s well worth his place in a higher grade and he ought to relish this trip as a son of Gold Cup winner Westerner.

Western Knight carries his head high, but he battled well to beat Excello and I have no concerns about his attitude under pressure, while he’s likely to do better still as he polishes up his jumping.

3.35 BetMGM Mares’ Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f 56y

Royale Margaux, who is lightly raced over hurdles for Tom Symonds, is taken to build on the promise of her latest second at Ascot.

In truth, she proved something of an underachiever over fences after joining Symonds from David Cottin, but is well-treated on the form she showed over the smaller. All the same, she’s well-treated back over hurdles and won five times from 10 starts over the smaller obstacles when trained in France, including the Italian Triumph Hurdle.

The return to an extended two and a half miles should suit and she is a tempting price, despite her losing run.

2.05 Bet365 Handicap Chase

2m 7f 214y

I was with Forward Plan in the Badger Beer at Wincanton, when the tactics didn’t really aid his cause in a race where the winner made all at a strong pace, but he was well-beaten in that race a year earlier, before progressing to win this contest on his second start.

He’s clearly well-suited by this track, which rarely gets testing, and his agonising defeat in the Great Yorkshire Chase in January underlines that assessment. Still fairly treated, he remains open to a little more progress as a chaser and makes most appeal in a competitive handicap chase.

At bigger odds, Charlie Uberalles, a good-ground specialist who was third in the Great Yorkshire Chase, and Erne River, who sports blinkers after three failures to complete, are also worthy of consideration.

The former is easy to make a case for, while Erne River is hard to support with a series of P’s next to his name, but he does save his best for this track, and the severe headgear will surely tip him one way or the other in terms of form.

2.40 Bet365 Doncaster Mares’ Hurdle (Listed) 3m 84y

It’s very hard to oppose West Balboahere, with Gale Mahler having been underwhelming on her last two starts and far from sure to appreciate three miles. Dan Skelton’s mare has been chasing, but backing the stable’s runners reverting from fences to hurdles has been very profitable over the years, and she should be too good for these.

3.15 Bet365 Handicap Hurdle

2m 128y

Deploy To Spy has won all his completed starts over hurdles and can extend his winning sequence in the concluding handicap. Successful on his handicap bow at Aintree last time, Olly Murphy’s charge impressed with his strength from the final flight, having been less fluent than the runner-up throughout the final circuit, while he also lost ground by being kept wide on the track.

This course should suit him ideally, with the run to the line from the final hurdle taking more getting that is often assumed and, while he does need to improve his speed in the air, that will come with practice, and he appeals as the sort to keep improving.

Altobelli has been put in as favourite, but I’m concerned about the form of the Harry Fry stable, with four of his last 10 runners pulling up and very few horses making the track in recent weeks.

Altobelli is also engaged in the Ladbrokes Hurdle at Ascot, and the fact that he’s running in this less valuable event hardly smacks of stable confidence.

Gemirande 1.50 Cheltenham – 1pt e/w 10/1 (general – 4 places)

Ga Law 1.50 Cheltenham – 1pt e/w 15/2 (Betfair, 7/1 Bet365 – 4 places)

Master Chewy 2.25 Cheltenham – 1pt win 11/4 (general)

Western Knight 3.00 Cheltenham – 1pt win 4/1 (general)

Forward Plan 2.05 Doncaster – 1.5pts e/w 9/2 (general – 4 places)