Cheltenham Festival 2020 - Day Two
Official ratings have Envoi Allen 7lbs clear of his rivals here and it’s not hard to see why. Unbeaten in his seven race career so far which has already included three Grade 1 wins, he looks a classy sort and I'm struggling to look beyond him from a win point of view. He's not my kind of price but I will probably be adding him to a couple of multiples for a bit of fun.
Of his rivals The Big Breakaway looks a potential danger, he has been impressive in both starts over hurdles and although the most recent of those was a class 4 novice, that race has had a number of subsequent winners frank the form since. Sporting John also looked good when winning at Ascot last time and he looks the each-way bet with the chance the ground may blunt some of the class of the favourite. He only beat a small field at Ascot last time but did it impressively and certainly has scope for further improvement so it would be a disappointment if he can't hit the frame.
Sporting John 4/1
14:10 RSA Novices' Chase
Champ has been a horse who has divided opinion in the build-up to Cheltenham, while there's no doubting he has a serious engine but his jumping casts big enough doubts to put me off at around the 3/1 mark. Minella Indo is another vying for favouritism, he has proven that his shock 50/1 win in the Albert Bartlett last year was no fluke since and his trainer has had a flying start to this year’s festival. My little doubt with him is that he has only had the two chase starts and while that does leave him open to improvement, I worry one with more experience may find him out.
I like the look of Copperhead as an alternative for Colin Tizzard and Robbie Power. He has done very little wrong and comes here off the back of a demolition job in the Reynoldstown at Ascot last month. He looks very straightforward and although I find it interesting that Robbie Power has chosen to ride Slate House over him, I still want to be on this rapidly improving chaser over a horse who was pulled up on his latest start.
Copperhead 5/1
14:50 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
This is my kind of race from a betting point of view, a typically open Coral Cup and another race to take advantage of bookmaker concessions, with Paddy Power paying 7 places and 6 places each-way widely available with other bookmakers.
JP McManus has a strong hand in here and the one I like best at the prices is his recent purchase Alfa Mix. Gavin Cromwell has already had a hurdler run a big race at this year’s festival when Darver Star was third in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday and I think he has another good chance in this handicap. Alfa Mix has looked seriously progressive in his last three starts and looked unlucky not to beat the re-opposing Kilfenora at Navan last time out. He is 2lb better off with that rival here and the big field should play to his strengths. I'm also going to have a small saver each-way on Top Moon, he was second to the main selection a couple of runs back and is better off at the weights today, I think the drop back in trip was probably a valid excuse for the poor run last time.
I'm also going to have a third selection in the race, which may seem excessive, but it is worth making the most of these favourable each-way terms. I backed Canardier in this last year and found it a very frustrating watch, he was held up and travelling well when hampered three hurdles from home, but he still stayed on well to finish fifth. His time over fences didn't go to plan with Dermot McLoughlin and although he comes into this 4lbs higher than last year, the switch to Willie Mullins may well bring about the necessary improvement.
Alfa Mix 10/1
Top Moon 25/1
Canardier 11/1
15:30 Queen Mother Champion Chase
This is the feature race of the day and despite the absence of Altior it looks a belter. Although for me it's a belter from a watching point of view not a punting point of view. If I was pushed for a selection I'd probably just favour Defi Du Seuil over Chacun Pour Soi. He has looked very classy this year and has stacks of Cheltenham form to his name. But it is unlikely I will be having a bet in the race with those two both looking short enough in the market for me.
Defi Du Seuil 5/4
16:10 Cross Country Chase
Another race where the spectacle will probably be enough for me without having to have any money invested in the race. A chance to see the legend Tiger Roll in action before he goes back to Aintree to defend his Grand National crown for a second successive season. It's important he gets around safely here as he needs to run in a chase in order to qualify for the Aintree showpiece, and he won so easily last year he is hard to oppose him. My knowledge of these Cross-Country races isn't sufficient to expand too much on this but as the market suggests, Easysland looks to be the biggest danger as a young progressive type.
Tiger Roll 10/11
16:50 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
This is usually a bit of a pig of a race to work out, with 6 of the last 8 winners going off at 25/1 or bigger. Therefore, I'm going to take a chance with a small bet on one at a decent price. Galahad Quest won here on just his third career start last time out in the Triumph Hurdle trial, a race which has produced a couple of winners subsequently. His trainer Nick Williams won this three years ago with a horse called Flying Tiger at 33/1, so at 28/1 his runner this year will do for me as a token each-way selection in a race which isn't really for me. Again, look for firms paying 6 places where possible.
Galahad Quest 28/1
17:30 Champion Bumper
Appreciate It is a lot of peoples banker of the meeting and there's no denying how impressive he has been in his last two starts for a yard who have an excellent record in this race. However, he looks short enough at the top of the market for me. Queens Brook won by a whopping 21 lengths last time out and it would be no surprise to see her make her mare allowances count, under a jockey who has won this for two of the last three renewals in Jamie Codd.
I'm going to have a small each-way bet on The Glancing Queen for Alan King and Tom Cannon. She was a rather unlucky looking fifth in this race last year but made amends on her next start at Aintree in April when winning in fairly convincing fashion. She hasn't been seen since that win but the long absence shouldn't be too much of a problem as she has won off the back of a 251 day break before.
The Glancing Queen 20/1
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