The Student Punter

  13:30 Lingfield One I like here is SIEMPRE ARTURO for the Kubler team, whose form has a solid look to it. He ran well trying to give 29lb to a horse called Alrazeen on his penultimate start and was only beaten a length, that rival has since run creditably off a mark of 78. So it was no surprise to see Siempre Arturo sent off a 2/1 favourite off a mark of 70 last time out, he justified those short odds with a cosy victory.  That race has worked out well since with the 3rd and 4th both winning subsequently, so he could well prove ahead of this mark of 74. PARTY ISLAND caught the eye running on late over an inadequate trip last time out and I think he’s been aimed at this race for a while. He is a three-time course and distance winner, bolting up here in July 2022 by 5 lengths off 1lb lower than his mark today. George Bass gets on very well with this horse having been on board for 5 of his 7 career wins, which is always a positive in these apprentice races. SIEMPRE ARTURO 10/...

  15:35 Doncaster After a profitable run in the Dandinaps Tipping competition last year, I'm going to aim to publish a write up for the big weekend handicaps throughout the season. We kick things off with the Lincoln at Doncaster, last year followers were on the 18/1 winner Migration  and given his record on seasonal appearance he could be worth having on side again, but he's not my main fancy. SPIRIT GENIE  looks like a good each-way option instead, taking advantage of the six places widely available. I'm happy to put a line through his disappointing run at Wolverhampton last time, given that he has never run to form on an artificial surface. I'd rather judge him on his strong finishing second on the Rowley mile the time before, faring best of those ridden patiently. That was a career-best RPR and suspect there is still more to come from him and he can prove better than a mark of 86. Especially given that he is a full brother to Emmaus, a Group 2 placed and listed winn...

  14:10 - County Hurdle The Skeltons have had an incredible week so far and their record in this race in recent years means you have to respect L'Eau Du Sud and I will likely cover him to small stakes if his price drifts a bit. Their second string  FAIVOIR  won this last year and is only 2lb higher (4lb well in) despite running well recently. He looked unfortunate not to win the Imperial Cup at Sandown and on a line through Go Dante he ties in closely with the favourite. I think anything 10/1 or bigger is a bet so the 12/1 at the time of writing should be taken with 6 places on offer. One at a massive price who I like to run into the additional places is MR FREEDOM  at 40/1. There's no hiding the fact he certainly lacks the class of those at the top end of the market but he is just the type to be suited buy these big field handicaps. He showed that last year when finishing 5th in the Fred Winter despite his rider losing his irons after the saddle slipped jumping the ...

  14:10 - Pertemps Handicap Hurdle GABBY'S CROSS   has caught the eye the last twice, running on well late after trouble in running to finish 2nd and he has clearly been held back to protect his mark for this. His Irish mark is 127 and although the UK handicapper has given him 133 here, that still looks like a very favorable mark based on his chase form (rated 143 at the start of the season). He is proven on all types of ground and Darragh O'Keeffe rides well around Cheltenham finishing in the first 4 in 35% of his rides here and +£13 to £1 level stakes. GABBYS CROSS 11/1 - 1 Point Each-Way 14:50 - Ryanair Chase I think there is an outstanding bet in here at the time of writing, not an imaginative selection but you can get 9/2 with 4 places each way on ENOVOI ALLEN  and I think that has to be taken. He won this last year and ran to the same RPR when 2nd to Gerri Colombe over a 3-mile trip where he was just outstayed. Back down to 2m4f at Cheltenham where he is 3-5, I fin...

  14:50 - Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle Sa Majeste  has been all the rage in this in the build up to the festival and it's easy to see why punters would latch on to him,  a completely unexposed hurdler having had just two starts for Willie Mullins. The first of those starts he disappointed at 13/8 in April 2023, but last time out he was impressive when beating Noble Yeats over 2m4f at Christmas. However, that wouldn't be the grand national winner's optimum trip and I'm wary of backing Sa Majeste on the basis of that run alone. I really fancied Doddiethegreat  to run a huge race in this when I first looked but the form of the Henderson stable is certainly tempering my enthusiasm, with 5 of his 6 runners being pulled up on day one. That being said, everything is price related and he drifts enough (would want 12/1+) then I will end up backing him. There is certainly no worries regarding Henry De Bromhead's stable form and BALLYADAM  looks to be a solid option with almo...

13:30 Supreme Novices' Hurdle We have become accustomed to seeing a short-priced Willie Mullins-trained runner in the curtain raiser in recent times. Still, the market is much more open this year as a result of Ballyburn switching to the Ballymore instead (can't keep up with the changes of sponsors for that race). That being said, two of Mullins' runners are battling for favoritism as I write this.  Tullyhill  is a frustrating one for me, I have a useless ante-post slip for the Ballymore, but he has progressed well with each run this season and runs much better over this 2-mile trip than when tried at longer trips previously. I would still have major concerns regarding his jumping when he faces this better-class opposition, though. He got a freebie on the front end last time out and would be hugely surprised if the others allow him a soft lead in this, I'm not sure his jumping will hold up if he is taken out of his comfort zone. His engine may be good enough to get away...