JUST over two weeks to The Cheltenham Festival and the excitement is really building.
Here are my five long shots, with a couple of these still with multiple entries at this stage.
Last year Indefatigable from this column obliged at 28/1 in the final race of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival and I’m hoping for more of the same at least in 2021!
Remember Unibet are non runner no bet (NRNB) for all the races at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival.
Next week I will be featuring my five Irish horses to follow for The Festival.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
Tuesday March 16th
4.50 Cheltenham – National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Chase 3m 6f
Golan Fortune may well go the handicap route, however 25s looks a big price here, considering he’d have given Next Destination (Unibet 13/2 for the National Hunt) something to think about had he not made a horrendous mistake three out at Warwick in January. Golan Fortune had really been jumping well on that occasion and still managed to get himself back in the race after such a bad mistake. He had a good warm up for The Festival with a spin over hurdles on Saturday at Kempton, finishing fourth off top weight. Golan Fortune has run on numerous occasions at Cheltenham, winning at Prestbury in 2019 and he finished third here over hurdles to On The Blind Side last November. On his last six starts this season he hasn’t finished outside the first four and this nine-year-old can get right in the mix here with a bold display of jumping.
Wednesday March 17th
1.55 Cheltenham – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 3m ½f
Lieutenant Rocco is also entered in the Ultima and Marsh; however, it would be great to see him run in the Brown Advisory. He ran a blinder at Cheltenham in December, when second to Fusil Raffles with Chantry House behind, as Lieutenant Rocco had them in big trouble when leading over the last. At Ffos Las in February he justified favouritism, beating a good quality field with loads in hand. If conditions are soft then he looks a good each way price as he jumps well and keeps galloping.
2.30 Cheltenham – Handicap Hurdle 2m 5f
Fifty Ball for the Gary Moore team is also entered in the Supreme, Ballymore and County Hurdle. He has showed how effective he is at around two miles with his win at Sandown and then a good second to Soaring Glory at Newbury, however his trainer has talked about stepping him up in trip and this could be the right opportunity. Fifty Ball is highly regarded and looks like he has plenty of improvement to come. Cheltenham looks sure to suit too.
Nicky Henderson Cheltenham Stable Tour 2021
Free to watch on our blog later this week pic.twitter.com/waLluqumVd
— Unibet Racing (@UnibetRacing) March 1, 2021
Thursday March 18th
1.55 Cheltenham – Pertemps Handicap Hurdle 2m 7f
Mr Harp continues you to improve and we haven’t seen the best of him yet. Mr Harp impressed when beating Saint Dalina at Uttoxeter and that form stood up to the pound at Warwick next start when he was second in a qualifier for this contest behind Imperial Alcazar (currently 8/1 with Unibet). He followed up with a second to the classy Alaphilippe at Haydock in sticky ground last time and has a good handicap in him this spring.
3.05 Cheltenham – Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 7f
Lisnagar Oscar won the Stayers’ last year at 50/1, having finished third to Paisley Park in the Cleeve Hurdle on Festival Trials day beaten four and a half lengths. Whilst Paisley Park has a great chance in 2021 and I featured him in my ante post piece last month, you cannot overlook Lisnagar Oscar as a serious player at an each way price of 18/1, after his second to Third Wind at Haydock last time out. This was Lisnagar’s Oscar third start of the season and despite not looking fully fit he put in a tremendous effort to be right up at the head of affairs and leading over the last before being headed by Third Wind, to whom he was giving six pounds. This performance must have delighted the Rebecca Curtis team, as their charge will definitely come on bundles for that run and their determined eight-year-old will deliver another strong staying performance.
