THERE are only seven days to go to The Cheltenham Festival and this is my final ante-post blog ahead of the Cheltenham roar at 1.30pm next Tuesday. The forecast is drying all the time with currently 6-7mm of rain forecast ahead of the start of The Festival and temperatures are around 10-12 degrees. There are of course many trainers with horses who are entered in several races and there are of multiple entries from a yard in the same race. It is important to note that Unibet are Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) on all 28 races at The Cheltenham Festival 2024. My next blog will be for the first day of The Festival and look forward to seeing you on course!
Cheers!
The Wine Tipster
Tuesday March 12th
4.50 Cheltenham – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m ½f)
Harsh is one of four Joseph O’Brien entries in the Boodles, which is one of the most open races of the four days, with five winners in the last ten years priced at 25/1 and above with Irish trained runners winning the last six renewals. Harsh has had only three runs of hurdles, which is the requirement to be eligible to run in the Boodles and was third on hurdling debut when looking very inexperienced behind Mighty Bandit, with stablemate Lark In The Mornin second (Unibet 5/1 favourite for the Boodles). Next time out Harsh won a maiden hurdle at Cork when again not jumping smoothly throughout, although he jumped the last well moving clear to win comfortable by 8 lengths. He was aimed at graded company in a Grade 2 (yard won in 2022) at Chepstow on Welsh Grand National day when conditions were atrocious and he jumped better this time ahead of fading at the last to finish fourth behind Salver, who was the only one who handled the conditions. Harsh would have liked to have travelled much quicker that day and surely with more favourable ground he can have the opportunity to show the ability he has in the Boodles off a rating of 121, with his stablemate Lark In The Mornin interestingly on 122.
Unibet 40/1 each way
Wednesday March 13th
5.30 Cheltenham – The Weatherbys Champion Bumper Grade 1 (2m ½f)
Brechin Castle, who is by the fantastic and much missed sire Shantou, was the pick of the paddock when winning his bumper at Cheltenham back in November, showing a good attitude to score by 2½ lengths from Fire Flyer, who was second to Gidleigh Park next time out and has won his two subsequent starts. Brechin Castle might have found Ascot coming a bit too soon in December when second to Let It Rain, conceding both first run to the winner and 11lb in weight, which he won’t have to do in the Champion Bumper. He ideally wants a bit of cut, which he looks sure to get at The Festival, with the ground currently soft, with around 7mm of rain forecast for the week ahead and temperatures barely getting above double figures. Brechin Castle has not run since Ascot and this lovely, well-built sort looks a big price given he has more to offer.
Unibet 33/1 each way
Thursday March 14th
3.30 Cheltenham – The Stayers’ Hurdle Grade 1 (3m)
Paisley Park is a remarkable twelve-year-old who is running in his sixth Stayers’ Hurdle with form figures of 1,7,3,3,7 and it can easily be argued this season that he has performed at his most consistent level for a few years. He has been second in all his three appearances this campaign, when beaten a head by Dashel Drasher giving 6lbs at Newbury, then Crambo just took the lead near the line to win by short head at Ascot and most recently on Festival Trials Day Paisley Park just lost out to Noble Yeats by a head giving the Grand National winner 6lbs. Last year the ground was soft and testing in the Stayers’, whereas at the current time the conditions don’t look like being so attritional and this very popular veteran will run a big race.
Unibet 16/1 each way
5.30 Cheltenham – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (3m 2f)
Whacker Clan has been in my notebook since winning at the October meeting at Cheltenham and rewatching that race confirmed that he has to have a good chance in a notoriously difficult race to assess. On that occasion he led from start to finish and when challenged on the run in gamely moved clear to beat Twig by 3 lengths, with Wayfinder back in third and his more fancied stablemate Amarite in fourth. Whacker Clan won on good to soft ground with only five finishers from thirteen starters, as interestingly the rest of the field pulled up as they couldn’t keep up with his prominent running style. Trainer Henry de Bromhead indicated that this would be the plan and this lightly raced type has only had one appearance since then in a handicap hurdle at Naas last month when seventh in ground that was too soft for him. If you look at Whacker Clan’s successes, they have been on good ground and good to soft with the present forecast all very much in his favour. He won off a mark of 125 in October, which was raised to 131 after that victory in October and his prominent running style can see him run a big race.
Unibet 12/1 each way
Friday March 15th
2.10 Cheltenham – The County Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f)
Teddy Blue is developing ideas of his own, that much is certain, but there’s been signs on his last two starts that Teddy Blue is on the way back to form and might find this big competitive handicap hurdle just the ticket. His mark of 131 means if he does get in, he will be right near the bottom of the weights in a race which has seen three winners at 33/1 in the last six years! Alternatively, Teddy Blue is entered in the Martin Pipe over 2m 4½f and is Unibet 33/1 here too. However, the definite preference has to be the County Hurdle given he travelled up as well as anything in the Lanzarote but didn’t get the 2m5f trip, and faded late to finish sixth, and following that shaped every bit as well when fourth to Mothill at Ascot last time out. He had to wait for a gap to appear but stayed on well once that appeared and wasn’t beaten far. A tendency to lug left under pressure has developed, but he’s just the sort to appreciate a fast-run 2m (as he did in the Swinton, a last-flight mistake probably costing him the win behind Black Poppy last season) and if he can keep his hurdling mistakes to a minimum, he’ll be in the fight at the finish.
Unibet 33/1 each way
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