THE second of my Unibet blogs in the build up to The Cheltenham Festival with now only two weeks to go! With all the weights announced for the handicaps on Tuesday there are five selections below with some having multiple entries of course. The focus has been obviously on what is their key entry and as to why each selection should run in that particular race.
There is only one Irish trained selection with Encanto Bruno, trained by Gavin Cromwell, who has had a brilliant season coming across to score victories at courses like Cheltenham and Haydock.
Some of the handicaps are dominated by Irish trainers, whilst in other races like the Ultima this has been domain of the GB trainers. It looks much more evenly matched this year and it will be interesting to see where we are after the last race on Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Day!
My next Unibet blog will cover five outsiders for The Cheltenham Festival.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
Tuesday March 12th
2.50 Cheltenham – The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase (3m 1f)
Chianti Classico is one of my Unibet Ten To Follow for this season on the back of a three-timer last season on his first three hurdling starts at Chepstow, Market Rasen and Wincanton respectively, when favourite or second favourite. On the third occasion he won well on handicap debut and then was stepped up in trip and class when aimed at the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett at The Festival, when he was marked up in my Unibet blog each way at a big price. Chianti Classico couldn’t hold his own in that field on that occasion, however he showed at the Unibet Jump Season Opener at Chepstow, when winning on chasing debut with a superb round of jumping, that he had a very bright future over fences.
He followed up at Ascot next time when winning pushed out on ground that was tacky and certainly didn’t suit him at all. I saw Chianti Classico close up that day and he is such an imposing individual. Chianti Classico’s most recent appearance after his Ascot run was in January at Kempton when a staying on second to the smart Flegmatik, which was at a time when the Kim Bailey yard was not getting the best of luck. Chianti Classico’s jumping and travelling style is well suited to Cheltenham and if the weather conditions allow then day one is likely to start on good to soft, which is ideal for him.
Wednesday March 13th
2.50 Cheltenham – Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f)
Doddiethegreat for Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson is an eight-year-old who has had six career starts, with four appearances over hurdles.
He had been off for 746 days when winning at Ascot ahead of a second to Go Dante in a very competitive handicap hurdle at Cheltenham in December and then he was fourth, one place behind Go Dante, in Newbury’s big February handicap. At Newbury he was held up in rear over a trip of 2m½f and would have been much closer but for being impeded which left him short of room at the second last. From that performance it was very clear that he would benefit from a step up in trip.
His career form figures feature four wins, his Cheltenham second and Newbury fourth, which show he retains all his ability and more.
He ticks plenty of boxes for this too – unexposed, proven up the Cheltenham hill, runs well in big handicap fields, is ground versatile and Nicky knows what it takes to win it, having trained the winner four times since 2010. A mark of 132 will be borderline for him getting in the race but will secure him a place in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle Unibet 16/1 each way on Friday March 15th if he doesn’t. An exciting type for the Nicky Henderson team at The Festival.
Thursday March 14th
2.10 Cheltenham – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (3m)
White Rhino has made some appeal as a Pertemps horse for some time, and this improving eight-year-old can continue on an upward curve by taking this big pot to become the fourth winner of his age group in the last six runners.
This will be his twelfth career appearance, having only made his racecourse debut in November 2022, when he finished seventh in an eight-runner novice hurdle. The transformation in form started in February 2023 when winning a class 5 at Southwell at 33/1 off a mark of 74. In less than a year he has taken himself to a mark of 129 with form figures of 1112-1213, a rise of 55lbs!
White Rhino’s recent performances include when he travelled very strongly through the race when winning at Cheltenham back in December, that coming off the back of another very solid effort at the track when second over a trip on the short side for him at the November meeting, and clearly the final climb for home suits him very well. Last time out at Huntingdon in January was all about finishing in the first four to qualify for this, which he did without damaging his mark, and another plus is that he’s not ground dependent, with form on all ground from good to very soft. He knows how to win races and the faster they go in the Pertemps Final, the better his chance.
4.10 Cheltenham – The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Steeple Chase (2m 4f)
Theatre Man could go back up in trip for the Ultima, but surely this test will suit him much better, with a fast run 2m 4f ideal as regards stretching his stamina out just enough. Take a look at his excellent second to Ginny’s Destiny (entered Brown Advisory and Turners both Grade 1s) in the usually red-hot Timeform handicap on Trials Day, which looks a solid piece of form. He stayed on with gusto all the way up the hill to chase the winner home after being fifth on the home turn and he was running all the way to the line over this 2m 4½f trip. On his previous start he was third to Brave Kingdom at Newbury over 2m 7½f after leading at the last and looking to not quiet see out the trip.
There’s surely more to come from him as a chaser and as long as he doesn’t get lost in the middle of this bigger field, he is sure to be coming home strongly again up the Cheltenham hill.
Friday March 15th
5.30 Cheltenham – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle (2m 4½f)
Encanto Bruno also has entries in the big Handicap Hurdle Unibet 25/1 on Wednesday and the County Hurdle Unibet 25/1 earlier on Friday, however trainer Gavin Cromwell has indicated the Martin Pipe is the most likely target. Encanto Bruno’s form figures since joining Gavin Cromwell last October are 189, with a great start at Cheltenham in the same month when beating Mel Monroe by two lengths after traveling so smoothly throughout the race on good ground. He was favourite that day and that was an eye-catching and easy success.
Encanto Bruno then headed to Fairyhouse for the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle over two miles on soft going when not jumping well and finishing last. His next and latest appearance saw him in a handicap hurdle at Leopardstown in heavy conditions in late December over the minimum trip when then not getting in the race, finishing ninth of thirteen. Good going is key to Encanto Bruno, with his four victories all coming with these ground conditions and if by Friday the course is the quick side of good to soft, he must be in the mix.
The Wine Tipster’s FiveFold
The corks really would be popping and glasses overflowing if this one lands!
Roll these picks from our red-hot tipster into an acca and retirement may be just around the corner– £5 each way potentially returns over £1.2m if they come in! Of course, it’s a long shot, but…
Click the image below to add directly to your betslip!
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