Cheltenham Wednesday

1.30pm Cheltenham

I Am Maximus

We also had the option of the Coral Cup for him, and we obviously think he is better than his current mark of 134, but he takes his chance in this Grade 1. He clearly has to up his game in form terms but he won well at Newbury and he clearly bumped into a potential top-notcher in Hillcrest when second on soft ground in a Ballymore Trial here last time. It’d be something of an upset if he won this, with such as Sir Gerhard in opposition, but I think we will see him take a big step forward here. Whether that it is good enough, we shall see.

Unibet’s 15 To Go Free Bet Offer will be running on all ITV races all week.

2.10pm Cheltenham

Dusart

He is similar to I Am Maximus in the way that he obviously has plenty to find on the book but he is gradually improving and has very few miles on the clock. He is still a work in progress to judge on his Leicester and Exeter wins but he is getting there and we have always held him in high regard. He could surprise a few if it all clicks into a gear for him and he gets into a rhythm with his jumping, as we think the engine is there.

Unibet’s 15 To Go Free Bet Offer will be running on all ITV races all week.

3.30pm Cheltenham

Shishkin

To be honest with you, I am not the biggest fan of all the talk and build-up before these big races. I know we all owe the sport a duty to promote it, but I reckon myself, Paul Townend, Nicky and Willie would all rather hide away and stay silent until we walked out into the paddock beforehand! And this is clearly not a two-runner race either, with the likes of Chacun Pour Soi in here, as he holds similar form credentials to ourselves and Energumene. But I would like to think we are in pole position with Shishkin. A winner of the Supreme and Arkle, he has obviously had an exemplary and unbeaten career over fences to date and he showed once again – remember, he had to fight for that Supreme win – that he had the determination and the will-to-win to go alongside his undoubted class to pick up Energumene in the Clarence House last time. Clearly, there was only a length between them at the line – and if I was Paul then I would be half-fancying my chances on a different day, different track, maybe different tactics, and a slightly shorter trip – but we know he handles this track so well and we know he finds plenty at the end of this races. It may take the whole of the hill, but I hope we are in front where it matters. We think he is a superstar and, most of all, we want to  see him do himself justice.

Unibet’s 15 To Go Free Bet Offer will be running on all ITV races all week.

4.10pm Cheltenham

Step Back

He is one of the oldest in the line-up as a 12yo but he has probably shaped better than it appears on his two starts this season, and he has experience of these fences. It takes a fair stretch to see him getting near the likes of Tiger Roll, but let’s see how he gets on. He’d prefer the forecast rain on Wednesday to stay away.

Unibet’s 15 To Go Free Bet Offer will be running on all ITV races all week.

5.30pm Cheltenham

Our Jester

The rest of us may not as well turn up if all the reports about Facile Vega and American Mike are true! Of course, they have looked devilishly impressive in their wins and probably deserve to dominate the betting market, but bumpers are bumpers and by their very nature they house any number of young, unexposed and talented horses and hopefully Our Jester is one of those. He has certainly impressed at Ascot and Lingfield and, while this is clearly another level up, we are talking here about a horse with only four starts under his belt. We are due plenty of rain on Wednesday and he is unproven on anything other than good ground, but his half-sister Urban Artist handled it should it turn testing.

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