Ed Quigley aka ‘Longshot Ted’ has been studying up the entries for the Cheltenham Festival and serves up his best value wagers for the Handicaps at Prestbury Park…
Cheltenham Tuesday
Ultima Handicap Chase:
This race has a little bit of a muddled look to it at the antepost stage, with a fair chance that quite a few of the market protagonists don’t make the gig. Masaccio would definitely be on my radar if he were to line up in this, but quotes from connections in recent days seem to have poured cold water on the idea of him running here – but if they do have a change of heart, he is an individual to take seriously. One horse who has been lined up for this assignment for quite some time is the Ben Pauling trained HENRY’S FRIEND. The lightly-raced 8-year-old has won four of his seven Chase starts, and was last seen winning in impressive fashion at Newbury in December. He came into last year’s Cheltenham Festival as an outsider in the National Hunt Chase, but ran so sort of race at all, where Pauling attributed the hard race he endured in winning at Ascot 3 weeks earlier as the reason for he representative running totally flat. Coming in here a fresh horse this time around, he should be able to give a good account of himself, and a mark of 145 may still underestimate his ability. His CV suggests he is the type of horse who will act on any ground and the Pauling yard have been in scintillating form in February. This race may well be coming at the perfect time for the gelding.
National Hunt Novices Chase:
Neil Mulholland is a shrewd operator and looks to have very solid claims of landing the National Hunt Chase with the unexposed TRANSMISSION. The 8-year-old has been victorious in one of his four starts over fences, with that win coming in dour fashion at the November meeting from a mark of 129. He followed that up with a running-on second back at Cheltenham the following month, where he gave the impression he would be very much suited by an even greater test of stamina. He was beaten two and a half lengths by Haiti Couleurs (meets that rival on 4lb better terms here) and so from a mark of 133, he looks tailor-made for this test, where the step up to 3m6f can only bring about further improvement in my eyes. A prep run over Hurdles in January served as its purpose and protected his mark for this encounter – a ploy that Mulholland has used in the past. The ground drying out would be preferable, and if we get some proper spring ground he should have every chance of getting involved at the business end of proceedings.
Cheltenham Wednesday
Coral Cup
BE AWARE has beentargeted at this race for some time, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Dan Skelton runner has a few pounds up his sleeve. Off a mark of 137, he has the potential to be very well treated and has been kept fresh for this. He ran a cracker when runner up in the Greatwood Hurdle in November behind Burdett Road, staying on strongly up the hill to be beaten half a length into second. With James Owen’s runner now rated 150, that looks smart form considering he was only in receipt of 3lb from him on that occasion, and in another 100 yards he would have arguably been drawing level or better with the winner. Subsequently he ran another solid race when third in a hot race at Ascot despite making an error at a crucial time and being hampered. This extra half mile shapes as though it will really suit him, and provided he settles he looks to have every opportunity of running a massive race for the yard that have won this for the last two years. I like him a lot.
I would also have a small dabble on Irish raider SANDOR CLEGANE at attractive odds, a horse who could really benefit from dropping back in trip to a strongly run 2m5f. He is a horse who has run well at previous Cheltenham Festivals, and has been knocking on the door in Grade 1 company over the last couple of seasons, not always looking the most fluent over fences, and happier back over the smaller obstacles. I could see the demands of this race really suiting him, and off a mark of 147, he doesn’t look unfairly treated for the Paul Nolan team.
Cheltenham Thursday
Pertemps Final
I really like JERIKO DU REPONET for this, a horse with lots of untapped potential, who looked much happier upped to 3m Exeter last time out. He was smuggled into the race under Nico De Boinville to grab third, and hence get the job done in regards to qualifying for this. This time last year he was fancied in many quarters to run a big race in the Supreme, but failed to fire like many of the Seven Barrows representatives who were under a cloud at the time. Nicky Henderson had mentioned for sometime that he could easily have more to offer over staying trips, and off a mark of 135 he does still bring a large element of the ‘could be anything’ factor to proceedings. He looks like an exciting each-way play to me given his low mileage, and he should go well in this big field contest.
Cheltenham Friday
County Hurdle
If the sun continues to shine in Gloucestershire, then drying underfoot conditions can only enhance the claims of the Dan Skelton trained VALGRAND in the County Hurdle. He destroyed the field in a Grade 2 by 17 lengths at Cheltenham’s October Meeting, where he jumped superbly and fairly fizzed along on lively ground. A combination of rain-softened ground and unsuitable trips offer valid excuses for the 6-year-old since then, who should be much more in his element back here and on what is hopefully for connections and fans of the horse – a sound surface. Dan Skelton has a very good record in this race (won four of the last nine renewals and went close last year) and a huge performance from this individual with lots of potential would not be a surprise. He looks a very solid each-way angle where a rating of 134 could see Valgrand with a few pounds to play with.
Longshot Ted’s Best Handicap Bets:
Henry’s Friend (e/w), Ultima Handicap Chase, Tuesday
Transmission (e/w), National Hunt Novices Chase, Tuesday
Be Aware (e/w) Coral Cup, Wednesday
Sandor Clegane (e/w), Coral Cup, Wednesday
Jeriko Du Reponet (e/w), Pertemps Final, Thursday
Valgrand (e/w), County Hurdle, Friday
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