Cheltenham Festival 2026 - Day Four

 



14:00 - County Handicap Hurdle

The Skeltons have been on fire in the handicaps this week with a couple of plots landed with Madara and Supremely West. I don’t think SINNATRA is as much of a ‘plot job’ as those two, as the team had Live Conti lined up for this a long way out - but he sadly misses this through injury. Having said that SINNATRA was very impressive at Warwick on his latest start and although that form hasn’t been throughly tested, his earlier third to Act Of Innocence reads well after he ran a blinder in the Turners Novice Hurdle earlier this week. I think there is a good chance he’ll prove better than a mark of 133 and, given the combination of his yards excellent record in the race and the fact Novices’ tend to well, he’ll be hard to keep out of the six places on offer

JOYEUSE has been well backed for this since I first went through the race and although her winning may buck a couple of trends mentioned above, she has dropped down to a tempting mark and ran better than the result suggests last time. I can’t shake the memory of her demolishing the field in the Betfair Hurdle last year, she was then set a tough task in the Grade 1 Mares Hurdle next time. Her only other course run was a 2nd to Wodooh back in 2024 and her more recent runs have been small field tactical affairs which wouldn’t suit. If the first time cheekpieces have the desired effect I can certainly see her hitting the frame.

SINNATRA 11/2 - 1 Point Each-Way

JOYEUSE 11/1 - 0.75 Points Each-Way



15:20 - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle 

This wouldn’t be a race I’m usually keen to bet on but with THEDEVILUNO available at 6/§ I’m going to have to have a bit each-way on him. He put in a huge performance when landing the River Don at Doncaster beating some highly thought of opponents in the process. On paper he has a bit to find with the favourite on their run back in December, but Paul Nolan’s charge took a big step forward last time and I think he will have certainly closed that gap, possibly overturned it. I think with the 4 places each-way he is a fair bet.

THEDEVILUNO 6/1 - 1 Point Each-Way



17:20 - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

I’ve had to be patient this week, waiting until the last race of the meeting for one of my stronger bets. I’ve been backing WENDROCK for this for a couple of months now and I still think he makes appeal at the current prices. Having Festival form in the book is always a big positive and he ran a decent race in the Fred Winter last year finishing 6th behind Puturhandstogether doing all his best work late on in the contest. Although that run suggested a step up in trip would suit, we didn’t get to see that happen until two starts back - where he again made eye-catching late headway caught too far back in a race which favoured those up with the pace. He was pulled up at Leopardstown last time out, which doesn’t concern me as it was desperate ground that day and 13 of the 21 runner field were pulled up. In fact, I think the fact they looked after him there gives me encouragement that they had this in mind. With his sole run over this trip being so encouraging and Gordon Elliott’s strong record in the race he is a must bet for me.

ACT OF AUTHORITY will also be a bet for me here, he finished an excellent 2nd to Wodooh last year and with a benefit of hindsight faced an impossible task - given she was running off 141 last year, went into this week rated 154 and won the Grade 1 Mares Hurdle on Thursday. Olly Murphy’s runner has been running well in defeat this season and I would imagine they have been working back from this race all season, coming back here off just 1lb higher and Lewis Saunders in the saddle again (on board for.3 of his career wins). 


WENDROCK 11/1 - 1.5 Points Each-Way

ACT OF AUTHORITY 16/1 - 1 Point Each-Way

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cheltenham Festival 2025 - Day One

Image
  The best week in the racing calendar is here again and for all it’s a cracking day’s racing, these probably won’t be my strongest bets of the week. The 4-fold of Kopek Des Bordes , Majborough , Lossiemouth and Constitution Hill will be very popular with punters (pays 7/1+). But as usual most of my selections will be in the big handicaps on the card. Best of luck with your bets for day one. 13:20 - Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2m 1/2f I was lucky enough to be at the Dublin Racing Festival last month to see Kopek Des Bordes  absolutely demolish his opposition. I’m sitting on an ante-post position on him so it’s unlikely I’ll go in again (although the evens as I type is getting tempting). The worry for him would be if he handles the occasion, he was in and out of the parade ring very quickly at Leopardstown (presumably in an attempt to keep a lid on him) but he still won despite racing freely.  Workahead ’s win at at Leopardstown over Christmas was franked when the seven leng...
Read more

Cheltenham Festival 2025 - Day Three

Image
  17:20 Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase A lot of my week revolves around the running of MIDNIGHT OUR FRED  in the Kim Muir. I’ve had him in mind for this for a while and was delighted to see the UK handicapper only nudge him up 1lb. He bolted up at Gowran Park in October then followed that up with a huge run at Leopardstown over Christmas when 2nd to Perceval Legallois (one I like for the Grand national). That Leopardstown run is worthy of an upgrade as he disputed the lead throughout with Three Card Brag and while that rival folded to be beaten over lengths in 7th, Fred kept on well to finish an excellent 2nd. Three Card Brag went on to win next time at Navan, while another prominent racer from Leopardstown, Nick Rockett (4th) won the Thyestes on his next start and followed up at Fairyhouse in a Grade 3 next time out. There’s also the fact he has form round Cheltenham, running an excellent 2nd of 19 in October 2023 and then running 2nd again over 3m4f h...
Read more

Cheltenham Festival 2025 - Day Two

Image
  14:40 - Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle 2m4f Dan Skelton is always one to keep a close eye on in these festival handicap hurdles and he looks to have teed up another great chance in BE AWARE . It’s not rocket science picking him out and even though he’s close to the top of the market I still make him a bet with the extra places available. He was 2nd to Burdett Road in at the Greatwood off 130 and given that rival is now rated 17lb higher (potentially more after his fortunate Champion Hurdle second on day one) he has to have a huge chance off 137 here. You can put a line through his effort last time out and he has obviously been saved for this. SANDOR CLEGANE  was one of the Irish runner fortunate enough to get away without the usual handicapper ‘tax’ for crossing the Irish Sea and I think he could be up to taking advantage of that. It would probably be unfair to say his chasing career was a complete failure, because he was mixing it in some tough races (including a 4th behind Fact...
Read more