We welcome our new horse racing tipster, Racing TV's Andrew Blair White, who has two selections on offer for Friday's National Hunt curtain-raiser at Cheltenham.
Well, hopefully, this is the first of many.
I am delighted to be joining forces with Betway to talk through some of my thoughts for the upcoming big races over the winter months and into the spring. I am hoping with fingers crossed that we can land on a few winners while we’re at it.
There is no better place to start than with the return of racing at Cheltenham, hosting its annual two-day October meeting this weekend, and with that comes a hum of excitement. Racing at Cheltenham simply can’t be beaten, even if the horses that run this weekend are probably not going to be the same ones we are still discussing at the Festival in March. Just like watching cricket at Lord’s or walking round the Old Course at St Andrews, Cheltenham always delivers.
The only caveats at this time of the season – especially given the weather we’ve had this summer – is what the ground will be like and which horses are likely to be the most forward from their respective stables. Betting at this time of the year can be fraught with danger, so forgive me for trying to ease my way into the season rather than taking it head-on.
My first selection for this new venture will land in the 2.25 on Friday, which is a typically competitive conditional jockeys handicap hurdle over just above 2m. Preference here is for THE HARDEST GEEZER 3/1 , who represents the yard of Hobbs and White. This horse has found himself quite unlucky to only have a maiden hurdle win to his name and plenty of his runs last season were full of promise. He was placed in all four of his completed starts last year before finishing his season when stumbling and clipping heels at Newbury in their lucrative 2m handicap.
He starts this season off a mark of 121, which I feel is more than workable, and young Jack Stenhouse – who is able to take 8lbs off his back – is a rider I want onside this season. Everything he showed last year screamed to me a rider going places. At a price of 7/1 with four places available at Betway, he represents good each-way value.
Back The Hardest Geezer at 7/1 in the 2.25 at Cheltenham
The other bet on the card comes in the exciting 2m handicap chase at 3.35. Calico and JPR One are no strangers to these events, while Sky Lord is an interesting Irish raider from Henry De Bromhead. I am going to take a chance on the sink or swim PALACIO 17/2 – whose record when fresh is the main angle into his chances here. He was a decisive winner on his first start last season at Chepstow and also added a good handicap at Newbury over this trip back in March. The obvious elephant in the room is that there are two Ps and a UR on his scoresheet from last season as well, so he is by no means bombproof.
However, he has won on seasonal reappearance for the last two years – both of which were probably his best efforts of the season – and his typically shrewd trainer has lined him up for this race, which gives me confidence in his chances. If he can get loose on the front end, he might take some pegging back. At a price of 13/2 with Betway, he is also advised as an each-way selection.
Back Palacio at 13/2 in the 3.35 at Cheltenham
I will be back with some more thoughts and selections for the card on Saturday, and I am looking forward to walking through the gates myself. Let us hope we can start the new season at Cheltenham with a bang.
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