Racing TV's Andrew Blair White offers up his best horse racing tips for Saturday at the November Cheltenham meeting.
Day Two of the November Meeting at Cheltenham promises to be full of excitement with some entertaining novices clashing against each other alongside a plethora of good handicap action. I am going to be focusing on the decent handicap action while in pursuit of the winner of the feature Paddy Power Gold Cup.
Starting off in the 12.35 – the opening race on the day which is a handicap chase over 3m1f for amateur jockeys. I quite like the chances of JACCOURS 15/2 here – who makes his second start for his new trainer Robbie Llewellyn – and perhaps might be a well handicapped horse in this sphere. He won a maiden hurdle when trained by Olly Murphy but struggled in his two chase starts and was subsequently purchased by current connections for 16k.
His new connections took a different approach to this horses’ trip – when upping him to 3m4f on his yard debut, when he was an excellent second behind a well handicapped Joe Tizzard rival. He was unchanged for that run and if building on that effort, he should go close here. Connections have opted to book Billy Coonan – a young jockey who has been in good form in recent weeks in his native Ireland. He takes a useful 5lbs off his back. The price of 8/1 with Betway makes good appeal each way, especially while paying our 4 places.
Back Jaccours at 8/1 in the 12.35 at Cheltenham
The feature race itself takes place at 2.20 and there are plenty in here with live chances – and I am going to be making a case for two of them. The first is JULY FLOWER 7/1 – who drops into handicap company for the first time off what looks a more than reasonable rating of 142. She started her chase career off in fine style last season, including when winning over 2m at this meeting last season before running respectably in Grade 1s and 2s till the end of the season.
Henry De Bromhead looks to have two live chances between her and Zurich – so it is perhaps interesting that stable jockey Darragh O’Keeffe has plumped with this classy mare who boasts the needed class to go close in a race of this nature. She is 7/1 with Betway with 4 places available, and I will be backing her each way.
Back July Flower at 7/1 in the 2.20 at Cheltenham
I won’t be allowing RELEASE THE BEAST 16/1 to go unbacked in this race either – with the step up in trip likely to suit this steadily progressive seven-year-old. Often best fresh, he ran a career best on his only visit to the track when a close-up fourth in the Grand Annual last March – where one slow jump down the back lead to him forfeiting needed track position.
Not often the easiest the ride – it is good to see regular pilot Sean Flanagan take the trip over to ride this horse and his trainer’s horses could not be in better nick at the moment – including landing big handicap success at Naas last week. 18/1 each way with 4 places seems fair.
Back Release The Beast at 18/1 in the 2.20 at Cheltenham
The final selection of the day comes in the 2.55 – which is a 3m handicap hurdle that causes more headaches than I would care to admit.
Plenty of these have a few questions to answer at present and those at the top of the betting such as Ace of Spades, Rambo T and Gold For Alec look plenty short enough. Perhaps it might be worth risking another potential Irish winner on the card with IFIWEREARICHMAN 11/1 – who like plenty of these must find something more, but we are getting compensated with a more than fair price.
A talented young horse, he won a big handicap hurdle over 2m at Galway a few years ago before a promising novice chase was cruelly cut short after falling at the last when upsides Lecky Watson in a Grade 3. This season has been a bit more of a retrieval mission back over hurdles and although his form figures don’t look inspiring – he has shaped better than the bare results and perhaps nowadays needs this extra yardage. Talented Eoin Staples takes 5lbs off his back and I am hopeful of a good run. A price of 11/1 – with Betway playing five places each way, appeals to me.
Back Ifiwerearichman at 11/1 in the 2.55 at Cheltenham
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