It was a disappointing Saturday for this blog with some big priced winners hard to find at Cheltenham.
However, I’m primed to strike back Sunday and raring for the battle with the enemy once again.
I’m at the home of jumps racing for ITV once again, and we’ll be showing five of the Cheltenham races on ITV4 plus the Southern National from Fontwell.
Let’s get straight to it, and the 13:15 at Cheltenham is the Cross Country Handicap over 3m6f. Kingswell Theatre is going to be hard to keep out the frame here and is worth a few quid each-way. He won this event in 2017 and is now having a second run after a wind operation for Michael Scudamore. The ground is no issue.
Next up at Cheltenham is the 13:50, a Grade 2 for novice chasers over 2m. Getaway Trump was beaten fair and square by Al Dancer at this track last time and despite a 3lb pull I think the result will be the same. I know Paul Nicholls believes the former can take revenge, but the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained selection is a decent tool and will take some stopping.
The 14:25 at Cheltenham is a Grade 2 chase over 2m. Politologue is a good bet here despite having to give weight away. He’s had a wind operation as well, and Nicholls says he is better than ever. A strong stayer at this trip who goes well fresh, he has every chance of scoring for the champion trainer.
We go handicap hurdling at Cheltenham 15:00 with a Grade 3 over an extended 2m. Only time will tell if Quoi De Neuf is well handicapped, but he stays well and goes in soft ground having run well when dropped in trip at Chepstow last time for Evan Williams. Being lightly raced he might just have much more to come than some of these.
And finally at Cheltenham, the 15:30 is a Grade 2 novices’ hurdle over an extended 2m. I’ll take Eden Du Houx here in a bit of a guessing game. My hope, trained by David Pipe, was over a slightly longer trip at Fontwell last time and this distance might be more suitable.
Meanwhile, the Southern National comes up at Fontwell over an extended 3m3f at 14:40 Shanroe Santos is only 1lb higher than when scoring last year and goes in deep ground. The Lucy Wadham team is going all right, so he has to have each-way claims. I’ll take a chance he can have a repeat success.
So best of luck and pray for Yeeehaaas. You hear me Paddy?
Matt Chapman’s Tips Summary:
13:15 Cheltenham: Kingswell Theatre – 4/1
13:50 Cheltenham: Al Dancer – 13/8
14:25 Cheltenham: Politologue – 6/4
15:00 Cheltenham: Quoi De Neuf – 9/1
15:30 Cheltenham: Eden Du Houx – 5/1
14:40 Fontwell: Shanroe Santos – 5/1
* All odds correct at time of posting.
