Horse Racing tips: Our Pundits’ Cheat Sheet for ITV racing at Cheltenham on Sunday

At the age of eleven YALA ENKI is not getting any younger or better but I still think he will take some stopping for the champion Paul Nicholls and Byrony Frost.

It says a lot about English racing that there’s only six runners in this race. I fancy the Irish runner GO ANOTHER ONE.

Beaten a short head in this race last year you know YALA ENKI handles the track. Ok, he may prefer softer ground but he has got form on the surface and you know the trainer is going to have him fit for this run.

EMPIRE DE MAULDE won very nicely at Kempton last month. He’s only 7 and improving. I’ll side with him.

YALA ENKI is a grand stayer who also goes well fresh so he is fancied to make a winning return now he has been shown some respite from the official assessor.

SHARJAH is the mount of the handler’s son Patrick and the pair have never really had the credit they deserve. At the end of the day Sharjah has been second in two Champion Hurdle events and when the ground is not too testing he’s a very talented performer.

Echoes In Rain always goes forward and she’ll be fresh on Sunday. She has a big step up to get to ABACADABRAS but it’d be good to have a new runner to take on Honeysuckle. It’s hard to be confident though so I’m going to go with Abacadabras to take her on.

The ground should be perfect for SHARJAH he comes here fresh and that isn’t normally a negative so I take him to spring a little bit of a surprise.

ECHOES IN RAIN has to improve now in open company but has the ability to make up into a Champion Hurdle horse.

SHARJAH looked better than ever when runner-up in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and Punchestown in the spring and has no Honeysuckle to deal with this time. 

With a rating of 167 POLITOLOGUE is still right in the mix here and is decent odds. The former Champion Chase hero has always been talented and while he’s possibly lacked super star status he’s a very classy horse on his best days

This is a battle between NUBE NEGRA and Put The Kettle On and I’m siding with Nube Negra. Rouge Vif and Politologue will guarantee pace in this race and it’ll suit Nube Negra coming from behind.

PUT THE KETTLE ON is 3-3 at the track including an Arkle Chase and a Queen Mother Champion Chase.  She has to be respected as this has been her target for some Time.

I’ll side with PUT THE KETTLE ON purely on her Cheltenham record and she’s as tough as nails. It was a coin toss between her and Nube Negra.

NUBE NEGRA seems best when fresh and was arguably unlucky not to beat Put The Kettle On in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Festival here in March so shades the vote over the Irish mare who has an excellent record at this track.

A tough race to call. That said, I really do believe JESSE EVANS will take a load of beating for Noel Meade. He’s progressive and while one of the fancied ones won’t be too skinny.

I like ADVANCED VIRGO for Charles Byrnes. I thought he ran really well on the Flat in his last start. He races off 133 in the UK and he’s 130 in Ireland. He’s well treated and Daryl Jacob rides… he’ll do me!

CORMIER ran well in this race last year so has good experience of the track. He races of a lower mark this year with the ground more in his favour and I think at the prices makes a lot of sense as a really good each way bet.

Gary Moore is in great form with a 29% strike rate in the last two weeks so I’m going for BOTOX HAS at a big price. He’s a bit to prove but a good record at Cheltenham and Niall Houlihan takes 5 pounds off.

 A typically competitive renewal, with a chance taken on GALICE MACALO who shaped well on her Chepstow reappearance and has a strong-travelling style which should be well suited to the demands of this race.

LE BREUIL is well handicapped now and stays very well. His jumping is also sound which is crucial at this tight track so expect a bold show for Luca Morgan who takes off a valuable 5lb.

I don’t really have a fancy in this to be honest.

LE BREUIL was fancied for the Grand National by lots of people this year. If he can find anything like his best he will win here. Luca Morgan takes a valuable 5lbs off which will help.

LE BREUIL was a National Hunt Chase winner in 2019, he hasn’t won since but is on a fair mark now as a result.

SALTY BOY’S losing run is mounting up but he’s lurking on a dangerous mark nowadays and should be all the sharper for his comeback

Very easy to go with I LIKE TO MOVE IT here for the Twiston-Davies team. The improving four-year-old ran at this track last time and was a fine winner, keeping on strongly to deny Tritonic.

I’m going with WASHINGTON. I was really impressed with his run at Bangor and it seems a pretty obvious choice for me.

I am taking a punt on WASHINGTON who is having only his second run over obstacles. The son of Westerner looked like a horse to follow when winning at Bangor and I think he’s an exciting youngster.

WASHINGTON is 3 from 3 and Olly Murphy is flying it so I’ll probably just side for him.

I LIKE TO MOVE IT still has work to do in the jumping department but he clearly possesses more than his share of ability having won 4 times already and is very much the one to beat again.

NATURAL HISTORY who was once decent on the Flat for The Queen but who now needs to get it together for Gary Moore and son Jamie over hurdles. My hope has been a beaten favourite in four out of his last five starts which says much – but this is winnable.

Natural History is obviously interesting off his flat form but PYRAMID PLACE will be hoping to carry on the good run of his trainer, Milton Harris. The horse ran a very good race at Chepstow and will like the test.

As mentioned, Gary Moore has his string in fine form and NATURAL HISTORY returns on a workable mark considering he is rated 101 on the Flat.

A few in with a chance but NATURAL HISTORY is almost certainly still ahead of his mark over hurdles so he’s put forward as the answer. Gary Moore continues to fire out the winners and he can add to that tally here.