* An early inspection will take place at Cheltenham at 7.30am on Saturday morning
Frank Hickey’s Saturday ITV selections:
13:20 Cheltenham – Editeur Du Gite Betting Without Energumene
13:50 Cheltenham – Fugitif
14:05 Doncaster – Epatante
14:25 Cheltenham – Sounds Russian
14:40 Doncaster – Idalko Bihoue (each way)
15:00 Cheltenham – Paisley Park
15:15 Doncaster – Mister Coffey
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
13:20 Cheltenham – Editeur Du Gite Betting Without Energumene
Energumene is definitely the one to beat, with his only defeat over jumps coming in this race last year at Ascot when Shishkin ran him down late. Last year’s Champion Chase did fall apart a bit but I would be surprised if he’s beaten. Edwardstone was extremely impressive in the Arkle here last season and was even more so when dotting up in the Tingle Creek on his reappearance. He unseated Tom Cannon at Kempton last time out and on ratings would look the main danger.
Editeur Du Gite isn’t that heavily raced for a nine year old. He’s had 17 total career starts, while Edwardstone, who is also nine, has had 22. He had two starts over hurdles in France and kept exclusively to fences since joining Gary Moore. His win the last day at Kempton was a career best effort and while Edwardstone unseating lessened the level of form, he did fairly slam the rest of the field.
He has a really strong Cheltenham record, winning two solid handicaps last season off 140 and 147 – and he was fourth in the Grand Annual off 153 despite the heavy ground probably not being ideal. He was never in the race at Cheltenham in the Showcase meeting when a never nearer third. He got back to his front running ways when winning the Desert Orchid. Beating Energumene might be beyond him but he can give Edwardstone something to think about in the Betting Without market.
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13:50 Cheltenham – Fugitif
This tends to be a really competitive race and a good pointer to the future but saying that, it has been relatively punter friendly, with only one winner in the last ten years returning a double figure price. There appears to be plenty of pace on here and that will play to the strengths of Fugitif. Richard Hobson’s horses were never really right last season but have been much better this time out.
Fugitif was thought good enough to contest the Grade 1 Scilly Isles last season. He was a running on second to Amarillo Sky on his reappearance here over 2m, proving that he does act on the track. That was the old track and the new track may suit him better.
The step to 2m3f did the trick at Chepstow over Christmas when he bolted up off a mark of 133, travelling really strongly. Hobson is convinced he is a graded horse and I’m not sure that a 10lb rise will stop him following up here.
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14:05 Doncaster – Epatante
I can’t oppose Epatante here but she is not a backable price. There’s no real angle in the Betting Without market either so I’ll stick with her I guess!
14:25 Cheltenham – Sounds Russian
Sounds Russian is really progressive and is all stamina. He is 2lbs better off with Noble Yeats for the 4.5l fourth at Aintree. With Frodon and Ahoy Senor in here, it should be a fairly strongly run race.
Noble Yeats has to prove he acts at the track as his best runs have come on a flat track. Protektorat looked good in the Betfair Chase but the race did fall apart. Frodon is solid but he is 11 now and Ahoy Senor was disappointing at Kempton in the King George considering he jumped reasonably well.
Sounds Russian ran a huge race in the Rowland Meyrick off a mark of 157 when carrying top weight when only a half length second to Into Overdrive despite looking well beaten turning in before running on really strongly. They were 8l clear of the third and the right horses were in the first four. He is only eight and is improving, I wouldn’t be shocked if he is capable of winning a graded staying chase.
14:40 Doncaster – Idalko Bihoue (each way)
John McConnell won this last year with Mahler Mission and he relies on Grand Soir here, who is on a four timer. Stay Away Fay looked all stamina when making a winning hurdles debut at Newbury in November. It looked like Russian Ruler had slipped the field but Stay Away Fay powered home to win convincingly and give the impression he would relish 3m. Second and fourth won next time out to frank the form also.
Idalko Bihoue was an impressive winner on his hurdles debut at Worcester in late October and the third did win next time. He had won a point and went for £155k. He shaped ok in the Challow Hurdle when third and looked like he would improve for stepping up in trip. Nigel Twiston-Davies did have a winner in Ffos Las during the week too.
15:00 Cheltenham – Paisley Park
Paisley Park is the most likely winner as he has been excellent this season but his price wouldn’t encourage me in and I’m not sure what I can take him on with. I’ll sit this one out and watch it instead.
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15:15 Doncaster – Mister Coffey
Ga Law and Tea For Free make appeal. Ga Law is up 8lbs for the Paddy Power win and could improve now for 3m and is only a seven-year-old. Tea For Free is 4-4 over fences, starting his winning sequence off a mark of 105 and now running here off 138. That is 7lbs higher than his last win at Newbury but he did win fairly comprehensively.
Mister Coffey was a huge gamble in the Kim Muir at last year’s festival when second to Chambard off a mark of 137. He probably just found the 3m2f stretching his stamina and needed the run at Chepstow over Christmas on his first start since. He’s a big price.
Frank Hickey’s Saturday ITV selections:
13:20 Cheltenham – Editeur Du Gite Betting Without Energumene
13:50 Cheltenham – Fugitif
14:05 Doncaster – Epatante
14:25 Cheltenham – Sounds Russian
14:40 Doncaster – Idalko Bihoue (each way)
15:00 Cheltenham – Paisley Park
15:15 Doncaster – Mister Coffey
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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