Horse Racing Tips: Mick Fitzgerald’s best Cheltenham picks on Friday

Mick reckons it's worth siding with Foxy Jacks (14:55) in the Cross Country Chase to take advantage of the weight concessions in a handicap.

By / Horse Racing Tips / 8 months ago

Mick Fitzgerald’s Cheltenham Racing Tips

13:45 – Triple Trade
14:20 – Mighty Tom
14:55 – Foxy Jacks (each way)
15:30 – Captain Teague

*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.

This is a meeting that normally signals the start of Nicky Henderson’s battalion being released and this year should be no different. There’s just the four races on ITV on Friday so it’s about quality rather than quantity.

13:45 – Triple Trade

Joe Tizzard has his team in good form and I liked the way Triple Trade ran on when second to Dancing On My Own over two miles at the October meeting at this venue. The ground will be softer this time around too. Calico and Do Your Job are among the market leaders but I worry about Calico’s ability to see the race out on what will be soft ground.

14:20 – Mighty Tom

Cian Collins is a very shrewd operator but his runner Mighty Tom is a little difficult to predict as he needs to be switched off in his races to strike late. He pulled his way to the front in the Galway Hurdle and eventually finished a credible sixth over hurdles and in a novice chase last time at Cork, he settled at the back, jumped super and finished well to be second to Letsbeclearaboutit.

The worry is we have no front-runner in this contest and I hope that Mighty Tom will not be too keen for his own good. His jumping is good but his young rider Danny Gilligan will have to switch him off. JPR One jumped really well last time and is a big danger but the value is with the Irish challenger and higher-rated Mighty Tom.

    14:55 – Foxy Jacks (each-way)

    Trainer Mouse Morris pulled off a bit of a surprise in the Charlie Hall Chase with Gentlemansgame and his runner Foxy Jacks has fitness on his side. Gordon Elliott has Delta Work and Galvin in this contest and there’s no doubting the superiority of the Elliott pair in this handicap on soft ground. However, the fact that it’s a handicap brings the others into the equation.

    It is farcical that this contest when run at the Festival next March is not a handicap. It encourages too many of the fringe Gold Cup horses to try and get success in what looks the easier option, the Cross Country chase. If it was a handicap at the Festival, the temptation would not be so great.

      15:30 – Captain Teague

      Paul Nicholls flew the flag for the UK-trained runners in the Cheltenham Festival bumper with Captain Teague ran a mighty race to finish third to the JP McManus-owned and Irish-trained pair of Fact To File and the impressive winner, A Dream To Share.

      Captain Teague looked raw when winning the Persian War Hurdle at Chepstow, but I have no doubt he will improve lots for that experience. He is taking on the Irish pair of The Big Doyen and Kinbara, who have already reached lofty heights already but there should be more to come from Captain Teague.

      Mick Fitzgerald’s Cheltenham Racing Tips

      13:45 – Triple Trade
      14:20 – Mighty Tom
      14:55 – Foxy Jacks (each way)
      15:30 – Captain Teague

      *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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