Mick Fitzgerald’s Friday ITV Racing Tips
13:10 Cheltenham – Plaisir Des Flos
13:45 Cheltenham – Springwell Bay
14:20 Cheltenham – Jonbon
14:55 Cheltenham – Busselton
15:30 Cheltenham – Valgrand
16:00 Cheltenham – Letterston Lily
*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.
13:10 Cheltenham – Plaisir Des Flos
The November meeting is a great meeting and we start with a conditional jockeys race. Jack Hogan gets to use his 3lb claim on the unbeaten Plaisir Des Flos as he’s riding for his own stable and that’s a huge plus. He won a good race at Carlisle last time and trainer Fergal O’Brien’s runner is the one to be with. Tune In A Box is one to watch out for also especially if there’s market support.
13:45 Cheltenham – Springwell Bay
A very decent novice chase despite the small field. I was really impressed with Springwell Bay at Chepstow and three miles on decent ground will suit. My only worry though is will they go quick enough for him as he can be quite keen in his races. Hyland is no back number but on balance, I’ll stick with Springwell Bay and the Jonjo O’Neill yard is in great form.
14:20 Cheltenham – Jonbon
Another small but select field where it’s very hard to look past Jonbon who also won this race last year. He’s beaten the like of El Fabiolo and the re-opposing Edwardstone on good ground at Sandown last season so Friday’s conditions should hold no fears. He sets the standard by a fair margin.
14:55 Cheltenham – Busselton
The Cross Country Handicap Chase sees Conflated head the weights but he’s actually keeping a few of the others out of the weights given his high rating. That won’t make it easy for them. Mister Coffey should enjoy this discipline but it’s his first go at it. A surprise could be on the cards and as Busselton is running off his correct mark, I’ll give him the nod.
15:30 Cheltenham – Valgrand
There’s very little on official ratings between Valgrand and Potters Charm (just 1lb) but the former is a much better jumper. If the race is run at a proper pace to test Potters Charm’s stamina, then his jumping will need to be slick. According to the stats, Valgrand gained ‘nine lengths jumping’ on the field when winning here last time over two miles in a Grade 2, beating the re-opposing Gale Mahler. Potters Charm’s jumping – was poor even when winning last time – and if they crack on at a pace, Valgrand’s jumping could prove key.
16:00 Cheltenham – Letterston Lily
A novices’ handicap hurdle where the four-year-old filly Letterston Lily still looks well handicapped for the Peter and Michael Bowen team. She gets the nod in what looks a competitive heat to end the day.
Mick Fitzgerald’s Friday ITV Racing Tips
13:10 Cheltenham – Plaisir Des Flos
13:45 Cheltenham – Springwell Bay
14:20 Cheltenham – Jonbon
14:55 Cheltenham – Busselton
15:30 Cheltenham – Valgrand
16:00 Cheltenham – Letterston Lily
*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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