Mick Fitzgerald’s Friday Cheltenham Tips
12:10 Cheltenham – Thats Nice
12:40 Cheltenham – Jango Baie
13:15 Cheltenham – Willmount
13:50 Cheltenham – Chianti Classico
14:25 Cheltenham – Eldorado Allen
15:00 Cheltenham – Mister Coffey (Each-Way)
15:35 Cheltenham – Doyen Quest
*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.
12:10 Cheltenham – Thats Nice
We should get good to soft ground to start the two-day December meeting and it’s a decent contest to start despite just four runners in the 2m novices’ hurdle. That’s Nice is a well thought of filly for Nicky Henderson and gets a bit of weight off the others. Hopefully, she’s good enough to get the job done against older rivals.
12:40 Cheltenham – Jango Baie
A good novices’ chase over 2m despite just four runners declared. The expensively bought Caldwell Potter is tight in the market but Jango Baie is no mug. He has schooled really well at home and Nicky Henderson’s novice chasers are running well. Jingko Blue won during the week at Uttoxeter and this five-year-old could be better than him. If Jango Baie he jumps well, receiving 5lbs, he can serve it up to Caldwell Potter.
13:15 Cheltenham – Willmount
I’m hoping it’ll be a good day for the Henderson team and am hoping Willmount is well handicapped. He’s rated 130 and is better than that. The top-weight Valgrand sets the standard and is sure to take them along at a good pace and his jumping is electric.
13:50 Cheltenham – Chianti Classico
Kim Bailey’s Chianti Classico can prove too good for this field despite shouldering top weight. I’d expect The Newest One to run his usual game race, but he’s creeping up the handicap and that won’t make life easy for him, even off his featherweight. King Turgeon was a winner over the National fences last time after winning at Chepstow on seasonal debut. He’s 15lb higher in the ratings now though. Chianti Classico will have too many guns for them.
14:25 Cheltenham – Eldorado Allen
This Veterans Handicap Chase is an interesting contest and throws up a lot of old favourites who are now in their twilight years. Eldorado Allen was runner-up behind the re-opposing Torn and Frayed on debut and may have needed the run. This is his second start after a wind-op and is worth chancing. Seddon could be one for the places especially if the money arrives for him while I’d like to see Shakem Up’arry run first after working poorly at a gallop morning at Newbury. He’s prone to doing that but I’ll hold fire this time.
15:00 Cheltenham – Mister Coffey (Each-Way)
The Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival is now a handicap again after the conditions changed in the shake-up, so this will be an informative contest for next March. It’s very competitive today though too and Mister Coffey ran really well at the November meeting when finishing second to Sweet David in a similar event. This discipline may just sweeten him up as he looks for his first win in 15 attempts over fences. Should definitely hit the places.
15:35 Cheltenham – Doyen Quest
Doyen Quest got a hefty 10lb hike for his five-length win over Gowel Road last month at this venue but I think he’ll confirm superiority with that runner. One who could be a danger is Lucy Wadham’s Zain Nights who’ll appreciate the drying ground and is not badly handicapped. He was third in a Pertemps qualifier here on the Old Course in October and can be each-way player at a price.
Mick Fitzgerald’s Cheltenham Racing Tips
12:10 Cheltenham – Thats Nice
12:40 Cheltenham – Jango Baie
13:15 Cheltenham – Willmount
13:50 Cheltenham – Chianti Classico
14:25 Cheltenham – Eldorado Allen
15:00 Cheltenham – Mister Coffey (Each-Way)
15:35 Cheltenham – Doyen Quest
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at the time of publishing but subject to change.
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