Matt Chapman’s New Year’s Day ITV Racing tips
13:30 Cheltenham – Broadway Boy
13:45 Musselburgh – Liari
14:05 Cheltenham – Hitman (each-way)
14:20 Musselburgh –Boomslang
14:40 Cheltenham – One Big Bang
15:15 Cheltenham – Lucky Place
*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.
13:30 Cheltenham – Broadway Boy
Happy New Year everyone! Weather permitting, ITV Racing is back on New Year’s Day from Cheltenham and Musselburgh starting here with a handicap chase over an extended 3m1f. Really hard to get away from BROADWAY BOY who won a similar race to this at this track roughly this time last year off a mark of 146.
He’s up to 150 here but that is deserved after a finds second at Newbury last time in the race most know as the Hennessy. He might have won that without a bad mistake in the home straight and he rallied really well. Can go from the front and surely will be hard to catch under Sam Twiston-Davies for old man Nigel. Has form at Cheltenham of 12113.
13:45 Musselburgh – Liari
ITV start at Musselburgh with this handicap hurdle over 2m4f. LIARI has decent track form and this might be the place he shines once again. The Paul Nicholls runner has been beaten twice this season at Chepstow and Newbury, which has seen his mark drop a little from 131 to 129. This tight circuit allows him to stay better and I’d expect him to be too good under Ben Bromley, who takes off a useful 5lb.
14:05 Cheltenham – Hitman (each-way)
Here’s a handicap chase over an extended 2m4f. This is competitive. HITMAN is not a horse I like. Indeed, he’s not a horse many will like as far as winning is concerned. That all said, a mark of 156 is workable and he might just be worth a few quid eachway.
Paul Nicholls trains and Harry Cobden is on top a horse who returned this term with a fair second to Minella Drama at Aintree, not for the first time finding little in the finish. He’s been rated up to 160 and has won off that mark so if he was to put his best foot forward here he would be in the mix. Big odds for a horse with his talent.
14:20 Musselburgh – Boomslang
A handicap chase over an extended 2m4f. Many of these love this track, but the one for me is BOOMSLANG who comes here for the first time. Trained by Rebecca Menzies, Boomslang was a good winner at Carlisle last time over a bit further but he’d scored at shorter than this last Downpatrick a few runs ago so dropping in trip is no issue. Ross Chapman takes the ride and, like all Chapmans, he’s very stylish in the saddle!
14:40 Cheltenham – One Big Bang
A handicap hurdle over 3m. ONE BIG BANG should take all the beating here for Harry Cobden and James Owen. The seven-year-old has been second both starts this season at Newton Abbot and Haydock, and while he’s up 3lb for his last defeat this looks a good opportunity. He stayed on really well at Haydock behind Shoot First and who doesn’t want to start the New Year with One Big Bang!?! Yeeehaaa!
15:15 Cheltenham – Lucky Place
The big race of the day in the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle over an extended 2m4f. LUCKY PLACE is a horse I have a lot of time for and he can take this for Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville. The six-year-old returned in great form to land the Grade 2 Ascot Hurdle and straight after that race connections suggested he might be the type for the Stayers’ Hurdle. He was a good fourth behind Langer Dan in the Coral Cup and after seven races he could have much more to come.
So best of luck and pray for Yeeehaaas. You hear me Paddy?
Matt Chapman’s ITV Racing tips
13:30 Cheltenham – Broadway Boy
13:45 Musselburgh – Liari
14:05 Cheltenham – Hitman (each-way)
14:20 Musselburgh -Boomslang
14:40 Cheltenham – One Big Bang
15:15 Cheltenham – Lucky Place
*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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