
Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Sunday's racing coming your way from Cheltenham, Fontwell Park, and Southwell.
CHELTENHAM
Race
1 No6 THE BIG BREAKAWAY
Trainer:
Colin Tizzard - Jockey: Robbie Power
Race
2 No3 DISCORAMA (Nap)
Trainer:
Paul Nolan - Jockey: Robbie Power
This trainer always means business when bringing his horses here, and in the consistent DISCORAMA fields a solid candidate that looks to have many of the bases covered. The selection finished second at successive Festivals, in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle in 2019 and the National Hunt Chase last year. He stays forever, loves soft ground and has the benefit of a readying run when beaten just a shot head by Milan Native at Galway last month. He should prove hard to beat.
Race
3 SCHLOER CHASE (Grade 2)
No4
ROUGE VIF
Trainer:
Harry Whittington - Jockey: Gavin Sheehan
Race
4 UNIBET GREATWOOD HANDICAP HURDLE (Grade 3)
No5
EDWARDSTONE
Trainer:
Alan King - Jockey: Tom Cannon
All
the rage in ante post exchanges through the week, EDWARDSTONE can successfully
make the step from novice to handicap company in this betting extravaganza of
the day. His trainer has won the contest in two of the past three seasons and
has in the Kaye Tara six-year-old a potent weapon to go to war with. The
selection too a couple of notable scalps in novice hurdles when beating
Fiddlerontheroof at Wincanton and Harry Senior at Aintree, went down in a photo
to Stolen Silver in a Grade 2 at Huntingdon,then rounded-off his campaign when
just out of the money in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival, won by
Shishkin.
The
race often throws up a big-priced winner and if that’s to happen I would
consider both BALLYANDY and COUNTISTER. Ballyandy, a past winner of the
Festival Bumper here, chased home Sceau Royal in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at
Ffos Las and will be fitter for that run. However he’s there to be shot at with
top weight and will probably find a couple of the second-season novices too hot
to handle. Countister ran a stinker on her reappearance at Ascot but remains a
well-handicapped mare. Owned by JP McManus, I would keep an eye open for any
market move for her, and act accordingly if it happens. Of the younger brigade
SIR PSYCHO is almost certainly better than he showed at Chepstow while
stablemates PROSCHEMA and CORMIER hail from a Dan Skelton hard that always
targets this race. Local hope TEGEREK also requires consideration.
Race
1 No2 LORD BADDESLEY (Nap)
Trainer:
Chris Gordon - Jockey: Joshua Moore
One of the nicest horses to compete at this country track in recent seasons is LORD BADDESLEY. He came home with his head in his chest on hurdling bow here early last month and gives his talented trainer high hopes of further pickings in a clash with hat-trick seeker Lord Accord that he should take on the way to much better things.
Race
4 No7 SOARLIKEANEAGLE
Trainer:
Richard Rowe - Jockey: Niall Houlihan
Trainer:
Harry Whittington - Jockey: Daryl Jacob
Race
2 No1 ROUNDEL (Nap)
Trainer:
David O’Meara - Jockey: Danny Tudhope
Trainer:
Archie Watson - Jockey: Luke Morris
Plenty
has been said about the attitude of MODEL GUEST when engaging in a battle, but
she stayed on strongly to go down in a photo at Newcastle last week and is
worth one more chance now back in maiden company.
