Neil Morrice brings us his in-depth analysis of the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. This preview includes detailed written analysis as well as video tips.
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
WITH just 12 going to post this is all about quality and no horse exudes that more than ENVOI ALLEN whose unblemished record includes the Champion Bumper here in 2019. Gordon Elliott, who pondered a switch to the shorter Supreme before sticking to his original plan, insists Envoi Allen will never do any more than he has to. The 11-8 favourite with Hollywoodbets is many people’s banker of the week but I don’t see him having it all his own way.
Blocking his path are two hugely talented rivals that go by the names of SPORTING JOHN and THE BIG BREAKAWAY.
Sporting John jumped well when stretching his own unbeaten record at Ascot where he had Pipesmoker toiling in his wake. He relished the deep ground and looked better the further he travelled. Owner JP McManus had no hesitation in nominating this race for the Philip Hobbs-trained runner.
The Big Breakaway is the talking horse of the race and could be anything. He cost Colin Tizzard a king’s ransom and does everything in the style of a complete natural. That was evident when he dominated a Newbury novice hurdle and his trainer put the finishing touches on his prep with a visit to the local point-to-point course at Larkhill.
THE BIG GETAWAY is a name to conjure with for Willie Mullins and came home unchallenged at Naas. He made all on that occasion and may well adopt similar enterprising tactics.
EASYWORK ran into the smart Asterion Forlonge at Leopardstown and could get into the money while SHAKEM UP’ARRY is re-routed from the abandoned Imperial Cup and is far from being a no-hoper.
Predicted Finish:
1st THE BIG BREAKAWAY
2nd Envoi Allen
3rd Sporting John
4th The Big Getaway
5th Easywork
6th Shakem Up’arry
RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
I doubt there are many with the natural ability of CHAMP, who has headed the market for this ever since prices were available. Named after Tony McCoy, he is not always slick over his fences and paid the penalty two out when set to score easily at Newbury. His supporters may have to endure the odd anxious moment, but if his jumping holds up he’ll be hard to beat.
The most improved horse in the field is COPPERHEAD whose Ascot defeat of Two For Gold reads particularly well. He took that three-miler by 17 lengths and showed a liking for the easy ground, while jumping with accuracy throughout. There’s no surprise that he’s been the main mover in market exchanges.
Henry De Bromhead fields MINELLA INDO who was a 50-1 shot when taking the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle last year. He’s looked good in his brief career over fences but ALLAHO is one to note from the Mullins academy, having been made plenty of use of when landing the odds at Fairyhouse in January. Another Irish raider to factor in is BATTLEOVERDOYEN who needs to regroup after falling when beaten at Leopardstown last month.
If there’s a joker in the pack that could be SLATE HOUSE, whose poor run in the Cotswold Chase here is best forgotten. He would have won the Bet365 Gold Cup but for a last fence fall.
Predicted Finish:
1st CHAMP
2nd Copperhead
3rd Allaho
4th Slate House
5th Minella Indo
6th Battleoverdoyen
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALTIOR AND CHACON POUR SOI HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED.
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (Class 2)
Hailing TIGER ROLL as a three times winner of this specialist race will be the highest hope of every Irishman in the Day 2 crowd and the Gordon Elliott-trained 8yo will start clear favourite and could be odds-on. His ultimate destiny lies three weeks ahead when he attempts to equal Red Rum’s record of becoming a triple Grand National winner. However, the tenacious gelding will be looking to get the job done here, having pleased connections with a satisfactory comeback outing over hurdles at Navan where he moved menacingly until blowing up between the final two flights.
If anything beats Tiger Roll then it’s long odds on to be trained in France.
Enter the unbeaten EASYSLAND, who has turned into a winning machine for trainer David Cottin and has recently been purchased by JP McManus. Much of his form is at Pau, where the course and fences do not resemble Cheltenham’s, and there is a nagging fear that his jumping could be put under pressure in a way that hasn’t happened before.
But URGENT DE GREGAINE is another to afford serious consideration to, as he’s shown more than once an affinity for the Glenfarclas course. In fact, he jumps and travels like a dream for Felix de Giles, and at around 11-1 with Hollywoodbets represents excellent Each Way value.
Predicted Finish:
Ist URGENT DE GREGAINE
2nd Tiger Roll
3rd Easysland
4th Diesel D’Allier
5th Yanworth
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)
The relatively young juvenile handicap hurdle doesn’t have stand out contenders and will probably go to the horse that has suddenly taken a step forward. Those that come into that category might include MICK PASTOR, ARAMAX, PALLADIUM and RECENT REVELATIONS.
Gordon Elliott versus Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson is always a mouth-watering match up and Gordon fields the favourite in Aramax who had Recent Revelations eight lengths back at Naas but is now 6lb worse off.
Palladium is a keen goer for whom cut in the ground holds no fears. He was impressive in the way he came clear up the final hill at Sandown and will encounter a similar situation at the end of this race.
Elliott has another with earning potential in TRONADOR as does Henderson with FRASER ISLAND, and Nicholls with THYME WHITE.
But looking at the way he’s stepped up in recent runs, RECENT REVELATIONS could be the answer.
Predicted Finish
1st RECENT REVELATIONS
2nd Aramax
3rd Palladium
4th Mick Pastor
5th Tronador
6th Thyme White
