Horse racing ideas: Cheltenham Sat 16th and Sun 17th November
Cheltenham’s blockbuster November Meeting is a bonanza of jumps motion and our tips embody picks within the big handicaps on both Saturday and Sunday.
A incredible weekend of racing is in prospect, albeit with some weather-related issues still lingering.
Cheltenham is the true showpiece the place they’re set to race on Saturday and Sunday for his or her lowered November Meeting whereas there might be Grade 1 motion over at Punchestown in Ireland and loads of exciting racing on a usually busy early winter weekend.
Regular customer Wholestone to go one better
Just under half of his career starts have come round Cheltenham and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained eight-year-old Wholestone (Cheltenham 1:15) has got 4 hurdles wins on his CV round Prestbury Park.
He has additionally positioned in each the Albert Bartlett and the Stayers’ Hurdle at this venue during The Festival and, last season, found his ultimate pair of visits undone when dealing with the star stayer of final term in Paisley Park.
With the prospect of that rival dominating the stayers’ division over timber, connections have opted to go novice chasing this time period with Wholestone.
Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Suede, he made quick work of a match at Perth in September on his fencing bow and was duly sent off favourite over this C&D for a novice contest finally month’s Showcase Meeting.
He didn’t get his leaping good that day, but still looked the winner turning for residence, only to complete second, beaten a neck by Mulcahys Hill. That was a strong effort and a repeat could suffice here, with the likes of Minella Warrior, Rockpoint and Aye Aye Charlie having finished behind him that day.
Cheekpieces are added now and there ought to be further enchancment to return from Wholestone, whose trainer continues to function at a pleasing 22 per-cent strike rate in latest weeks. It’s a light shock to seek out Wholestone as big as 9/4 within the early betting for this mallardjewellers.com Novices’ Chase and he’s fancied to score.
Skelton’s cost ready to roll
Dan and Harry Skelton could be able to plunder success within the BetVictor Gold Cup with their 8/1 probability Spiritofthegames (Cheltenham 2:25) on Saturday afternoon.
A winner of his solely begin within the point-to-point fields, the seven-year-old has an excellent document first-time-out, winning on his seasonal return in every of the earlier three seasons. Allied to that, he’s obtained plenty of form in gentle floor and is bound to relish the mud that might be flying at Cheltenham following the well documented rain of current days.
He has additionally received that all-important course type. Placed behind Kildisart on Trials Day in January, he then ran a stormer when third to Siruh Du Lac within the Plate at The Festival in March over C&D.
Just as Nick Williams cost is, Spiritofthegames is distinguished out there here but, given his penchant for a big run on reappearance, the Skelton runner seems to offer the higher value at 8/5 each-way as a result of his yard’s in wonderful type, boasting a 19 per-cent strike-rate lately.
Quel may be destined for Greatwood glory
This weekend is solely riddled with top-class bounce racing, in all places we look.
On Saturday we’ll see final season’s Supreme Novices’ winner Klassical Dream returning in the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown whereas on the identical card former Champion Hurdler Faugheen commences a novice chasing career at the ripe old age off 11.
On Sunday in Ireland, Battleoverdoyen tackles the Florida Pearl Novice Chase whereas we’ll also see Cheltenham Festival winner Eglantine Du Seuil sq. off against stablemate Stormy Ireland in an interesting Listed Mares’ Hurdle to whet the urge for food.
At Cheltenham meanwhile, look out for Defi De Seuil going through Politologue and Saint Calvados in a mouthwatering Shloer Chase and Arkle hopeful Al Dancer bid to additional his credentials in a Trial contest.
Meanwhile within the Greatwood Hurdle the Paul Nicholls-trained Quel Destin (3:00 Cheltenham) appears to hold better possibilities than his 10/1 worth suggests.
He confirmed his liking for a testing floor once more last month when profitable over the C&D and will show up to the task of giving weight away on this priceless prize, which his coach has received 3 times prior to now together with with four-year-old’s Brampour (2011) and Old Guard (2015).
The four-year-old was a heavy-ground winner in France earlier than joining the ranks at Ditcheat and final month’s Cheltenham success suggests he’ll be keen to dig in and battle up the hill in pursuit of this £56k Grade 3 handicap prize.