4:40 – Presentedwithwings 12/1

A small field which is dominated by two horses in fine form; Style It Out and Storm Nelson. The former is lightly raced but is up 13lbs for her most recent success which came in heavy ground at Ayr. The latter is having just his second start for Sandy Thomson having been well backed to win on his debut for the yard and he’s up 11lbs for that success. Both are respected but their dominance in the market makes the selection an attractive price.

Presentedwithwings began the season well having showed plenty of promise in bumpers back in 2018. He hasn’t been as convincing in two runs in handicaps but he doesn’t seem as comfortable on the soft ground while his most recent start came after a break. Returning to a quicker surface looks sure to suit.

He steps up in trip here which looks wise as looks like a proper galloper, while cheekpieces are applied for the first time. Tom Symonds noted in a stable tour that “he is a funny horse… he just looks around all the time” so the headgear may well help him to concentrate. Furthermore, the trainer has a 24% S/R with runners in first time cheekpieces (since 2018, A/E 2.26)

The trainer brings two on the 500-mile round trip to Carlisle, a track he has a impressive record at; his 14 runners have recorded form figures of: 12233144133273; three wins and five placed.

Dropped four pounds for his two runs in handicaps, he promises to be sharper for his last run where he did stay on well and a better effort can be excepted today.

2:05 – Manning Estate 12/1 E/W

An eight runner field is ripe for an EW bet – please god let the whole field stand their ground.

Manning Estate embarked on his second attempt at a chasing career earlier this season and while it went better than his first attempt, he didn’t take to it as expected and subsequently reverted to hurdles at the turn of the year. While he was well beaten, the tapes were going through a terrible run of form. With just one winner from thirty six attempts during January and February (A/E 0.25) which resulted in the yard taking a break.

They returned in March with a few going close, while their overall record this month is two winners and three placed from seventeen runners (A/E 1.14).

Furthermore, the ten pound claimer is replaced by Johnathan Burke which must be viewed as a positive.

He’s a horse that needs good ground, which he gets today, while he runs off his last winning mark of 120. That win also came off a fair absence so the 76-day layoff is not a negative.

Oliver Sherwood over-performs at Newbury (A/E 1.13) while he does even better in handicap hurdles at the track (A/E 1.52)

While there are some fair performers in the lineup, Manning Estate looks significantly overpriced at present baring in mind that he’s only a seven-year-old who’s thee starts in three mile handicap hurdles have resulted in a win, a second and a fourth; the latter of those came on his seasonal reappearance, where he shaped far better than the margin of defeat suggests.

12:30 – Get Wishing 7/1 E/W (4 places)

I try and avoid Class 5’s where I can but I’m making an exception here.

Get Wishing’s form figures could hardly make less appeal but in between the two P’s, there was some encouragement on his other two runs this season. His chance debut wasn’t totally devoid of promise while he was running well on his penultimate start before falling at the second last.

Still, he never really convinced over fences and so switching back to hurdles seems a wise move. Furthermore, he’s been running on unsuitability soft ground for the best part of a year and a half while his best form has come on a sounder surface, which he gets today.

He’s hardly been prolific under rules, with just one win from twenty starts but that victory came over this course and distance, while the break is also a positive given his win came after an absence too. He’s also back on his last (and only) winning mark.

Victor Dartnall has been in good form of late, with his five runners in March recording form future of: 42101, while he has a 17% strike rate in handicap hurdles at Chepstow (A/E 1.26)

Ben Godfrey is booked for two rides for the trainer on the card; the duo have paired up four times, with the last 3 runners all finishing in the frame.

The horse can race lazily so the application of blinkers for the first time could prove a smart move. Indeed, Victor Dartnall has a 16% S/R with horses in first time blinkers (A/E 1.56).

All in all, there are plenty of reasons to expect a decent run here in what is a typically weak class 5 handicap.

1:00 Southwell – Little Light 11/2

2:40 Kelso – Timetoroe 9/2

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Little Light

Regarding Ruth backers will know that I have a soft spot for the Lucy Wadham/Bryony Frost partnership. In handicap chases, the duo have a 26% strike rate when pairing up for an A/E of 1.43. It’s also worth noting that Lucy Wadham is 6 from 17 in handicap chases at Southwell, while an additional three finished in the frame.

One of their wins came on Little Light in this race twelve months ago, where she won cosily in first time blinkers. That headgear has only been applied once this season, and that was on her seasonal reappearance where she ran with credit while shaping as if in need of the run.

Tried in a visor in a deep race on her penultimate start, that run is forgivable and while her previous run was well below par, it came on very deep ground while she ran in cheekpieces (that had been forgotten in the prelims, resulting in a fine for the trainer)

Back at Southwell, with blinkers back on and back on the same mark as twelve months ago, the better ground should work in her favour while her rivals aren’t the most inspiring bunch; Azzuri is ludicrously well handicapped on his best form but he’s far from certain to produce what we know he can.

Lucy Wadham said in a recent stable tour that Little Light has had a very stop-start season due to a foot problem, which may explain her recent below par runs. However, she also mentioned this race as her target so this has clearly been the plan for some time. With that in mind, a bold bid seems likely.

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Timetoroe

Archie Watson has been in fine form of late (primarily on the flat), recording six wins in the past couple of weeks.

He sends Timetoroe, a lightly raced mare, on the ~700 mile round trip to Kelso for a rather weak looking race. He’s only ever had one runner here, which did not end in success but his raids at Scottish tracks have proved incredibly successful. At Scottish tracks, he has a 31% S/R and an A/E of 1.25; again, the majority of these runners are on the flat.

A point to point winner, Timetoroe has raced exclusively over the minimum trip on three starts under hurdles thus far but there is plenty of stamina in her pedigree. She’s a half sister to Timeforben, whose three wins came over 2m7f+ while her dam, who herself won a point, is a half sister to a couple of horses who won over 3m+.

She showed promise in bumpers before winning on her hurdles debut under a bold front running ride. With Misstree Song, now rated 107, four lengths behind in second, there are reasons to think that a mark of 109 may prove a shade lenient for Timetoroe especially allowing improvement from the step up in trip.

She hasn’t built on her debut over hurdles but it’s notable that her best performances have come after an absence so the 111-day break can be viewed as a positive.

Day 4

Triumph – No bet

County – Gowel Road 25/1 E/W (AP)

Albert Bartlett – Stattler 9/2

Gold Cup – A Plus Tard 4/1

Hunters Chase – Bob and Co 9/2

Mares Chase – No bet

Martin Pipe – Gentleman De Mee 12/1 (AP)

County

Gowel Road

A progressive five-year-old, Nigel Twiston-Davies described him as “one of the nicest young horses we’ve had for a long time”.

He gave Bear Ghylls a fright on his rules debut where his greenness cost him the race away having traded at 1.2 in running. Fourth next time out, he duly delivered on his handicap debut off 122 before beating Good Ball in a strong novice hurdle (who had beat him two starts ago). That rival is rated 131 and despite conceding nine-pounds to him and handing him a five-length beating, he was only raised six pounds to mark of 137; that looks lenient.

With five-year-olds winning eleven of the last twenty-two renewals, novices also have an impressive record in the race; the selection ticks both boxes. It’s also worth noting that thirteen of the last fifteen winners were rated in the 130s.

Of course, there are some concerns. As previously mentioned, he has shown plenty of greenness at times but you can put an optimistic spin on that by highlighting the clear potential for improvement. He’s also bred to stay much further while this race has often gone to former flat performers.

But the new course at Cheltenham looks sure to suit given there are only two hurdles to jump in the final seven furlongs and how strongly he finishes his races.

Albert Bartlett

Stattler

This year’s crop of staying novice hurdles don’t appear to be a great bunch and I doubt that we’ll be revelling in the standout form of this race as we have done with last year’s renewal.

With that in mind, I think Stattler still a solid proposition at 5/1.

A bumper winner last term despite being described as a “big staying type for the future”. He ran creditably on his debut over hurdles behind two hardy, experienced types before beating a dark horse for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Glens of Antrim, on his next run in the manner of a horse that would appreciate stepping up in trip.

He duly did at the Dublin Racing Festival, contesting the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy over 2m6f, where his stablemate Gaillard Du Mesnil ran out a good winner, with Stattler finishing third having forced a strong pace throughout. Many took Fakiera out of that race as the one to follow with a view to the Albert Bartlett but I question whether he has the tactical pace to be competitive at Cheltenham; while dour, experienced stayers have done well in the Albert Bartlett, recent renewals have gone to relatively lightly raced types so perhaps we’re seeing a shift in what is required.

This race had eluded Willie Mullins for a long time but the tide has changed in recent years. He has won two of the last four renewals while a further two have placed in that timeframe. It would be surprising if Stattler was far away given that this looks a weak renewal.

Gold Cup

A Plus Tard

While Al Boum Photo is the one to beat, there comes a time where every king must relinquish his crown and this may well be it.

The reigning champion has already defeated many of those who will line up in this years renewal, but that is not the case with A Plus Tard who remains thoroughly unexposed over staying trips.

Yet he certainly did not look short of stamina when rattling home to win the Savills Chase over the festive period, which bodes well for his chances of thriving in the Gold Cup. Given that display, it is impressive that managed to do so well over shorter. In fact, he was the last horse to defeat the Champion Chase favourite, Chacun Pour Soi; we have seen horses with top-class form over shorter thrive once stepped up to the Gold Cup trip, Sizing John being a recent example.

With light campaigns being all the rage in terms of preparing for the Cheltenham showpiece, it is a positive that he’s only raced twice this season while has been intentionally freshened up with this race in mind. Everything looks set for a big run.

Foxhunters

Bob and Co

Enigmatic but talented, Bob and Co was bought to win the top Hunter Chases and following wind surgery, now might be the time that he delivers on the big stage. He swerved Cheltenham last year but Nicholls now seemingly thinks he’s ready for the test, perhaps owing to the wind operation and for having another year to mature and acclimatise in Britain.

You can make a case for his emphatic defeat of The Worlds End and Wishing and Hoping is the best Hunter Chase form on offer this season while he would be amongst, if not the highest rated runner in the field.

And while David Maxwell has improved significantly as a jockey, it is a huge plus for Bob and Co’s chances that professionals will be riding in this race instead of the amateurs. Bob and Co is not an easy ride and the one race he didn’t win in Britain was due to Maxwell pulling up due to getting cramps in his legs as a result of his mount pulling too hard. Sean Bowen, who rode him last time out, looks set to maintain the partnership.

There were signs at Haydock that he was maturing; he showed his new found tactical versatility by not front running and while his jumping wasn’t foot perfect, Haydock is a fairly stiff test of jumping and he never looked like falling.

Billaway is a relatively short priced favourite but it was the same case last year when he was thoroughly put in his place by It Came To Pass, while the reigning champion has to bounce back from a very poor run just three weeks ago, although he’s sure to improve for better ground.

Paul Nicholls is the joint-leading trainer in this race and he looks to have an excellent chance of enhancing is already impressive record.

Martin Pipe

Gentleman De Mee

His connections have tasted plenty of success in the Martin Pipe; Willie Mullins has trained three winners of this race since 2011, while JP McManus won it back in 2019 while he also owned the two-market leader’s last season; like in all of the handicaps, the green and gold hoops are to be respected.

The form of his second start in France looks solid, with the first and third chasing home the top-class Le Berry in graded company subsequently while he made an impressive Irish debut in a two-mile maiden hurdle at Naas. There were four races over that distance on that card, with Gentleman De Mee’s win being recorded in the quickest time. One of those races, the Rated Novice Hurdle, was won by a leading Boodles contender, Druid’s Altar where he beat another contender for that race in Zoffanien yet Gentleman De Mee was over two-seconds quicker while carrying over a stone more than both.

That run came after a 460-day absence, with Willie saying after the race that he had a little setback earlier in the season and that he’d improve significantly for the run. He also noted that he’d be more of a Ballymore type than a Supreme type, which isn’t surprising as there is plenty of stamina in his pedigree. Indeed, he’s a half-brother to smart staying chaser, As De Mee.

There are plenty of similarities between him and Willie’s first winner of this race, Sir Des Champs. Both only had one run for the yard, which also came over two miles after the turn of the year having shown some smart form in France before lining up in the Martin Pipe.

The six most recent Irish winners of this race were all novices, five of whom had never run in a handicap so that’s another tick for the selection, while I remain optimistic that he can prove much better than a mark of 139.