Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Cheltenham stages its second most important meeting of the season as trainers from the UK and Ireland send some of their best horses to try their luck at Prestbury Park.
ITV Racing features four races from the course on Saturday with the Paddy Power Gold Cup being the highlight. This is backed up by a Listed Novice’s Chase and two classy handicap hurdle contests and it should be very interesting to see how the British trainers get on against their Irish counterparts.
The programme is padded out with a couple of Listed flat races on the all-weather course at Lingfield giving viewers six races in all to choose from and here are my thoughts along with this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Cheltenham Lucky Fifteen
1.45 Alaphilippe
2.20 Notlongtillmay
2.55 Dartan
3.30 Springwell Bay
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Just half a dozen runners for the first televised race from Cheltenham, the From The Horse’s Mouth Podcast Novices Chase at 1.45. This is a Class 1 Listed race run over 3m 1/2f. This looks like a very close contest on paper and a case can be made for any of the runners, including the current favourite, Nicky Henderson’s Mister Coffey who comes here after finishing a creditable 8th in last season’s Grand National but he usually finds one too good as all the 2s before his name prove.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Broadway Boy won at Worcester in September then came here last month and finished second to the top novice Flooring Porter.
Twiston-Davies’s other runner Weveallbeencaught was third in that race and I expect those placings to be confirmed.
My preference is for Fergal O’Brien’s Alaphillippe who had only two runs last term but still managed a fine second in a Grade 3 hurdle at this year’s Festival. He had a run last month at Carlisle finishing second to Sam Thomas’s Good Risk At All. The selection will have come on for that run and can turn the tables.
The big race of the day is at 2.20 the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase, a Grade 3 run over 2m 4f. The favourite here is Paul Nicholls’s Stage Star who comes here for his seasonal reappearance after a fine 2022/23 when he won four times including a Novice Chase at the Festival in March. He disappointed on his final run at Aintree after a gruelling season.
Patrick Neville’s The Real Whacker won all three of his outings last term, all here at Cheltenham, including a Novice Chase at the Festival but he may want further.
Sam Thomas’s Angels Breath has been lightly raced and has finished second on his last two outings, at Chepstow in April and more recently here at Cheltenham last month, more is required.
Whistleinthedark won his final four races last season for trainer LJ Morgan and he moves into Class 1 company for the first time. He may find himself outpaced.
There are a couple of Irish raiders the best of which could be Willie Mullins’s Authorized Art who ran a fine second at Galway in August the a close up fourth at Listowel in September, never underestimate Mullins!
But I like LJ Morgan’s other runner Notlongtillmay who was second to Stage Star at the Festival. He has had the benefit of a prep run finishing fourth here at Cheltenham last month over an unsuitable distance, more is expected.
At 2.55 it is the Paddy Power Games Handicap Hurdle, a Class 2 contest run over 3 miles. The current favourite and joint top weight is Buddy One trained by Paul Gilligan in Ireland who won at Galway last month but the weight may tell.
The other top weight is Nicky Henderson’s Chantry House who fell or unseated on both his runs last term. This race could be to get his confidence back but these hurdlers should be too quick for him.
Jonjo O’Neill’s Judicial Law has been running consistently well this season but he steps up in class here.
Tom George’s Come On Teddy is having his first run for 20 months when he was pulled up at the 2022 Festival, he is best watched.
David Pipe’s Placenet comes here after racing with some success in France but he is another who is probably best watched.
Mathew Smith’s Dartan is another Irish runner who has won twice at Bellewstown this summer. He has had a run on the flat at Dundalk last month and looks primed for this.
The 3.30 is the Paddy Power Feel Like A Favourite Intermediate Handicap Hurdle, this Class 3 race is run over a distance of 2m 5f. Top weight here is Jonjo O’Neill’s Springwell Bay who won at Ascot and Wetherby in February and March respectively. He was hampered by a faller on his final outing at Aintree in April and he looks to have a straightforward task here albeit under a big weight.
Olly Murphy’s Resplendent Grey won three times last season then ran a poor second in a Class 1 at Chepstow last month. He can be placed.
Joe Tizzard’s Gyenyame won a small race at Wincanton last season and returned to the same track last month and was a fair second, this is tougher.
The Irish challenger at the bottom of the handicap, Londonofficecallin trained by E McNamara, has won twice in Ireland already this term and could be anything.
Saturday Cheltenham Lucky Fifteen
1.45 Alaphilippe
2.20 Notlongtillmay
2.55 Dartan
3.30 Springwell Bay
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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