Day One of the Cheltenham Festival went well. Four winners in total, however I’m taking no credit for two of them as they were in everyones accas for the week. However, Chianti Classico was my NAP of day one and that won really nicely at an SP of 6/1. Then Corbett’s Cross took the last race at 15/8 to set me up nicely going into day two…
1:30 – Ballyburn will very likely take this but there’s little value there at around 4/11. This would be a race that I’d be looking to avoid if I’m honest but for the sake of a selection I’ll put up Predator’s Gold to finish 2nd to Ballyburn in a forecast.
Selection – BALLYBURN / PREDATORS GOLD FORECAST
2:10 – It’s hard to oppose the Irish horses after a 6-1 demolition job over the British horses yesterday. Usually I’d be looking to take on Fact Or File in this race, as he’s not without quirks, but the same could be said about Gaelic Warrior yesterday and he absolutely bolted up. Fact Or File will take this with a clear round of jumping. Stay Away Fay, a previous festival winner 12 months ago, will likely give him the most to think about but I think the Irish will continue their dominance.
Selection – FACT OR FILE
2:50 – Now, we get into the interesting part of my write up. I said on Twitter yesterday that I fancied one at a big price in the Coral Cup, and here we go. Maxxum is very interesting in my opinion. He ran in the Pertempts Final at the Festival last year, that race is over just short of 3 miles, and on the bare form (14th of 23 runners) you’d be tempted to just look straight past it. However, that was a good run. He was held up out the back and jumped nicely. He started to move into the race just before the final bend and bang there between the final two hurdles only to make a mess of the last and not stay up the hill. That was off a mark of 145, and today he runs off the same mark but down in trip to what I think will really suit him. A couple of races this season he’s swapped running tactics to try and sit bang up with the pace, but I’d expect him to revert to old tactics here and sit off the front runners before having a crack off them in the final couple of furlongs. He’s a smooth traveller and the quicker they go the better. With a clear round of jumping, and a bit of luck, I think 40/1 is a big price. Six places each-way.
Selection – MAXXUM
3:30 – There will be a shock in one of these races where there’s a short price favourite and this could well be it. El Fabiolo is 1/3, he’s the very likely winner without any mishaps in the jumping the department but Edwardstone could just serve it up to him and put his jumping to the test if he adopts the tactics he did from his last race where he made all. Edwardstone to win without El Fabiolo in the betting is somewhere near 6/4 and that would be my play.
Selection – EDWARDSTONE TO WIN WITHOUT EL FABIOLO
4:50 – Sa Frueur is very interesting in this race for me. He was pulled up in last years Coral Cup but he was never really travelling in that race and I’m willing to excuse him that run, even though I do like horses with previous festival form. Sa Frueur’s optimum trip could be a soundly run 2m’s and I think he’ll get that here. I was impressed with his jumping in the main at Navan even though he fell at 3 out, and he again impressed me with his jumping last time out at Naas when finishing 2nd to Quilixios. He was quick at a number of his fences and stayed on well to be beaten by only 2 lengths. I think he’s got more than enough pace to sit somewhere close to the pace and if his jumping can hold up I think he’ll be bang there off the final bend. My big doubt is how he handles the final fence when he’s really opening up.
Selection – SA FRUEUR
5:30 – This wouldn’t be a race I’d be going mad on to finish day two. I’ll be honest, you’d be just as well picking a number, or a name you like and from one of the Irish horses and siding with that. However, trying to add a little bit of sense to the madness of this race… Ireland have won 24/31. Ireland had the first seven home last year and Willie Mullins has dominated this race. I’ve sided with Argento Boy. Ruby Walsh put this horse up as his NAP of day two and Willie Mullins has since said that Argento Boy will stay all day. With the conditions, this might be a race where you need a bit of stamina on your side.
Selection – ARGENTO BOY
1:30 – Ballyburn
2:10 – Fact Or File
2:50 – Maxxum (NAP)
3:30 – Edwardstone without El Fabiolo
4:50 – Sa Frueur
5:30 – Argento Boy