It’s Cheltenham Trials day on Saturday as the Festival build-up continues. Here are Andrew Mount’s best bets across all the cards.
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Posted: 2:43pm, Friday, January 24th
1.50 Cheltenham – GINNY’S DESTINY (1.5pt win – 7/2 Ladbrokes, Coral, bet365)
I wrote the following about GINNY’S DESTINY in Racing & Football Outlook after his win at this meeting 12 months ago…
‘The Paul Nicholls-trained GINNY’S DESTINY made all to score by just under three lengths from THEATRE MAN in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase, jumping beautifully apart from a minor error at the second-last fence. After his course win in November his trainer said ‘he is a horse that will always need a run’ and this smooth success took his record, aside from seasonal debuts, to 1123111 (5-7), improving to 11111 (5-5) when racing left-handed and returned to the track within six weeks of his previous outing.’
He followed that with a runner-up effort to Grey Dawning in Grade 1 company at the festival before chasing home Il Etait Temps at Aintree. His comeback effort when pulled up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup would have been needed and the right-handed track was no help when third behind Djelo and Protektorat in the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon, form that has been franked by the runner-up. His left-handed record aside from seasonal debuts now reads 11211122 (5-8) and while the 48-day break is slightly longer than ideal he looks sure to run a big race at a track that clearly suits.
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2.40 Doncaster – PINOT ROUGE (20-1 bet365, 18/1 William Hill)
Point-to-point winner PINOT ROUGE went into my tracker after her close-up 40-1 third in a fast time in novice hurdle company at Newcastle on her rules debut last January and she duly obliged with a 20-1 Listed win at Doncaster on her next outing when advised in this column at 28-1. Susan Corbett’s seven-year-old was let down by her jumping in three runs over fences at the start of the current season, pulling up at Kelso in the most recent of them, but showed plenty more back over hurdles in a 3m handicap at Ayr on January 2nd. The joint top weight contributed to a strong early gallop, comfortably seeing off the other pace horses (who dropped away to fill the last three places) but having nothing in reserve to repel those who came from midfield or further back. Her 25-1 fourth of ten was a solid effort in the circumstances and she’s worth chancing at a big price now that she returns to mares-only company at the scene of his sole previous success.
6.20 Wolverhampton – STARSHIBA (1pt win – 9/1 bet365)
The Polytrack surface on the inside rail at Lingfield was very slow/deep during the freezing spell earlier this month, so it was disappointing to see Callum Shepherd turn a good draw into a bad one by taking a pull and switching STARSHIBA (stall 6 of 6) to the fence in the 1m Boost Your Acca At BetMGM Handicap at the meeting on January 9th. Three of the six runners raced off the rail throughout and they filled the first three places. Jack Morland’s veteran, who stayed away from the ‘dead’ rail and challenged widest of all when scoring over the same course for distance for Danny Muscutt on New Year’s Eve, can have his fifth place safely ignored and looks interesting with Muscutt back on board tonight. He has won here and the cut back to 7f is unlikely to be an issue.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
1.50 Cheltenham – GINNY’S DESTINY (1.5pt win – 7/2 Ladbrokes, Coral, bet365)
2.40 Doncaster – PINOT ROUGE (20-1 bet365, 18/1 William Hill)
6.20 Wolverhampton – STARSHIBA (1pt win – 9/1 bet365)
Andrew Mount’s tips for Saturday, 25th January 2025
Andrew Mount’s Cheltenham Focus – Spotlight on Stayers’ Hurdle
Having looked at a handicap in my latest Cheltenham column, I’m keeping it simple this week and turning my attention to the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. I can make an educated guess as to who is likely to turn up for this three-mile Grade 1 contest and by using stats/trends and horse profiling I’m hoping…
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