A month on from the Cheltenham Festival, the headquarters of the jumps go racing again on Wednesday with a seven-race card. As Willie Mullins chases British trainers’ glory, he sends runners to the track, ensuring it is a significant day of action too. GG tipster Joe Napier has found four best bets across the card for you to follow.
1.30 Cheltenham – Citipost Novices’ Hurdle
This is quite a good race for a late season novice hurdle. The British challenge is headed up by three horses who underwhelmed last time, with Jax Junior, arguably the most talented horse in the race, pulled up in the Albert Bartlett, raising doubts about his suitability for Cheltenham. Both Laganhill and Pleasington might want softer ground too.
As a result, attention turns to the Willie Mullins travelling band. Dr Eggman finally overcame four successive reverses as favourite to win a maiden hurdle at Limerick last month, but his less exposed stablemate TOAD HALL might be the one, with jockey bookings less informative with Paul Townend elsewhere.
The selection is the oldest runner in the field at eight years old, but was beaten by two useful horses in seconds in a Clonmel bumper and a Punchestown maiden hurdle. He subsequently got off the mark at Downpatrick in March, winning by ten lengths on his first encounter with good ground, and he is the one who might prove to be very useful if able to stay fit.
2.05 Cheltenham – Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle
He has some other front runners to deal with here, but AMERICAN SNIPER still looks too big a price considering his declining mark. David Pipe’s charge is still only seven years old too, so should still be up to winning a race of a useful standard.
His Cheltenham record looks mixed at first glance, but he has twice been stretched by 3m, his win over that distance coming in a four-runner race at Newbury. Equally, two of his four defeats here have come when held up, which patently doesn’t suit, and his front-running success here in November 2023 is particularly strong form and came off this rating of 122.
That lives long in the memory given he has run some decent races this season off higher marks, including when a close sixth behind a winner racking up a six-timer earlier this campaign. He also led turning in in the Pertemps Final before fading, so there remains an engine for the right race under the right conditions, which this could prove to be.
3.50 Cheltenham – Safran Landing Systems Handicap Hurdle
It will be no shock to see further development from Mr Hope Street after a break, nor would a win for sprightly veteran Dashel Drasher cause immense surprise. However, LONG DRAW drew clear for a taking success over course and distance in December, and he has also been freshened up since the new year.
The six-year-old showed stamina reserves belying his age to win by five lengths here just a month after he had been a staying-on second over 2m5f at Prestbury Park. His December success was just deserts for his consistency and came over subsequent Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle winner Gowel Road.
That is good form and it is no negative that he failed to follow up at Wincanton less than two weeks later on Boxing Day. Even that day, he was staying on at the finish, while he has gone well fresh before, so he ticks plenty of the right boxes for this handicap.
4.25 Cheltenham – Weatherite Air Conditions Handicap Chase
Hymac and Does He Know are both Cheltenham winners over further, while the 11-year-old Moroder returned to form at Doncaster last time and was second in this 12 months ago. There is scope for him to go one better, but MANOTHEPEOPLE defeated him conceding 3lb last season and now concedes just 2lb.
Fergal O’Brien’s ten-year-old is without a win since, but has run some credible races. He was pulled up on the Old Course earlier this term, but something looked amiss that day, and he has since finished a close enough fifth in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival when leading three out.
That was a much deeper and stronger race than this one, and he was second of the British contingent. He now drops 2lb further in the handicap, ensuring he is only 3lb above last year’s winning mark, so he makes plenty of appeal.
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