The Cheltenham November meeting enjoys its feature day on Saturday. Matty Sutcliffe has picked out five runners to follow across four races.
12:35 Cheltenham – JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Registered As The Prestbury Juvenile Hurdle) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (3yo) – Torrent 25/1 0.5pt EW 3 places + Moutarde 10/1 1pt WIN
Generally speaking, I’d prefer to be on the side of a prominent racer on the Old Course at Cheltenham as it’s a touch sharper, and if you miss a few jumps it’s tough to peg back those to the fore, but that goes against the general trend of this contest given the last four renewals have favoured those in midfield/rear, and that’s largely down to these keen juvenile’s doing too much in front early on (seven of last season’s eleven runners were noted to have taken a keen hold).
With that in mind, I’m happy to pass over any runners who raced prominently last time out such as Static, Continuance, East India Dock, Model Approach, My Noble Lord and Prairie Angel. Those to have raced in midfield/rear last time out were MOUTARDE, My Mate Tony, Irisante and TORRENT, and it’s the latter who I’m most keen on for David Noonan and Nigel Hawke.
Torrent brings some already valuable experience in Juvenile hurdles, with his record reading 12123 thus far, and he wasn’t disgraced in listed company behind a stablemate of East India Dock last time out, who was also entered in here prior to declarations. He was the first off the bridle at Wetherby and in danger of losing ground in rear, but he responded well to the animations of Noonan who coaxed him into contention, though a tendency to hang left up the straight meant he could never quite reach Static and Liam Swagger.
The addition of cheekpieces looks a welcome move in that respect, as if they can keep him switched one throughout in rear and straighter in the finish then I’d expect him to take another step forward, as it appears as if the raw talent for the jumping game is there.
I’d like to take on Moutarde too, who was another to race predominately in midfield last time out on his first start over hurdles. Three of the last five winners of this race were wearing a hood, including Knight Salute for Milton Harris who also won it with More Felons in 2022. Harris’ former assistant Anthony Charlton is merely a pseudonym for the man at the helm of the operation, so the fact that ‘Charlton’ sends this son of Raven’s Pass here first time up for the yard is of interest.
Moutarde has been kept on the go since April in flat handicaps for Gavin Cromwell, but he made a promising start to his hurdling career when second to the favourite in a Galway Maiden Hurdle that has thrown up a couple of nice sorts in the past.
1:10 Cheltenham – Steel Plate & Sections Ltd Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (Class 3) (4yo+ 0-135) – Planned Paradise 33/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
Gina Andrews takes a rare ride a 10-3, with her lowest riding weight coming at 10-4 in the last twelve months, so that has to be taken in to strongly into consideration regarding the chances of PLANNED PARADISE here.
His backers were probably not all that enthusiastic about his chances here last time out when held up rank last early on and travelling wide throughout, but there was some promise in his performance given the headway he made throughout the middle part of the race as he jumped the fourteenth in around sixth place. He was shoved back in rear after falling to negotiate to 15th/ 16th fluently, and was in danger of tailing off, but he kept on in the manner of one with plenty left in the tank having been out of the picture at the second last, before staying on well for eighth.
He was one of only four to clock a sub 17-second furlong there (second quickest) which backs up that suggestion that he still had plenty of running, and if they revert to prominent tactics this time around then perhaps maybe Saturday will have been the intended target.
He was dropped a pound for that effort, but prior to that he was an excellent second at Warwick in a slightly higher calibre of race (0-140), finishing 10L/13L ahead of a pair who’ve come out and ran well since, and he’s only 2lbs above his last winning mark when bolting up 13L at Perth in July. He remains well handicapped off 109 on older form for Neil Mulholland when peaking at 122, and I’m glad they take the cheekpieces off as they possibly switch him off too much (0-6 in those aids).
There’s a suspicion that he’s better in the summer, but this quicker ground will help in that respect and he’s certainly overlooked as the outsider of the field for a yard who won this in 2021.
2:55 Cheltenham – From The Horses Mouth Podcast Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) – Captain Morgs 20/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
Nicky Henderson has form figures of 11PU3 in this race in the last decade and while CAPTAIN MORGS doesn’t have the most enthusiastic of profiles, he’s a talented horse and if on a going day, he can capitalise on his lowest hurdling mark since running away with a C&D handicap off a pound lower in December 2022. That win was his second run after a wind op, and he smacked of needing the effort when not travelling on his first start after a wind op/seasonal debut last time out at Chepstow.
He has form figures of 21222 in November, and I don’t think chasing is his forte given his sole success came somewhat surprisingly at Aintree in May, though has been beaten 40L, 98L and PU in three of the other five occasions in that sphere.
He can spit his dummy out, but I firmly believe he’s a much better hurdler than a chaser and this good ground is the key to him. I can forgive him for his last two efforts hurdling given they came on heavy ground and the yard weren’t quite right, and all of his best efforts seem to come second up for the season with form figures reading 1112, so I’m happy to chance that he’s on a going day and if so, he’ll undoubtedly outrun his outside odds in what doesn’t appear to be a deep class two.
3:30 Cheltenham – Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-140) – Wyenot 6/1 2pt WIN
I rarely chance last time out winners as they’re more often than not accordingly priced, but I would’ve had WYENOT as a clear favourite in here and the general 9/2 is more than fair.
She was a lovely 8/1 winner for the column last time out when making all under Alice Stevens, travelling well in front and never missing a beat throughout. She could’ve shirked out of things when a couple loomed up to her, but she gamely fended those off and produced two excellent jumps to put the race to bed. I think she idled once clear in front, but when Anna Bunina came toward her she picked up again. A subsequent 6lbs rise underestimates that performance in my opinion, and while she’s effectively 11lbs higher without Alice Stevens claiming 5lbs, the switch to Sam Twiston-Davies can respectively be a positive given how excellent he rides from the front, and he’ll be the perfect partner for Wyenot in that respect.
Good ground is key to this mare, who’s 4/6 over hurdles with soft ground the excuse for pulling up at Lingfield, and as mentioned in the column prior, she fared much better than the eight length deficit behind Golden Ace suggested when third here in Listed company in April.
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