Friday
I’ve been long waiting to see WHEESHT over a fence and the day has finally arrived today. Alastair Ralph reports her to have schooled well and with her size and frame you would certainly expect her to improve for the switch to fences. Her mark of 107 is very lenient and I’m just hoping she puts in a sound round of jumping because if she does she will be bang there I’m sure.
Over at Cheltenham I have two outside fancies in the opener and I’m putting them both up. THE WREKIN is the first as I was impressed with the way he travelled in the Silver Trophy at Chepstow. He looks an out and out galloper and his dead eye hurdling is quite something to witness so with those two characteristics in mind I think he will be really suited to Cheltenham. He gets an extra two furlongs today as well which will help and I don’t think he is a 25/1 shot.
At the other end of the handicap I think MY BOBBY DAZZLER is a lot better than what he showed at Ascot last time out. That looked like a prep run and the soft ground wouldn’t have pleased connections so he was given an easy enough time of it at the back of the pack. I expect the course, distance and ground to suit him better today and he too could outrun his odds.
Worcester 1.00 – Wheesht
Cheltenham 1.10 – The Wrekin / My Bobby Dazzler
Saturday
The Paddy Power Gold Cup looks a proper renewal this year and it will be incredibly hard to win. My selection NIETZSCHE has solid claims as he boasts some rock solid course form having won the Greatwood here a few seasons back. That wasn’t the only good run he has put in around here and more recently he was seen travelling strongly in the Ultima before failing to see out the 3 mile trip. This intermediate trip looks like his gig and I think he will run a big race for the shrewd Brian Ellison yard.
My best bet of the jump season to date runs in the 2.50 as DRAGON BONES is a really solid each way bet at 11/2. Ian Williams likeable mare is as game as they come and I am sure she is better than a mark of 132. She just got touched off in a novice race here last time out but even then I felt like she could have won had Harry Skelton had the chance to ride the race again. She has a great racing weight and if she is out of the three something has gone disastrously wrong.
Brian Ellison could have a good weekend as I think his PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL has a good chance in the 3.25. He sneaks in off bottom weight having been handed an opening mark of 113 and to me that could be very lenient. A winner of a bumper on debut he has always looked like a horse who holds a lot of ability and showed that again last time out at Sedgefield. The step up in trip on handicap debut will bring about further improvement and I think he is a cracking each way bet in an open race.
Cheltenam 2.15 – Nietzsche
Cheltenham 2.50 – Dragon Bones
Cheltenham 3.25 – Punxsutawney Phil
Sunday
I mentioned earlier I think Brian Ellison could have a good weekend and I really hope he does as I am putting up CORMIER in the Greatwood as well. This must be the one and only time I will put up three Brian Ellison runners in the same tipping piece but I do genuinely fancy all of them quite strongly. I’ve been backing Cormier for this race since the entries came out and some market support in recent weeks has encouraged me. The stats suggest he shouldn’t be far away and if the ground stays decent I don’t think he will be. Ellison has a great record in the race and is a shrewd operator so you can almost guarantee his run last time at Chepstow was a prep for this which is certainly what it looked like. Again, he looks another solid each way bet.
Cheltenham 2.55 – Cormier
