By Charlie McCann
THE Festival handicaps are tricky puzzles to solve once the declarations are known so trying to second-guess running plans in mid-February is, arguably, crackers. That said below are a few handicappers that I think might pay their way at Cheltenham and/or in the last couple of months of the season.
Last year's Pertemps Final winner is rated 157 over timber having, subsequently, finished runner up in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle behind Solwhit at Aintree. He has been tried over trips short of his best over fences so far this season, but looked to be getting his act together over the larger obstacles when winning at Catterick last time. The handicapper faces a very difficult task trying to give Jonjo O'Neill's charge a mark although the suggestion is he is capable of much better over fences than he has shown to date.
Races such as the Scottish National might enter calculations in the spring but, in the short term, the handicapper may decide if the Festival Handicap Chase or the 4mile NH Chase will be his Cheltenham target although he also holds entries in both the RSA and World Hurdle.
Regal Encore:
Runner up in the Festival Bumper last year Regal Encore has been beaten at odds on in two of his three starts over hurdles this season including at ¼ last time although that Hexham form has been well and truly franked by the subsequent successes of winner Seeyouatmidnight. Regal Encore is likely to get further in time and might step up in trip at the Festival although it would be no surprise to see him go for the Imperial Cup/Festival double.
Trainer Anthony Honeyball suggested his string were below par when his stable star finished runner up in the North East but he was given plenty to do by jockey AP McCoy on that occasion and I would be surprised if his shrewd owner didn't try and take advantage of what looks a lenient mark of 130 rather than go down the Supreme or Neptune route.
The Romford Pele:
The Rebecca Curtis' string have been slow to hit top form this term but two novice chasers from the yard I wanted to keep on the right side of this term were O'Faolains Boy (recent winner at Ascot) and The Romford Pele and the latter has appealed as a likely type for the 2m 5f Novice handicap since I saw him chase home Balder Success at Chepstow back in October. He has failed to get his head in front in three subsequent outings and has lacked fluency over his obstacles but a mark of 131 looks workable and he is one to keep on the right side of representing a stable who are hitting form at the right time.
Ceasar Milan:
The Paul Nicholls' trained six-year-old looked something to bet on at Taunton off a mark of 117 in February and there was much to like about his comfortable 23 length success over King Of Glory who attracted significant support on his belated reappearance for Venetia Williams. He is likely to be hiked up by at least a stone in the weights but the application of a tongue tie certainly helped bring about a transformation in a horse who, lest we forget, went off 11/8 favourite for the Grade 2 Persian War on his Hurdle debut back in the autumn.
The handicapper is likely to have the final say but a 14lb rise might not be suffice to prevent a follow up and the way he travelled at the Somerset track last time suggested that he would have the pace back at the minimum trip.
