Victoria Pendleton's dream of riding at the Cheltenham Festival continues with Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls confirming her in the plate aboard Pacha Du Polder in the Foxhunters on Friday's fourth and final day of the festival and BetVictor make her a 14/1 chance to taste success in her first ever ride at the home of jump racing. The likely pace of the race will be like something never encountered by Pendleton in both starts under rules, and her exploits in point-to-points, and she is 5/1 to finish in the first three and 7/4 with BetVictor to just get round.
The David Pipe yard appear to be hitting form at just the right time prior to this year's Festival and can strike with Epic Warrior (2.35) down at Exeter under regular partner Tom Scudamore. The selection remains unexposed over the larger obstacles, placed in one of his two starts in handicap chases, but has been dropped 5lb by the handicapper and definitely remains of int4erest from his revised mark of 117. The yard have operated at a 23% strike-rate over the past fortnight and with the stable in such a rich vein of form he must go close in a first-time tongue-tie.
Another stable going through something of a purple patch is Harry Fry's – with four winners form the yard's last nine runners and Whataknight (3.40) expected to better that strike-rate even further in the 3m Novices' Hurdle under Noel Fehily. The well-bred son of Midnight Legend has been prolific in point-to-points and made it second time lucky under rules beating Paul Nicholls' subsequent winner Rock on Oscar in a warm novices' hurdle at Taunton in December. A nostril separated him and Emerging Force upon his return from a short break last time out in a handicap hurdle at Doncaster and this now 140-rated hurdle can go one better this afternoon.
Fehily must go close aboard Neil Mulholland's Ballydague Lady in the feature handicap chase over two and a half miles, however she is overlooked on this occasion for Alan King's The Mumper (4.10) under Wayne Hutchinson. The 9-y-o has been a late developer over fences, winning at the belated sixth time of asking last time out at Market-Rasen, and should be able to follow-up from just a pound higher mark.
Dan Skelton's Rene's Girl (4.40) bids to complete the hat-trick under brother Harry in the closing 2m Novices' Hurdle, and gets the nod to give 12lb and a beating to the field en-route to a step up in class thereafter. The daughter of Presenting lowered the colours of Peter Bowen's Aintree bumper winner Hollies Pearl at Warwick and followed-up impressively last time out under a penalty at Ludlow. She looks a mare built to jump a fence in time and can score en-route to a likely tilt novice chasing next term.
The ground at Newcastle is currently described as heavy, and with further rain likely overnight it could pay to follow those with form in bottomless ground. Tim Easterby's Very First Time (2.45) was beaten a neck at the track in a heavy ground bumper last season and, after a pleasing debut over hurdles last month at Catterick, can shed the maiden tag over timber at the second attempt under Brian Hughes.
Lucinda Russell's Present Flight would be a confident selection to score on better ground however, in this afternoon's likely slog Michael Scudamore's Streets of Promise (3.15) gets the nod to follow-up his recent Towcester success in the feature 3m Handicap Chase under Liam Treadwell. All three career successes over obstacles have been on ground officially described as ‘heavy, heavy and soft' and he should love this afternoon's gruelling test of stamina.
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