Friday
I was delighted to snaffle the last bit of 9/1 about MASTER DANCER yesterday as he has since been well punted. Richard Bandey’s young french import has bags of experience in France and put that to good use at Stratford last time when he beat what looked a good field. The form has since been franked with the third coming out and winning easy at Hereford this week and an opening mark of 118 certainly looks well within reach for this exciting youngster.
Cheltenham 4.00 – Master Dancer
Saturday
My main fancy on Saturday, Demachine, was a late withdrawal from the Paddy Power Gold Cup so I have had to have a re-think on what to back. GALAHAD QUEST was a horse I followed off a cliff last year and is the exact type of horse which comes back to bite you on the bum a year on. He is still a very young horse and I am certain he will win a nice prize for connections sooner rather than later. I think another summer would have done him the world of good and he should be fitter for his run at Chepstow recently. I hope he drifts a little as 11/1 is a bit skinny for a race of this nature.
The 2.55 looks a poor renewal and I’m taking a chance on former Stayers Hurdle winner, LISNAGAR OSCAR to bounce back to some sort of form. He has often ran well fresh and with Rob James’ claim taken into account he looks very attractively weighted here. It’s a bit of a chance, I know, but if he does recapture anything like his old form then he is the one to beat here.
Cheltenham 2.20 – Galahad Quest
Cheltenham 2.55 – Lisnagar Oscar
Sunday
I’m very confident on NUBE NEGRA on Sunday and he could be my first max bet of the season. Odds against in what is essentially a two horse race looks really good to me and I anticipate him to have too many gears for Edwardstone who I do respect. The selection is the proven horse, who is exceptionally good fresh whereas the favourite has it all to prove in this company. I would personally price it up the other way around but I will happily punish such lenient pricing.
The Greatwood looks a below par renewal and I’m keen to have two darts at the board at very good prices. First up is NINA THE TERRIER who could be thrown in if her jumping holds up. She is almost too slick for her own good as she has come to grief twice now where she has stepped at hurdles at pace which has been frustrating for her followers I can assure you. However, this stiff two miles looks to be right up her street and if she doesn’t prove to be better than a mark of 131 by the end of the season then I’m a Dutchman.
My other selection is last year’s winner, WEST CORK, who wouldn’t have to improve to repeat his victory in this. A 4th in a hot County Hurdle at the festival off a 1lb higher mark proves he can do damage off this sort of mark and although top weight will be hard to carry, his rivals don’t look all that appealing. He could be a sensational bet at 14/1.
Cheltenham 1.45 – Nube Negra
Cheltenham 2.55 – Nina The Terrier / West Cork
