Dave Massey spent 3 days at The November Meeting to bring you fine readers of kwiff his latest 3 Cheltenham Horses to Follow. Read on to see those who should be kept on the right side of going forward this season.
November Meeting 2024: Cheltenham Horses to Follow
Cheltenham Horses to Follow: Resplendent Grey (Olly Murphy)
A very likeable individual that has all the attributes you’d like as a chaser, lots of size (but not too much, there is such a thing as too big, you know), plenty of power at the rear and he uses that power well, in the main. Before his race on Friday, however, he did still look like a race might do him good, and that despite a win at Chepstow the month before. (Interestingly, there were one or two of Olly’s that looked this way over the weekend, despite recent runs.)
The question he had to answer here was whether a step up to three miles would suit, as all of his best form to date had been at two and a half, but he answered that positively, staying on well all the way to the line and keeping the fast-improving Hyland honest all the way to the line. In fact, had he not made a couple of mistakes late in the piece we might be talking about a horse that’s 2-2 over fences, rather than suffering a narrow defeat here.
He’s making up into a very nice chasing prospect and despite a 5lb rise for this, a mark of 143 still looks very workable. A good 3m handicap will come his way this winter, that’s for sure, as he’s proven on soft ground as well as quicker.
Cheltenham Horses to Follow: Moutarde (Anthony Charlton)
Moutarde was useful on the Flat for Gavin Cromwell, for all he probably didn’t win as many as perhaps he ought to have done, but successes at Roscommon and Naas when there was cut in the ground do at least show he’s not not likely to have any issues with winter ground, perhaps even improving a touch for it.
He’d shown aptitude for hurdling when third for Cromwell at Galway last month, staying on well to claim second behind Messerschmidt after a couple of ragged early leaps, and he still looked like a horse learning his trade when fourth to East India Dock on Saturday. Forget the winner, who was simply different class than the rest, and Moutarde wouldn’t have been beaten too far by second-home Static, who was just about the pick of the paddock and had the most hurdling experience of these.
He was never really put in the race and taken wide much of the way around, running on nicely for a couple of cracks from Gavin Sheehan up the hill, and whilst he’s not going to be one of the stars of the juvenile season, this was a promising effort, and he should continue to learn and progress throughout the winter. He’s got the size for hurdling too, and was definitely one of the better ones in the paddock on the day.
Cheltenham Horses to Follow:: Toll Stone (Emmet Mullins)
Toll Stone made some appeal on paper before the Greatwood Hurdle and might have been more interesting still had there been any money for him, given the yard like to land a touch in these sort of handicaps but going off a 33-1 chance rather meant it was probably not today, thankyou very much. However, Toll Stone was definitely one of the picks of the paddock, fit for this, and it suggested to me that perhaps his turn wasn’t that far away.
A proper racy sort, ideal for hurdles, all he has done here is stay on from the rear at one pace to grab a respectable seventh, turning in a career best over hurdles on the figures but looking very much like a step up in trip was required. That’s hardly a surprise, given he stayed two miles well on the Flat, but a mark of just 121 over hurdles is probably a bit on the low side, and there to be exploited once he goes over further. Definitely one to watch, particularly when there’s a bit of money down….
By Dave Massey
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