Dave Massey previews Friday’s racing at Cheltenham, with four selections across the card. Our racing columnist looks to oppose Jonbon in the Shloer Chase and identifies several horses he believes are overpriced, including a big-priced outsider in the final race.
13:10 Cheltenham – AIS Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (2m5f)
Glancing Jack is a horse I liked a lot when Tom Symonds had him last year. He caught the eye at a big price at Hereford in January and duly won his novice back at the same venue the month after. He lost nothing in defeat at Newbury when second to Storming George and has since joined Dan Skelton.
The assumption is he’ll find another stack of improvement for doing so, but it isn’t as if Tom Symonds doesn’t know what he’s doing, and all in all 13/8 looks short enough.
If there’s some 7/2 around about High Fibre on Friday morning, I’ll be getting stuck into him each-way, as that would look too big.
He’s continued to improve for James Owen, winning the big hurdle at Market Rasen this summer and winning at Newmarket on the Flat.
Fourth in the Cesarewitch last time out, there’s still some juice in his hurdles mark and, for me, he’s the one to beat, with Owen going to the trouble of booking Toby McCain-Mitchell, one of the best conditionals around.
14:20 Cheltenham – Shloer Chase (2m)
Jonbon has to be a lay today.
His worst effort of last year came in this race when he looked in need of the run, and ran like it too, fading out of things very quickly. He would only have been third had Matata not ploughed through the last.
Post-race, Nicky Henderson was pleased with the effort. He said: “That should set him up nicely for Sandown (the Tingle Creek)… I had no choice but to come here, I couldn’t really go to Sandown without a run.”
So expect this to be nothing much more than a warm-up for a horse that’s now a fully-fledged veteran, for all Nicky was saying he was “more forward than last year” in an interview earlier in the week.
Gidleigh Park looks the type to catch fresh.
First time up last year, he found Jango Baie nine lengths too good in the 1965 Chase at Ascot, with 27 lengths back to Pic D’Orhy in third. Very solid form.
An early mistake did for him when returned to Ascot in the Clarence House (behind a back-to-form Jonbon), and he weakened out of things at Aintree in March, looking like he needed the run after a break.
He gets 6lb from Jonbon here, is likely to be more forward, and there’s really little to choose between the pair.
15:30 Cheltenham – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2m5f)
Woodstock Otto and Lock Stock both look a little overpriced.
Woodstock Otto beat the well-regarded Road To Wembley here at the October meeting, and that form looks much better.
Lock Stock won the Fixed Brush Hurdles Final at Worcester, making all, and lost nothing in defeat when third to West Hill Verde in the Persian War on his latest start.
Fourth home North Shore came out and won the Mastersons Hurdle at the October meeting, and to me that’s as strong a piece of form as is on show here.
I’d have this pair as favourite and second favourite, and I make Lock Stock the bet to make all.
16:00 Cheltenham – Valda Energy Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (2m½f)
At 20s and bigger, have a look at Final Surprise.
A winner at Uttoxeter back in May, he came back from a break to finish a close fourth at Huntingdon, just looking in need of the run but not beaten far, just five lengths.
The form of that looks strong. Winner Seraphic dotted up again at Warwick in the week, and second home Gallivanted was trading odds-on in the run and looking the most likely winner when the stop-race flag came out at Huntingdon on Tuesday.
He was giving the front pair weight, too, and the effort seems to have gone unnoticed by the early layers.
I’d have him nearer 12/1 than 33s on that effort. Get stuck in.
Dave Massey’s Cheltenham Friday best bets
| Time | Dave’s selection |
|---|---|
| 13:10 | High Fibre (each-way) |
| 14:20 | Gidleigh Park |
| 15:30 | Lock Stock |
| 16:00 | Final Surprise |
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