By Ryan Skidmore
13:30 - N/A
14:10 - Stay Away Fay 1pt WIN
14:50 - Guard Your Dreams 1pt EW & Langer Dan 1pt WIN
15:30 - N/A
16:10 - Abandoned
16:50 - Madara 1pt EW
17:30 - Jalon D'oudaries 1pt EW
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13:30 - Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle
No Bet
The opener on day 2 looks to be all about Ballyburn, who had his form further franked by Slade Steel winning the Supreme prior to this.
He has clearly been the one that everyone in the Mullins camp expected to win, no matter what race he was aimed at, and I expect that he will take this out readily enough. Not that I will be backing him at 2/5 anyway!
I’d probably have Predators Gold as the one to follow him home, especially with the Henderson stable form putting me off Jingko Blue, but I’m not sure his price compensates for that form, for all I do think he has further improvement in him.
14:10 - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
Stay Away Fay 7/2 1pt win
I am pretty keen to take on Fact To File in the Brown Advisory, who has stamina to prove on his first attempt at over 3 miles and the horse I think can cause him the most problems is Stay Away Fay
The Albert Bartlett winner hasn’t really put a foot wrong over fences this season and his run in the Cotswold Chase against more experienced rivals was a very good effort, finishing 3rd to Capadanno and The Real Whacker.
He is a dour stayer, and the conditions of this race will suit, especially on what will be very testing ground. Another positive is that Paul Nicholls has a 29% strike rate with first time cheekpieces since 2019, which is a positive for Stay Away Fay who could be perked up by this.
I’m happy to take my chance but wouldn’t advise anyone to back him at anything shorter than 3/1.
14:50 - Coral Cup
Guard Your Dreams 25/1 1pt ew
Langer Dan 15/2 1pt win
The Coral Cup is arguably the toughest puzzle of the week to sort out, so I am more than happy to have multiple darts to try and find the winner.
I’m looking to avoid the top of the market as I’m not sure what to make of Sa Majeste and Built By Ballymore now looks an incredibly short price.
I am backing Guard Your Dreams each way at 25/1 with 6 places and then having a win only bet on Langer Dan at 15/2.
Guard Your Dreams has been my fancy for this race for a while now. He made his return to the track off a 660-day break at Cheltenham in the International Hurdle and then quickly turned out in the Kingwell Hurdle a few weeks later.
I think he showed more than enough to suggest there is still life in him after this absence. He travelled well in both contests but was outpaced when the taps were turned on in both of those affairs, in my opinion, over insufficient trips in both races too.
The handicapper has been very generous too and dropped him 5lb for his return, then a further 3lb for his latest effort. That leaves him on a mark of 137, a full 10 ratings below his last winning mark. He has bundles of Cheltenham form and a step back up in trip will suit, ground shouldn’t prove a problem either and I think he is an absolutely massive price.
The case for Langer Dan is an obvious one as he returns to this race off the market he won it from last year. He has had problems in between which are off putting, notably when he bled.
Despite these concerns, I want him in the book as it would kick me in the teeth to miss out on such a plot.
15:30 - Champion Chase
This will be a great race to watch but El Fabiolo will win this if he jumps around, and I won’t be having a bet in the race.
16:10 - Cross Country Chase
Update - Abandoned
16:50 - Grand Annual Handicap Chase
Madara 7/1 1pt ew (5 places)
Madara has been a rapid improver for Sophie Leech this season and can continue his upwards curve today back at a track that clearly suits.
He beat a nice horse in Excelsis Deo over C&D in December (a horse I have a sneaky feeling will run well in the Plate), and then went over shores to take out a competitive handicap at the DRF.
He has gone up 13lb for a pair of victories which seems fair enough, and while there is a case to be made for both Path D’oroux and Solness who get a swing at the weights, they haven’t been to Cheltenham and that counts for a lot.
Libberty Hunter is an obvious danger and Maskada could stake a claim if ridden forward but I am happy to just stick with Madara at 7/1.
17:30 - Champion Bumper
Jalon D’oudaires 11/2 1pt ew (5 places)
I’ve been very impressed with Jalon D’oudaries in his pair of successes this season, notably with the latter performance when he turned away Redemption Day. The latter has always been well regarded and finished 3rd in the bumper at the DRF which is arguably the form race each year.
Jack Kennedy has chosen to ride him over The Yellow Clay and Romeo Coolio, that has to be a positive, and I thought he would be lining up as favourite so am happy to play him at current odds of around 11/2, especially with up to 5 places available each way.
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