3:00 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Cheltenham
Shanagh Bob and Ile De Cotte both go in the 3.00 at Cheltenham. SB won his novice hurdle over 2m4f at Plumpton last month when the track clearly didn’t suit at all.
He only really got into his stride after the last and could have gone round again. However it is his P2P stat that is most interesting. He won the first division of his point just over a year ago and he produced a time that was 12 seconds quicker than division 2. In old money that equates to between 50 and 60 lengths quicker in distance terms! The winner of div 2 was The Doyen Chief who has won a bumper, a novice hurdle and been beaten a short head in another novice hurdle for Alan King. Rated 123 the trainer likes him a lot.
That suggests that SB may have a decent sized engine. He is weak in the betting at 9/4 but I have backed him. I have also saved on Ile De Cotte. He too will relish the step up to 3m today and he has been very well backed into 4s this morning (I took 11/2 last night) and I hope he goes well but not as well as SB! Also I very rarely back in handicaps anymore but I know that Fugitif is well fancied in the 1.50.
That said, on official figures Thunder Rock could be 10-14lb well in off a mark 146 as collateral form lines suggest he could be a 160 horse. I hope all of this hasn’t burned your brain and good luck with all your bets today
