Cheltenham and Doncaster Racecourse – Preview:
Jumps racing returns this Saturday with a new National Hunt season. Doncaster also hosts the Futurity Trophy this weekend. Our team have searched through the highlighted races to kick off this weekend, including a bonus Newbury selection.
The weather may have severely affected the end to the Flat season, but it’s time for the jumps anyway. Here are our teams 2 best bets at Cheltenham on Saturday afternoon.
1:15 Cheltenham – Triple Trade
Triple Trade appeals most. Joe Tizzards 7-year-old took his time to get the hang of chasing, but he ended last season in great form, winning with ease at Wincanton and Kempton when he was last seen. The form of the Kempton race worked out well as the 2nd won next time and the 3rd would have won if not coming to grief at the final fence in a Stratford Handicap Chase. A mark of 129 looks very fair and with a low riding weight, he looks good value to continue his improvement.
4:10 William Hill Lengthen Your Odds Novices’ Chase – Flooring Porter
On paper this looks like being one of the most informative races of the meeting. Several of these have run well at the highest level over hurdles, but the most obvious candidate is the dual Stayers’ hurdle winner Flooring Porter. Gavin Cromwell’s charge is an 8-year-old, but he has held his form well and with an official rating of 156 he is very well treated at the weights here if he can match his hurdles form over the larger obstacles. He should be able to lead here, which suits on the old course and there is enough encouragement from his pedigree to suggest that he should be able to jump a fence. His connections have chosen to come to Cheltenham because he needs to go left-handed and there were limited options for him at home in Ireland. He is best forgiven his last run over hurdles when he was outclassed by some course specialists in the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil and is better judged on his solid efforts at both the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals instead. If he takes to fences, he should win.
Cheltenham and Doncaster Racecourse – Our Selections:
Timezones are in BST (British Summer Time)