Category: Horse Racing

The December Gold Cup headlines the Cheltenham December Meeting this weekend, and the card around it is very competitive.

Before we start, here’s a quick review of the P/L prior to this weekend.

With eight points staked on Tingle Creek Weekend, the P/L sits at +4.05pts at an ROI of 51%.

As for yesterday, having calculated the scores on the doors, we made 0.4pts of profit. Yes, the champagne is on ice.

That’s a nice start; all can change, however.

So, let’s dive in.

 

12:40 Cheltenham – Moon D’Orange @ 25/1 with Paddy Power (3 places) – 1pt EW

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There’s one lurking at a big price in the second race, and hopefully he’s got a few pounds up his sleeve.

The horse is Moon D’Orange back under the care of John McConnell after a spell with Fergal O’Brien.

When based in Gloucestershire, he ran at the April meeting over hurdles off 130 on the day Paddy Brennan retired.

I know it’s not gospel, but when speaking to O’Brien post-race, he thought this was the horse that would send Brennan off into retirement, and that’s probably the reason he went off the 4/1 favourite in a hot handicap.

Before that, he beat Emailandy who went on to finish second in the valuable novices’ handicap hurdle at Sandown. After that, he also won at Plumpton and has form with Jingko Blue and Masaccio from Newbury in December.

When with McConnell in 2023, he finished second to Johnnywho at Carlisle in a novice hurdle that produced the recent Kelso winner Whistle Stop Tour.

For a horse that prefers good ground, he stayed on nicely over three miles in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s December Meeting on soft.

Destroytheevidence, who reopposes off 137 tomorrow, finished second, so with a nine-pound difference, there’s hope he’ll reverse that form on better ground.

Kerryhill placed fourth that day as well and he won the Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle subsequently to further frank the form.

Interestingly, he wore cheekpieces at Cheltenham that day, and he also had them on for his Market Rasen success.

They were left off for his Punchestown chase debut and his run at Cheltenham in October, so it’s nice to see them return here.

Although he’s the rank outsider, that’s a fair case made.

 

1:13 Cheltenham – Coco Mademoiselle @ 3/1 with William Hill – 1pt Win

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Coco Mademoiselle was a bet on Haldon Gold Cup Day for the column before connections declared him a non-runner, and while she has a 78-day break to defy, she is an obvious improver off 122.

Dan Skelton is in mighty form currently with a current strike rate of 25%, and that run at Worcester in September will bring her on fitness-wise.

From that race, the third, Weveallbeencaught, ran a solid race behind Lisnamult Lad at the Cheltenham October Meeting to frank the form as well.

As for her other form, she gave seven pounds away to Springtime Promise – a subsequent Grade 2 winner – in a Huntington novice hurdle before she finished the season with a second in a valuable mares’ handicap hurdle at Ayr.

From that race, Saylavee (3^rd) beat the smart Zanahiyr over fences, Ottizzini (4^th) bolted up at Ayr in November, and Pink In The Park (5^th) won a Listed chase last month.

Off 122, she can easily improve over fences and will strip fitter for her run in September.

 

1:50 Cheltenham – Gemirande @ 11/1 with Bet365 (4 places) – 1pt EW

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With the lack of Pinkerton in the contest, the December Gold Cup is already a loser for me at this stage, but I’m hopeful Gemirande can recover the losses.

He was a part of Venetia Wonderland last month when winning at Ascot off 128, so the handicapper gave him eight pounds for the success.

That seems fairly fine in my book and the two horses who finished behind him – Nocte Volatus and Terresita – had race fitness on their side.

He appreciates better ground and he ran well around the course and distance before when third in a handicap at the 2023 Cheltenham April Meeting.

This is a career-high mark, but he gets in off a featherweight of 10-2 and is interesting here.

 

2:05 Doncaster – Sail Away @ 12/1 with Bet365 (4 places) – 1pt EW

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Over at Doncaster, for my sins, I’m with Sail Away, one of my notorious cliff horses.

He’s back down to his last winning mark of 136, a rating he carried to success on good ground at Ayr in April 2023 when bolting up by 11 lengths.

He jumped the field into submission that day when making all to beat Forward Plan when giving 11 pounds away.

Since then, he’s not had the best time of things, but he finished a good fourth in the Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase over course and distance off 142 last season.

He also finished 10 lengths behind Pic D’Orhy in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase in February which is good form however you look at it.

He had a pipe-opener at Chepstow in October before Harry Skelton held him up at Newbury in November which was a weird tactic. The gallant grey is a notorious front-runner, so the tactics were a surprise before he fell at the fourth-last when travelling well.

The handicapper dropped him two pounds for that effort, which is very kind, and I think he has a solid chance here.

 

3:35 Cheltenham – Take No Chances @ 6/1 with William Hill (3 places) – 1pt EW

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She has top weight to overcome, but Take No Chances is capable of rising to the task in the finale.

She had a tough time of things in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle last time out, though she still finished a creditable fifth alongside Tellherthename.

That isn’t the form to focus on; her comfortable defeat of Hyland at Warwick over three miles last season is the performance highlight as Hyland is rated 14 pounds higher now.

She stays three miles, but she won over two miles at the start of this season and the key to her is good ground.

To my eye, she’s still unexposed in handicaps as there are excuses for her two handicap defeats.

She raced far too wide at Cartmel in May over 3m1f on her sixth start of the season and she finished third at Chepstow on her first start of the season, though that form with Doyen Quest looks attractive now.

The Cheltenham December Meeting is here and any weekend with Prestbury Park action is a good one.

We had an ante-post bet on the December Gold Cup in the bag going into today’s declarations, but Pinkerton wasn’t declared. Sad.

Just a quick word to the P/L after November, it took a slight turn two weekends ago.

Before the Coral Gold Cup Weekend, we had 17.35pts profit, but after the weekend, we had 5.5pts. Ouch.

We live and we most certainly learn.

Anyway, let’s dive into Friday’s selections.

 

12:10 Cheltenham – Wingmen @ 5/2 with William Hill – 1pt Win

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In the opener at Cheltenham, Wingmen is very interesting, though it’s not for the reasons you may think.

Because I have no life and an endless amount of time on my hands, I looked over the Cheltenham Festival novice hurdle markets the other day.

I saw Wingmen at 25/1 for the Albert Bartlett having won over 2m4f at Navan last month and I thought ‘hmm, he could feasibly stay three miles’.

So, to my delight, I saw him declared for 2m1f at Cheltenham on Friday. Who’s the real shrood here?

But, looking into his form, maybe I was too harsh on labelling him as a stayer just yet.

Wingmen won two bumpers last season, the latest was a nice one at the Punchestown Festival where he looked very impressive.

He took the race up very quickly from the front and went into a lengthy lead, but when the field came back to him with six furlongs to go, he stretched away again. He showed his stamina this day, but he also showed a very nice turn of foot.

The second, Queensbury Boy, is a nice Harry Derham horse and the third, The Passing Wise, has won two bumpers since at odds of 8/13 and 11/10.

Since then, he won on hurdles debut at Navan and the second, Forty Coats, finished a fine second to the nifty James’s Gate at Punchestown since.

He needs to improve his hurdling, that’s for sure, but he has some nice form in the book, and he has the ability.

 

1:15 Cheltenham – Wreckless Eric @ 7/1 with Bet365 (4 places) – 1pt EW

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There was plenty to like about what Wreckless Eric did at the Cheltenham November Meeting.

He sat well off the pace and raced wide all the way around, yet when they turned for home, he showed a really nice turn of foot to challenge at the last and fly past Cavern Club and Balhambar.

The front three pulled well clear of Fasol and Razzle Dazzle Boy, two horses separated by only a neck in a handicap on the Friday of last weekend’s Tingle Creek meeting.

He’s a big improver as his opening mark last season was 108, but he likes better ground, so he’s still capable of defying an eight-pound raise in the handicap.

Valgrand has something to prove off 139 and Willmount is having his first run of the season, so that gives reasons to take them on, and I don’t think he’s fully exposed yet.

 

1:50 Cheltenham – Our Power @ 20/1 with Ladbrokes (3 places) – 1pt EW

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The fourth race at Cheltenham is interesting as it surrounds Chianti Clasico and his lofty rating of 157.

I love him, he’s a great horse, but a mark of 157 might cause him a few issues. At the prices, I’ll let him win and if he does, I’ll stand at the front of the queue to clap him in.

So, Our Power is my play here.

He won at Ascot in October 2022 after a 228-day break before winning last year’s Coral Trophy Handicap Chase off a 119-day break, so he should go well fresh.

In the back of my mind, he might have something like the 2025 Coral Trophy as his target, but he gets his ground this weekend and that is too hard to pass on, surely?

He’s officially rated 143 now which is 2lbs above his last winning mark, but Dylan Johnston takes off a valuable 3lbs to put him nicely handicapped here.

 

2:25 Cheltenham – Shan Blue @ 6/1 with BetVictor – 1pt Win

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During the Only Fools Love Horses Cheltenham preview on Wednesday, I highlighted Shan Blue as a potential one for the veterans’ handicap chase, and I have no reason to change.

Ever since he fell in the 2021 Charlie Hall Chase, he’s had a few issues, notably when pulling up on three separate occasions.

However, his recent efforts offer hope that he is in good form to run well off 141.

Two starts ago, he ran a great race to finish third to Threeunderthrufive at Ascot over three miles. He made all this day over the trip and just faded late-on, but it was still a good effort.

He blew off the cobwebs at Bangor last month over three miles on soft ground, and I hope the combination of better ground and race fitness will bring him on plenty for this weekend.

If that does, his form is right there from previous years, and I like the step down in trip to 2m4f.

He finished second to Shishkin as a novice hurdler and second in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase in February 2021.

With plenty of form on a sounder surface, notably when winning twice on good to soft ground at Wetherby in 2020, he should go well here.

 

3:00 Cheltenham – Chemical Energy @ 25/1 with Bet365 (5 places) – 0.5pt EW

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I’m adding a late entry to the column here, but Chemical Energy is a horse I don’t want to leave alone in the Cross Country.

Yes, this is a new discipline for him, but he’s nicely handicapped and can make an impact in a race that tends to be easier than most.

I actually had him pencilled down for the 3m2f handicap chase at the entry stage and when originally writing the column, I missed that Gordon Elliott declared him here instead.

That’s a notable decision from connections to come over and go straight to the cross-country course. Maybe he’s having a sighter, but surely this hypothesis is more likely with Delta Work and Coko Beach with their lofty marks rather than him?

The eight-year-old by Well Chosen likes good ground and he does stay. He nearly won the National Hunt Chase in 2023 over 3m6f if not for soft ground stunting his effort in the final furlong.

For a horse of his ability, a mark of 146 is more than fair considering most of the horses around him are on similar marks and have more questions to answer.

I’ll keep my stakes small, but he’s the 11th-hour choice.

I don’t often play ante-post tips in this column, but one horse stands out to me in the December Gold Cup and I think his price could shorten considerably.

Of course, the danger with any ante-post play is whether the horse is confirmed, but there’s reason to believe that this play will run.

So, let’s dive in.

 

December Gold Cup – Pinkerton @ 16/1 with Bet365 (3 places) – 1pt EW

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Noel Meade’s Pinkerton is my fancy in this weekend’s feature handicap, but let’s start with whether he’s a likely runner.

In an article published in The Irish Field on Monday, Meade said “he’s a probable runner” and there’s “a good chance he’ll run” if his Tuesday morning work went well.

For more information, click here to view the full article on The Irish Field website.

He also mentioned that his bloods were a bit off a few weeks ago, so they were sorting out a few tests.

Hopefully, they come back positively, because if all is okay, I can see a market move occurring here.

His last two dives into handicap company saw him win, the latest occurring in July when landing the Galway Plate.

The company he held here when beating the likes of Duffle Coat, Zanahiyr, Life In The Park, Chemical Energy, Lets Go Champ, Hurricane Georgie, Perceval Legallois, Amirite, and Idas Boy is strong, potentially stronger than many British-trained horses in here.

Furthermore, on a direct line through form, finishing eight-and-a-half lengths ahead of Lets Go Champ, who went on to finish a six-length third in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, puts him right there with Il Ridoto, Ga Law, Madara, and Fugitif.

Yes, his rating of 147 is nine pounds higher than that last winning mark, but the British handicapper gave him no raise for travelling over the Irish Sea, which is kind.

 

Can he defy this career-high mark of 147?

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Quite simply, I believe so.

As a novice hurdler, he mixed it with Journey With Me (rated 160) and as a novice chaser, he finished behind Imagine (rated 144) and Inothewayurthinkin (rated 158) on his chase debut.

On his chase handicap debut, he even beat Saint Roi, Solness (two-time winner subsequently), and Path d’Oroux.

He did race off 130 that day, admittedly, so he was chucked in.

He jumped slickly and economically on his most recent run but found Found A Fifty, a Grade 1-winning novice hurdler, too good despite getting a stone in weight from the winner.

Found A Fifty went on to win another Grade 2 under a penalty to frank the form partially.

Although he wouldn’t want rattling fast ground, the drying conditions at Prestbury Park should help him nicely. He won on good in the Galway Plate and yielding at the Punchestown Festival.

He looks to have a good chance here in what looks like a competitive race.

On Tingle Creek Day, it’s a good time to reflect on that season from Kauto Star in 2006/07.

Yes, it’s not original, but he’s my all-time favourite horse and to win the Tingle Creek, King George, and Gold Cup in the same season will never happen again.

Hopefully, my Saturday selections can somewhat replicate that level of historical greatness, so let’s give these fancies a go.

 

1:15 Sandown – Henri The Second @ 5/1 with William Hill – 1pt Win

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Once upon a time, I thought Henri The Second would win a Challow Novices’ Hurdle.

With a current rating of 125, it’s fair to say I got it slightly wrong.

In fairness, he did win the Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurdle in 2022 when beating Henry’s Friend, fifth in last week’s Coral Gold Cup, but he’s had a fair share of issues since.

His form over hurdles and in bumpers is really smart. He beat Authorised Speed in an Ascot bumper three years ago and then finished second to Chianti Classico at Chepstow two starts later.

Last season, he didn’t take to fences and then had 364 days off the track before his reappearance at Sandown last month when he finished a fine fourth of nine.

He’ll come on plenty for that considering he wasn’t asked too many questions, and softer conditions should suit him nicely.

I think he’s better than his current rating, and considering he’s a half-brother to Enrilo, the step up to three miles should encourage further improvement.

 

1:32 Aintree – No Risk Des Flos @ 11/2 with William Hill (3 places) – 1pt EW

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As Andrew Blair White attests, following No Risk Des Flos is for the brave and bold.

I’ve never backed him before, but Saturday is where that changes as he looks well-weighted to go nicely.

His last winning mark was 134 and he also won off 127 before that, so a current rating of 126 gives him a chance, especially considering the handicapper dropped him 1lb for finishing second to L’Eau du Sud at Stratford in October.

Olly Murphy tried him over three miles towards the end of last season which he didn’t enjoy. For a 1m7f winner, it was a big ask.

You can understand why he attempted the trip. He’s a half-brother to Vision Des Flos who beat Royale Pagaille in a novice chase over three miles, but his best efforts came over 2m4f or shorter.

Arguably, his best efforts of the last two seasons have come when fairly fresh.

He won on his second start of the season two years ago and he finished a fair third on his second start of the season 12 months ago.

Saturday is his second start after a wind-op, and with his lenient mark, I’m chancing him here.

 

2:25 Sandown – Spirit d’Aunou @ 11/1 with Bet365 (3 places) – 1pt EW

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By the power of deduction, I don’t have a reason to oppose last year’s winner Spirit d’Aunou off a workable mark of 133.

Willmount may need the run, Altobelli has the Ladbroke as his big aim, I have questions about Nemean Lion and Knickerblockerglory off their current marks, Stream Of Stars should dislike the ground, and Zambezi Fix may lack the class.

Knickerblockerglory could make me look silly as he won first-time-out last season and I’m worried about Royal Way, the other Gary & Josh Moore-trained runner, on his third run in a handicap, but I think there are upsides to backing Spirit d’Aunou.

As mentioned, he won this last year when putting 17 lengths between himself and the third Punta Del Este, a horse who improved 13lbs subsequently.

He runs off just a four-pound higher mark and Niall Houlihan has, I assume, chosen him over his younger stablemate.

He loves softer conditions and he travels so well into his races. Hopefully, connections have earmarked this day for him as he looks to have a great chance.

December really is a Christmas dream for jumps fans, and the Tingle Creek kicks off this month in fine style.

Jonbon, Quilixios, L’Eau du Sud, Master Chewy, Rubaud, and JPR One are all set to hit Sandown this weekend.

So, let’s dive into Friday’s selections.

 

1:58 Sandown – Quebecois @ 5/2 with Paddy Power – 2pt Win

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My long-term love for Quebecois is well-known, and I think he can win the Winter Novices’ Hurdle.

The feature novice hurdle at Sandown on Friday is fiercely competitive with Bill Joyce and Kingston Pride also in the field, but there’s a nice form line to suggest Paul Nicholls’ five-year-old has the former’s beating.

On his rules debut, Quebecois sauntered to success when beating Jack Black by five-and-a-quarter lengths; Jack Black went on to finish third to Bill Joyce, beaten four-and-a-quarter lengths, at Warwick when the winner needed a bit of drive from Jonjo O’Neill Jnr.

After that Exeter win, connections decided to save Quebecois for the Champion Bumper. It was a bold call to give him a three-month break before sending him into a tough bumper on just his second rules start, and ultimately, he didn’t enjoy the experience.

Fast forward to this season and he bolted up at Chepstow by eight lengths on hurdles debut.

As is well-known this season, Paul Nicholls’ runners have needed their first runs, so to do that on seasonal reappearance is commendable.

You might remember that his win at Chepstow came 30 minutes after The New Lion dotted up for the Skeltons.

Although The New Lion ran a much quicker overall time, only half a second separated both of their efforts from the third-last hurdle to the line, though The New Lion did it hard-held compared to Harry Cobden’s intermittent shakes of the reins.

It seems like the boss of Ditcheat has big targets for this son of No Risk At All, notably the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle, so I’m keeping him onside.

 

2:33 Sandown – Handstands @ 11/4 with Paddy Power – 1pt Win

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As much as Resplendent Grey is in good form and Welcom To Cartries is well-regarded in Ditcheat, I like the profile of Handstands in this field.

He looks like the typical type to improve for three miles as he is a Getaway half to the three-time three-mile winner Kilconny Bridge, and he wasn’t stopping when he won over 2m3f in the Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle last season.

Rain is set to hit the track today to add to the good to soft conditions, and Sandown tends to ride on the softer side anyway, so he’ll appreciate the conditions.

Handstands was a better hurdler than Resplendent Grey, Welcom To Cartries is making his first start of the season (as is Saint Davy), and one would hope Handstands is better than Cadell and Riskintheground.

With his Jango Baie and Bugise Seagull form, I’ll chance him here.

 

3:03 Sandown – Passing Well @ 13/2 with William Hill (3 places) – 1pt EW

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The 13/2 available for Passing Well seems more than reasonable, and I think he has a great chance in the three-mile handicap chase.

He made a good seasonal reappearance at Sandown last month, but it’s worth noting he does go well fresh.

He went close to landing a bumper at the Punchestown Festival in 2022 off a 110-day break, he won on hurdles debut in 2022, and he finished second on chase debut in 2023.

The Coastal Path seven-year-old also won on his second start of last season and his form dropped off towards the back end of the previous campaign.

During that win, he beat two subsequent winners (Heva Rose and Invincible Nao) and then he went to Newbury.

He finished a good third that day behind the subsequent Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase winner Henry’s Friend, and he stayed on through the line on soft ground over 2m6f.

Furthermore, although he was last of four on his final start of the season, Martator, the winner, improved 33 lbs, and Ioupy Collonges, the second, won his next start at Perth.

With an unchanged mark of 123 after his second last time out, a race that saw him come up against two race-fit horses in El Rio and Mole Court, he looks to have a great chance here.

The Coral Gold Cup headlines Saturday’s action from Newbury with the Fighting Fifth holding down the fought over at Newcastle.

Yesterday’s column found an obvious winner with Kalif Du Berlais at 11/8, but the rest disappointed, and the less said about Saint Segal’s start the better.

So, let’s dive into Saturday’s selections.

 

12:40 Newbury – Le Milos @ 17/2 with Paddy Power (3 places) – 1pt EW

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Dan Skelton wanted to run Le Milos at Haydock last week before the ground turned properly soft, so hopefully the better conditions at Newbury will see him run well on Saturday.

He’s had a tough time of things since he won the 2022 Coral Gold Cup off 146, but he beat a subsequent winner in Remastered that day as well as the future Ultima and Grand National winner Corach Rambler.

Fast forward 15 months and connections fancied him to run well in the Pertemps, as shown by his 6/1 SP, but he disappointed before running a commendable race in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.

The handicapper dropped him 3lbs to 144 after a spin around Cheltenham last month where he travelled powerfully down the hill before taking a blow.

When speaking to Skelton at the Coral Gold Cup gallops morning last week, he made a point of mentioning him and I hope that means he’s showing all the right signs at home.

If he is, the 17/2 on offer looks tempting to play in the Sir Peter O’Sullevan.

 

2:25 Newbury – Liari @ 7/1 with Coral (4 places) – 1pt EW

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The Gerry Feilden is a hot race, as it usually is to be fair, but I’m staying loyal to Liari.

Last month, Charlie Davies, assistant trainer to Paul Nicholls, said he was hopeful of Liari becoming a graded hurdler this season.

It was a bold statement to make, but there’s a good chance he’s on the money.

Firstly, the Cracksman gelding is only four, so he has scope to improve as he matures despite performing at a decent level already last season.

On his second start of last season, he beat Knight Of Allen in deplorable conditions at Aintree. Jane Williams’ four-year-old went on to win at Chepstow, finish third to the smart Wade Out, and finish third in the valuable 2m3f handicap hurdle on Betfair Chase Day at Haydock.

Liari then bolted up at Musselburgh under a penalty before bombing out in the Fred Winter, but that wasn’t his true running.

Paul Nicholls’ horses needed their first runs in October, so his third at Chepstow on seasonal reappearance is admirable.

He has race fitness on a few in here, so hopefully he goes well.

 

3:00 Newbury – Broadway Boy @ 7/1 with William Hill & Henry’s Friend @ 14/1 with Paddy Power (4 places) – 1pt EW both

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As voiced on the Only Fools Love Horses Podcast earlier this week, Broadway Boy and Henry’s Friend are my picks for the Coral Gold Cup.

Starting with the former, he ran a good race on his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham when third to Senior Chief.

He gets a 10lb swing in the weights with Senior Chief and the slightly softer ground will help him to reverse that form.

He showed plenty of ability last year, notably when second to the subsequent Kerry National winner Flooring Porter at Cheltenham when giving 5lbs away.

Broadway Boy then bolted up at Prestbury Park in November 2023 before beating Threeunderthrufive, a subsequent Swinley Handicap Chase winner, and Protektorat, a subsequent Ryanair Chase winner, at Cheltenham in December.

After a few disappointing runs, his mark of 148 looks lenient as he’s only 2lbs higher than that last winning mark.

As for Henry’s Friend, there’s plenty to like.

The handicapper dropped him 3lbs after the National Hunt Chase (which is kind) and Ben Pauling got a pipe opener into him over hurdles earlier this month.

He showed a lot of potential when winning the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase last season with the first-time cheekpieces applied, and after a spin over hurdles, the headgear returns.

Apple Away let down his Reynoldstown form on Wednesday, but I rated Kilbeg King based on his Kauto Star form, and he gets weight from most of his rivals.

 

3:20 Newcastle – Bowtogreatness @ 13/2 with William Hill (4 places) – 1pt EW

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No prizes for guessing my bet in the Rehearsal Chase as Bowtogreatness will carry my money.

He got his career back on track at Newbury earlier this month when beating the impressive Chepstow winner Destroytheevidence, with the pair pulling 11 lengths clear of the third, Rock My Way.

The handicapper only gave him 4lbs for the effort which looks lenient in my book considering he finished third in the Coral Trophy off 133 and second to Midnight River in the 2023 William Hill Handicap Chase at the Aintree Grand National Festival off 132.

Good ground is expected at Newcastle this weekend, and while a few won’t appreciate this, Ben Pauling’s eight-year-old won on good last time out.

Furthermore, having spoken to Pauling at Newbury on Friday, he has minimal concerns about the conditions.

In his post-race interview after his last win, Pauling said: “It’s a shame he’s not in the Coral Gold Cup.”

Like me, he must think plenty of him, so hopefully, Bowtogreatness can make the 512-mile round trip worth it off his mark of 133.

 

3:35 Newbury – Petit Tonnerre @ 9/2 with BetVictor – 1pt Win

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It caught me off guard at the Cheltenham November Meeting to see how strongly Petit Tonnerre was backed for the Arkle Trial.

He was a double-figure price in the morning, but he came into an SP of 15/2 before running like a drain.

Still, the return to handicap company should work nicely with a lenient mark of 127.

He began the season off 125 and finished a staying-on second to Imperial Saint who reopposes here, though Petit Tonnerre gets a 12lb positive swing in the weights.

He finished second in the 2023 renewal of the Arkle Trial behind the 138-rated Homme Public who went on to win at Doncaster off 139 two starts later.

His known form over the last two years makes him well-handicapped and the slightly better conditions at Newbury on Saturday will suit.