The next three days at the Cheltenham November Meeting is always a good weekend for jumps fans
Yes, the field sizes have fallen short due to good ground, but we still have some classy horses to shout about with Jonbon and Potters Charm.
So, here are my fancies for day one.
1:10 Cheltenham – Littlefoot @ 20/1 with Bet365 (5 places) – 1pt EW
The British handicapper has been harsh to Littlefoot by giving him six pounds just for crossing the Irish Sea, but I think there’s enough in his form book to suggest he can outrun his odds.
This selection is based purely on form as he finished a nose second to Lucky Lyreen who is now rated 133 on bumper debut in December 2022.
After that, he finished second to the now 150-rated chaser Nick Rockett and second to the three-time Grade 1 winner Dancing City.
That bumper form in early 2023 is nice, and he went on to run well in a bumper behind Walk Away Harry at the 2023 Punchestown Festival.
He found himself squeezed between runners that day, but all the right horses (Irish Panther, Dr Eggman, Lecky Watson, and He’s My Hero) finished ahead of him that day.
Two starts ago, he broke his maiden at Ballinrobe off a very slow pace before finishing a promising third in handicap company in September.
The cheekpieces that were first applied two starts ago remain for this weekend’s challenge, and you get the impression that this has been a plan considering his regular rider is the conditional jockey Liam McKenna.
He needs to show he can handle this company, but with his age and profile, he’s not the worst 20/1-shot in the world.
1:45 Cheltenham – Buddy One @ 7/2 with William Hill – 2pt Win
Buddy One was the wrong price earlier this week, and I explained this on both X and the Only Fools Love Horses podcast.
His current price of 7/2 is probably about right if not a touch too big for a horse of his ability.
He is the only one of these horses to run well in Grade 1 hurdle events, notably in the Stayers’ Hurdle, Liverpool Hurdle, and Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown.
Considering he gets 3lbs and 5lbs in weight from Hyland and Springwell Bay respectively, he’s definitely best at the weights.
Furthermore, of his three trips to Cheltenham, he’s won a handicap on the Old Course, finished third in the 2023 Martin Pipe, and finished fourth in the already mentioned 2024 Stayers’ Hurdle.
So, he likes Cheltenham, and he likes good ground.
That’s because he won on chase debut on the surface earlier this season and he finished second to Sa Fureur in a Grade 3 novice hurdle on good in February 2023.
It was bold from connections to send him into open company against Heart Wood and Corbetts Cross last time out, and although his jumping wasn’t amazing, making all at a slow pace on soft ground probably didn’t suit him.
I half believe connections have planned Buddy One for this race due to his liking for Prestbury Park, so with the class he has under the bonnet, he should go well here.
2:55 Cheltenham – Busselton @ 7/1 with William Hill – 1pt EW
Joseph O’Brien revealed in his stable tour with Sporting Life that Busselton has schooled over cross country fences recently, so I hope he takes to the course at Cheltenham on Friday.
O’Brien has kept him fit through the summer with four runs since June, one of which was a winning one.
That’s a positive, and he also likes good ground based on his previous form.
His notable efforts include his second in the 2022 Blazers Handicap on good to yielding, a race that saw Fan De Blues (the third) improve to win two more handicap chases.
After that, he won the Kerry National over three miles on good ground when Hewick, a subsequent King George winner, fell at the last.
On those pieces of form, a mark of 141 is workable this weekend in what looks a winnable race.
Just looking at the head of the market, Conflated, as much as he’s a decent animal, would have concerns on good ground and he’s not a guaranteed stayer over an extended 3m5f.
Sweet David could cause some issues as he has some nice French form with my beloved Roi Mage and he’s a cross country specialist.
However, out of not knowing too much about him, Busselton is my fancy.
