It’s day two of the Cheltenham November Meeting meaning that the Paddy Power Gold Cup is the feature event of the seven-race card.
Mixed day with two well-backed fallers, one fortunate winner at 6/1 with Homme Public and a nice success with Impose Toi in the last.
Shame about Captain Teague, but he will be back.
Roll on tomorrow 🫡 https://t.co/E8Lg0SrvLG pic.twitter.com/DnLeun6AlY
— Ash Symonds Journalism (@ASymondsJourno) November 17, 2023
As some of you know, my heart lies with one horse in that race – more of that to come – but elsewhere, Saturday at Cheltenham looks tasty with plenty of interesting betting angles.
Hopefully, these angles prove to be fruitful by the time the bumper finishes, so let’s dive in.
12:35 Cheltenham – Milan Tino @ 6/4 with BetVictor – 2pt Win
In a race that looks winnable, Milan Tino holds an obvious chance in the Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle Trial that opens day two at the Cheltenham November Meeting.
Trained by Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm in France, the three-year-old by Milan made his first start in the famous JP McManus silks 35 days ago when third in the Grade 2 Prix Georges de Talhouet-Roy at Auteuil.
Very smart! Won last year by McTigue, Jigme is an ultra-impressive winner of the G2 Georges De Talhouet-Roy Hurdle at Auteuil… pic.twitter.com/P69YN5ZouA
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 14, 2023
The winner, Jigme, scored in the Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres on his next start with the second, Leon Du Berlais, and fourth, Kingland, filling the places behind Jigme in the Prix Cambaceres.
Although the lack of other French juvenile talent could be the reason for this, all three filling the places in their subsequent engagement suggests the form of Milan Tino’s last run is good.
Great performance! Jigme is much the best in the Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres for Ludovic Philipperon and Marcel Rolland at Auteuil… pic.twitter.com/rQmgqwh5Qb
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 12, 2023
Furthermore, the twice-raced gelding has form on very soft ground, and with rain set to hit Prestbury Park on Saturday morning, one can imagine he’ll prefer the softer surface whereas Burdett Road has something to prove in that department.
It’s not original, but Milan Tino looks like a classy horse and could be too good.
1:10 Cheltenham – Undersupervision @ 22/1 with William Hill – 1pt EW
Cheltenham course form is key in many handicaps at Prestbury Park, and in a competitive-looking Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, Undersupervision is one I want to chance.
The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained seven-year-old has raced at Cheltenham seven times during his three-year career without success.
However, he ran through the rails when second to Does He Know on his chase debut, finished third to Corach Rambler and Eva’s Oskar in 2021, and finished third to Eva’s Oskar again in 2022.
Connections might have fun with this horse!
Corach Rambler is progressive and looks like he has more to offer, making it two from three over fences at @CheltenhamRaces @lucindavrussell pic.twitter.com/wuwoM116jJ
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 10, 2021
Furthermore, the gelding by Doyen ran a credible race when fourth to Le Milos, a subsequent Coral Gold Cup winner, at Sandown in February.
All of this form looks promising for a horse rated 132 with Mr Toby McCain-Mitchell claiming seven pounds in the saddle.
Admittedly, he has a small bit to prove, but he likes the course and soft ground shouldn’t trouble him too much, so with the chance he is well-handicapped, 22/1 is worth taking for Undersupervision.
1:45 Cheltenham – Broadway Boy @ 5/1 with BetVictor – 1pt EW
There’s something about the Listed From The Horse’s Mouth Podcast Novices’ Chase that is really intriguing at 1:45 as solid cases could be made for five of the six runners.
Admittedly, I thought Good Risk At All would go to the Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at 1:45 on Sunday, which he was entered for when I first looked at this race, so to see him here adds another element of interest.
However, at the time of studying this race, Broadway Boy piqued my interest the most and I don’t want to desert him in the 11th hour.
The improving five-year-old by Malinas ran a stormer over course and distance last time out when second to Flooring Porter while giving the winner five pounds in weight.
Class prevails! 🏇
Dual champion staying hurdler Flooring Porter makes a winning chase debut @CheltenhamRaces.
He wasn't foot perfect but he got the job done! 👊@gavincromwell1 | @donoghue_keith pic.twitter.com/T2UWFyLDlJ
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 28, 2023
Although the two-time Stayers Hurdle winner could have won by more than his two-and-a-half-length success suggests, Broadway Boy served it up to him for a while and did himself proud.
On the run prior to his Cheltenham second, he beat Mofasa by a comfortable nine lengths, form that has worked out well as Mofasa won a handicap chase off 130 next time out.
He went into his last run on an official mark of 137 and he is unchanged for the effort, which makes the decision to run him in a conditions race rather than a handicap interesting.
His task this weekend will be tough, but I’m hoping Broadway Boy is up to the challenge at a course he likes.
2:20 Cheltenham – The Real Whacker @ 6/1 with William Hill – 1pt EW
This year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup is one of the best renewals in recent memory, bringing Grade 1 form and improving handicappers together at the cathedral of jumps racing.
Plenty holds interesting profiles, but it’s The Real Whacker that has the tough task of carrying my money as well as top weight on his back.
Starting with his racing weight and rating, it won’t be an easy task to pull off, yet the seven-pound difference between him and Stage Star is there for a reason because he is probably a seven-pound better horse.
The Real Whacker confirmed for Saturday’s Paddy Power Gold Cup.
Any excuse, I suppose…@pnevilleracing | @samtwiston
— Ash Symonds Journalism (@ASymondsJourno) November 16, 2023
Looking at the form of his Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase victory, he beat Gerri Colombe, a subsequent two-time Grade 1 winner and leading hope for the Gold Cup, I Am Maximus, an Irish Grand National winner on his next start, Galia Des Liteaux, a Listed chase winner on Thursday, and Thunder Rock, a recent Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase winner.
That is solid form, no question, and it needs to be if he is to justify winning a Paddy Power Gold Cup off 162.
Patrick Neville’s seven-year-old has both good and soft ground form, course form, and has seemingly improved a tonne over the summer.
Of course, the first-time-out angle is a worry, but if he gets into a nice jumping rhythm, it will take a good horse to peg him back and at 7/1, he seems like a solid each-way bet.
2:55 Cheltenham – Placenet @ 4/1 with BoyleSports – 2pt Win
Any listeners of the very popular Racing Post show Upping The Ante will know David Jennings put Placenet up on Tuesday and, after a look myself, I tend to agree with him.
The David Pipe-trained French recruit comes into Saturday’s Paddy Power Games Handicap Hurdle off a 71-day break having finished fourth in a Listed chase at Compiegne in September.
The old boy Clondaw Castle wins over at Compiegne for @TomGeorgeRacing and @AgentZetterholm!pic.twitter.com/wRENhh0fhO
— Sky Sports Racing (@SkySportsRacing) September 8, 2023
The form of that race reads very well as the third, Spes Militurf, beat Gold Tweet in the Grade 2 Prix Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa two starts later and the winner, Clondaw Castle, was a good Grade 2 chaser for Tom George before moving to Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm.
That race alone was full of horses who wouldn’t look out of place with a British rating of 140, so with an opening handicap mark of 124 over hurdles, that looks lenient.
Having won this race in 2014 with Katkeau, a French recruit running off a mark of 124, hopefully Placenet can add to that trend.
