Cheltenham selections Wednesday 12th March
Day Two at Cheltenham and the Champion Chase is the highlight on the card. I can’t look beyond the warm favourite Jonbon, so I am looking elsewhere on another card stacked with interest throughout. We had a cracking start to the meeting with wins for Myretown (advised 12/1) and Puturhandstogether (SP 17/2) plus each-way places for Romeo Coolio (advised 7/1) and Wendrock (SP 33/1)
Cheltenham 1.20: Final Demand
We start with a real head to head in the Turners and whilst I really like The Real Lion who has achieved plenty in winning his three hurdles this season, I am not sure he will be able to live with FINAL DEMAND.
Willie Mullins’ charge has only had the two runs over hurdles, but jumped immaculately on debut to saunter to a facile win at Limerick over Christmas. He then produced an even better performance stepped straight into Grade 1 company when smashing Wingmen by 12l in the opening contest of the Dublin Racing Festival.
This 6yo has an easy way of going through his races, he is not a hard puller, and as mentioned his jumping has been totally efficient thus far. He looks to have the attitude to handle the big occasion and I cannot look beyond him.
Cheltenham 2.40: Be Aware & Beat the Bat
Two horses unexposed at the trip are fancied to improve beyond their current marks.
BE AWARE ran really well for us in the Greatwood here in November, running on strongly into second behind the always handy and top class Burdett Road. This horse started his career over this trip last season, but was weak and immature at the time, especially given he did not race at all in flat races, bumpers or points.
However he has given the impression this season that 2m is simply too sharp for him. He ran another perfectly good race in the big 2m handicap at Ascot before Christmas, but with that additional experience behind him now, this step up to 2m5f is surely going to be of great benefit. We already know he has the raw ability at this level and a mark of 137 should be well within his scope still.
BEAT THE BAT is another who started out over 2m3f, but has been largely campaigned over shorter recently. He started his season well over 2m3f at Haydock when second to Steel Ally, but on both starts at 2m since, at Windsor and then in the big handicap at Newbury, he has looked short of pace at halfway before staying on too late.
Again he has looked generally at home in this level of company, but I am sure that this longer trip will enable him to travel and jump more comfortably and he should have the necessary stamina to get up the hill. He won on quickish ground over 2m3f at Ascot last season and having scraped in at the bottom of the weights I expect him to be a big threat today.
Cheltenham 3.20 Stumptown & Busselton
The Cross Country is generally becoming a refuge for veterans no longer able to compete at the highest level, but two horses with slightly younger legs are favoured.
STUMPTOWN found jumping conventional fences a bit of a chore, though he did run to a high level including a second in the Kim Muir here in 2023. However he really seems to have found his niche in Cross Country’s and has been impressive in winning twice around the banks at Punchestown and most significantly winning at the December meeting here with a bit to spare.
Of course those wins have propelled him to the top of the weights, but it is interesting that Gavin Cromwell has applied some cheekpieces today which might just elicit that little more improvement necessary to carry the weight.
One of the horses I have had in mind for Cheltenham all season, as I suspect connections have is BUSSELTON. So far this horses’ finest hour was when winning the 2022 Kerry National where he gave a bold front-running display in blinkers. However in recent seasons he has not had much chance to do the same with different tactics or lesser/no headgear applied.
That has been the case in his two runs here this season where he has been given a quiet time in rear with no headgear fitted. He seemed to take to the fences well enough and that experience will stand him in good stead here. The blinkers are back on though today and I suspect he will be ridden much more forwardly. A lovely low weight of 10-5 can be taken advantage of.
Cheltenham 4.40: Jazzy Matty & So Scottish
The Irish team appear to hold a strong hand in the Grand Annual and I look two of those challengers.
First choice would be JAZZY MATTY, narrow but game winner of the Fred Winter at the 2023 Festival. Things went wrong for him after that, but Gordon Elliott tried to make a stayer out of him and 2m does look to be his trip.
He moved to Cian Collins in the summer and has taken very well to fences. He only won small races at Sligo and Wexford, but ran very well here in October when giving weight to some classy individuals. A strongly run 2m seems to be ideal, just as when winning here two years ago and he warmed up for this with a cracking run over hurdles at Thurles in January. The fact the going is a bit quicker than usual this season should be in his favour.
SO SCOTTISH runs over fences for the first time since falling here in December 2023, but I like the way he has travelled over hurdles recently and if he takes to the bigger obstacles has very strong claims in this company. He is another who is probably best over an out and out gallop over 2m, but nearly landed the valuable Boylesports Hurdle at Galway in the summer over 2m6f when nabbed close home by the Stayers Hurdle candidate The Wallpark.
He was never put in the race at Fairyhouse in December and then finished weakly over 2m4f at Leopardstown, when again travelling sweetly. He has had a wind op since then but a return to 2m can be the big help.
Recommended bets:
2pts win – Final Demand – 1.20 Cheltenham – 6/4 general
1pt each-way – Be Aware – 2.40 Cheltenham – 4/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 6)
1pt each-way – Beat the Bat – 2.40 Cheltenham – 10/1 Ladbrokes (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt win – Stumptown – 3.20 Cheltenham – 3/1 general
1pt each-way – Busselton– 3.20 Cheltenham – 7/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Jazzy Matty – 4.40 Cheltenham – 7/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – So Scottish – 4.40 Cheltenham – 12/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 5)
