Stick with the Colonel

Cheltenham selections Wednesday 1st January

A warm welcome to 2025 and fortunately the weather has not been bad enough to cancel any fixtures today which means we have our usual New Years Day extravaganza in both Britain and Ireland with the highlight a meeting at Cheltenham. There are not too many runners in the jumps races, but I have three selections to take on the current favourites with. Headline selection The New Lion was a winner for us at Newbury on Saturday (advised 11/4).

Cheltenham 2.05: Colonel Harry

Having been well fancied for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on his last start, COLONEL HARRY proved far too free for a distance in excess of 3m, eventually fading into a tired eleventh. However in a strongly run race over 2m5f I think we can see Jamie Snowden’s gelding to better effect and he looks the answer to this tricky puzzle.

All his winning under rules has been on soft or heavy ground, so the persistent rain that has been falling this morning on Prestbury Park has to be in his favour. He was a Grade 2 winner at Wetherby last season and was a respectable sixth on his only previous visit to the track when behind Grey Dawning in the Turners at last season’s Festival.

He looked ill at ease on Carlisle’s right handed track when beaten by Marble Sands on his return in November (the stable was also having a lean patch at the time), but he looked in good form with himself when tanking to the front from an early stage in the Coral Gold Cup. He was never going to keep that gallop up over an extended distance, but back to his more normal trip, and in a race where there should be a decent pace, we can see the best of Colonel Harry today.

Cheltenham 2.40: Strackan

Trainer Henry Daly is enjoying a real purple patch at present, operating at a 25% strike rate over the past two months, and the progressive STRACKAN can carry a light weight to victory in this staying contest.

He showed promise in novice hurdles last season, notably when fourth at Chepstow in the autumn, but always looked the sort of horse to need more time. Having struggled in the spring, he came back with a fine second at Worcester – a run that looks all the better now with the winner Double Powerful having won twice more since.

Since then Strackan has gone 2-2 with a win over 2m4f at Uttoxeter and then making most to win over 2m7f at Bangor. The way he finished that race that day suggests the longer the distance the better he will go and this stiffer track should not pose any inconvenience to him. Already proven on soft ground, he should still have plenty more to offer off of 117.

Cheltenham 3.15: Salver

The youngest horse in the field, SALVER looks sure to improve for the step up in distance and will appreciate the rain that has fallen on the track this morning.

He won his first four starts in juvenile hurdles last season, including in the Finale at Chepstow in Grade 2 company and then on heavy ground at Haydock where his stamina was there for all to see. He then ran a cracker to be third in the Triumph Hurdle (comfortably the first home of the English runners) but again in doing so was staying on strongly at the finish over 2m1f.

His comeback run was full of promise at Newbury coming as it did over 2m on a speedy track on ground faster than ideal. That run will have brought him on nicely and I am sure he will be better over this longer trip, with the ground now also helping him out considerably.

Recommended bets

1pt each-way – Colonel Harry – 2.05 Cheltenham – 4/1 general

1pt each-way – Strackan – 2.40 Cheltenham – 5/1 general

1pt win – Salver – 3.15 Cheltenham – 11/4 Paddy Power

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