Taking aim at the Cheltenham Festival - Day 1....

Monday, 10th March 2025

Taking aim at the Cheltenham Festival - Day 1….

In ATC today….

…. I swing the bat on Day 1 at the Cheltenham Festival….

The Ultima is the feature handicap….

…. the off time is 2.40….

…. and my pick of the prices is HENRY’S FRIEND at 12s….

I’m also on NO TIME TO WAIT in the 5.20 at – he’s up at 28s & 25s ….

That’s the summary….

…. you’ll find all my reasoning below – as per usual….

Oh…. and if you’re looking for the standout place terms on offer – you’ll find them in the Bet Box below…. 

Read on….

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The shortlist for any Cheltenham Festival handicap will never be particularly short….

…. that’s the nature of the beast – Festival handicaps are well-attended and ultra-competitive….

…. and I could make a case for at least ten in tomorrow afternoon’s Ultima (2.40) – in which a maximum field of 24 is set to go to post….

Katate Dori went deep into my analysis….

…. Broadway’s Boy’s penchant for the track must be respected….

…. Malina Girl looks to have been saved for this by Gavin Cromwell – a standout target trainer….

…. and that’s also the scenario with Henrey De Bromhead’s The Short Go – who looks sweetly handicapped on 132, ran well at the track in October, and sat in pole position to be my pick when I went to bed last night….

But you’re never really done rethinking these races and after a night’s sleep and some early morning reflection….

…. I want to be with a ‘live’ one that can race closer to the pace and hold a tactical position….

The one that I’ve come down on is Ben Pauling’s HENRY’S FRIEND at the general 12s….

He ran an absolute cracker in the Coral Gold Trophy at Newbury back at the end of November

…. travelling really nicely under Ben Jones and very much in the mix when clouting one in the back straight on the second circuit….

That knocked him out of his rhythm and he ended up finishing 5/13 and beaten 7.5 lengths – still a very good run but it could have been better….

He’s up 6lb to 145 following his win in the Mandarin next time out….

…. but he wasn’t extended that day – he certainly wasn’t bottomed out – and there’s more to come….

He’s been kept back since then for this very assignment and if they’ve got him right for the job then he’s a big player in my book on the drying ground….

John C McConell has a cracking record at Cheltenham….

…. and I’m going to have a swing of the bat at his NO TIME TO WAIT in the reframed National Hunt Chase (5.20)….

There’s still some 28s and some 25s about – I’d take prices all the way down to 20s

…. and that’s a nice e/w price about a horse whose been given plenty of time since joining McConnell from Gordon Elliott’s yards (where he was one of the better bumper horses)….

I think will improve for a proper test of stamina….

…. he certainly gave that impression last time out at Musselburgh – where track and trip would have been sharp enough – in a first time tongue tie….

It was an improved showing, he was sticking on really well at the end, and I think there’s more to come off his mark of 133 if he puts his best foot forward….

I think he can produce a performance that outweighs his price….

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Now, just to recap….

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That’s all for today….

I’ll be back tomorrow with my picks for Day 2 at the Cheltenham Festival….

Meantime – contact me direct at nick.pullen@oxonpress.co.uk

And remember – win, lose or draw – enjoy the racing….

Stay tuned….

Against the Crowd