By Peter Moore 6th March 2024
The penultimate day of the Cheltenham Festival kicks off with the Turner Novices Chase. For once the top two in the market are both trained by British trainers with Ginny’s Destiny trained by champion trainer Paul Nicholls and the Dan Skelton seven-year-old Grey Dawning.
Nicholls won this race last year with Stage Star, with Ginny’s Destiny competing with rivals who have been competing at Grade 1. However the likeable eight-year-old has an excellent record at Cheltenham having won three times from four starts, including course wins on his last two starts.
The Irish challenge looks likely to come from the Willie Mullins trained Gaelic Warrior, assuming that he sends the horse to the west country.
The second race of the afternoon, the Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle, a Grade 3 race run over 3m looks an extremely competitive handicap.
A big field is likely to start with one horse Springwell Bay looking a lively contender. The Jonjo O’Neill trained seven-year-old looks to be ahead of the handicapper and has strong Cheltenham form.
The Grade 1 Rynair Chase will see last years winner Envoi Allen take his place in the line up.
The Willie Mullins trained El Fabiolo may run in this race or Wednesday’s Queen Mother Chase.
If El Fabiolo doesn’t run then another Irish raider Banbridge looks to have a great chance for Joseph O’Brien as long as the ground doesn’t get to heavy.
Stage Star loves Cheltenham and also runs well fresh after impressing in the Paddy Power.
Another English trained horse Protektorat by Dan Skelton could run well, but will want more rain.
The Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle contains a host of Irish trained raiders which could all go well.
The Gordon Elliott pair of Teahupoo and Irish Point head the market with the English trained Crambo sandwiched between the two in the ante-post market.
Elliott, is also set to run last year’s hero Sire Du Berlais, now a three time Cheltenham Festival winner.
Crambo, winner of the Long Walk Hurdle last time out heads the home challenge with the evergreen Paisley Park winner in 2019 and last year’s runner up Dashel Drasher set to line up.
By Peter Moore 6th March 2024
The Mares Novices Hurdle has seen money for the Irish trained pair of Brighterdaysahead and Jade De Gruggy. The Gordon Elliott trained Brighterdaysahead heads to market with the Willie Mullins Jade De Gruggy not far behind in the market.
The best home challenge appears to be from the Fergal O’Brien six-year-old Dysart Enos.
The final race of the afternoon is the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup. This 3m 2f contest on the new course always offers a stiff test.
Currently the Gavin Cromwell trained Inotherwayurthinkin heads the market and is set to carry top weight of 12-0.
Last seasons Pertemps winner Good Time Johnny runs over fences with another Cromwell runner Perceval Legallois expected to go well.
The seven-year-old was travelling well when falling at the last in the competitive Leopardstown Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival.