No Chat And All Racing This Week With The Cheltenham Trials Top Of The List

ALL THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN

It’s been a relatively quiet week personally, working away on my next book behind the scenes but still keeping an eye on all the news - though I failed dismally to find anything worth writing about!

Lucky for me we have Cheltenham Trials Day to look forward to, so its straight to the racing this week…

The New Lion -- in action Saturday afternoon

Saturday racing

12.40pm Cheltenham

Best to warn you in advance but for reasons unknown (I have not been drinking), I have found some outsiders this afternoon at huge prices who seem to have been underestimated. They may come home last, hit the frame, or even win, but I do suggest smaller bets – they aren’t the no-hopers their odds imply, but they are no good things either. The Cheltenham 12.40pm is a two horse race if the betting is to be believed, with the unbeaten pair of Maestro Conti a 5/4 shot and Minella Yoga 5/2 – and 8/1 or bigger the rest, but why is La Luna Artista a 33/1 chance? Trained by the excellent and perhaps underrated Jane Williams, the daughter of Spanish Moon looks a bargain at 5,000 Euros having won both her starts so far, an Exeter bumper and her only start over hurdles at Warwick where she won by a very easy nine lengths. She is upped in class against significantly better opponents this afternoon, and will need a big step forward, but she gets 3lb or more from her rivals this afternoon and could run well for a huge-priced alternative. 

1.15pm Cheltenham

Expecting a relatively small yard like Jane Williams’ to have a double on Cheltenham trials day may be asking way too much, but I still like the each way chances of Javert Allen ahead of the two and a half mile handicap chase at 1.15pm. Second to Ryan’s Rocket at Newbury last time out, the seven-year-old is stepped up to this trip for the first time, and on pedigree he should improve considerably for the trip. Jane trains out of the yard she once ran with ex Hubbie Nick, who had a fantastic record at this meeting, so I would not fall over in shock if she were to land one or more races this afternoon, and with no horse winning this race with less than two starts in the season in the last 20 years, taking on Jagwar and Booster Bob could yet pay dividends. 

3.00pm Cheltenham

I will not be betting in the Unibet Hurdle as I was anything but taken with the hurdling of Sir Gino on his return where he looked every inch a chaser. He does arrive unbeaten, and in my eyes is better suited to the two miles than main (and perhaps only) rival The New Lion but at odds on he is not for me and I will sit back and enjoy without any financial involvement. I am still a fan of Constitution Hill and I am hoping a dominant performance by the jolly will see an even bigger price for his stable companion for the Champion Hurdle in March.

4.10pm Cheltenham

Act Of Innocence and Taurus Bay head the early betting for the novice hurdle at 4.10pm, but once again I have found one that is hard to ignore – and is yet to be seriously tested. Adonedeal arrives here unbeaten after winning a point-to-point at Ballindenisk by 17 lengths, followed by novice hurdles at Stratford and Plumpton over two miles, showing a blend of speed and courage to win the last one by half a length. Sure to be far better suited by the added half mile, and with Gavin Sheehan in the saddle, who rides this track as well as any, he would not be a 40/1 chance if I was running the book, and as he represents trainer Olly Murphy who is having plenty of winners, I cannot resist a touch each way – just in case!

5.35pm Newcastle

I had no intentions of looking at the all-weather today but the 5.35pm is a decent handicap that may tell a story for races in the weeks ahead. Quinault carries top weight, and I am far from impressed by the short odds for that reason, but the six-year-old is a class act with 10 career wins, two in Listed class and breakthrough Group Three success in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket last June. He followed that with a career best third in the Group One British Champions Sprint Stakes in October, and his trainer believes there is still progress to come.  Invited to the valuable Dukhan Sprint Stakes in Qatar on Valentines Day, a race he finished third in last year when Stuart Williams felt he may have been too fresh, my main issue is that this could be a race that puts him spot-on – in which case I won’t be taking any of the 6/5 currently available as I suspect he could be better odds on the day.  

Sean’s selection:

Javert Allen each way 1.15pm Cheltenham