Gowel Hy on the list to land another Cleeve crown
CHELTENHAM Trials Day on Saturday provides a chance to see some of the stars that could be on show at the Festival in March.
Not many shine brighter than Sir Gino, who returned with a bang in the Christmas Hurdle and now faces a fascinating clash with last year’s Turner’s Novices’ Hurdle winner, The New Lion, in the Unibet Hurdle (3.00pm).
It will make for a great race, but is not a betting heat with Sir Gino a very short price, and similar comments apply to odd-on favourite Grey Dawning in the Cotswold Chase (2.25pm).
The Cleeve Hurdle (3.35pm) looks a better betting race and I’m going to put GOWEL ROAD up each-way here at 14/1.
He won this race last year on soft ground and is sure to have been primed for a repeat bid by the Twiston-Davies team.
Soft ground conditions are his optimum and he hasn’t really had those so far this season, but with rain around there’s a chance he could do on Saturday.
With favourite Impose Toi such a short price, French raider Theleme not having raced for over two years and Strong Leader preferring flatter tracks than Cheltenham, I thought it was worth a speculative shot on Gowel Road at his current price.
Favourite J’Arrive De L’Est will be hard to beat in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase (1.50pm) but I thought the one to side with at the prices was LATENIGHTPASS.
He has won and placed three times from five starts over this course and distance, so clearly relishes the unique test it provides, and he also looks to have been given a squeak by the handicapper.
His win at Cheltenham’s December Meeting in 2023 came off a mark of 140 and he was second to Stumptown off 144 at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, so having slipped to a mark of 139, he should have every chance of being competitive.
While he may be a 13-year-old now, his run last time out behind Final Orders, when in contention off the home turn, shows he still has what it takes at this level.
At around 20/1 each-way, he looks worthy of a wager.
Over at Doncaster, the Great Yorkshire Chase could be the best punting race of the day and it’s a contest I’m keen to fire two darts at.
Top-weight HYLAND is the class angle here and he’s more than a fair price at 9/1.
He would have gone close to winning at Ascot last time if he hadn’t taken the second last fence by the roots, but he still ran a good race to be beaten a length-and-a-half into fourth.
Off an unchanged mark, he looks set to go well once again, and the slightly better ground at Doncaster will be in his favour.
The other I’ll be playing is the Charlie Longsdon-trained NEW ORDER, who ran a good race at Cheltenham last time, when making the running and only giving up the lead over the second last.
Despite that he kept on to be beaten under two lengths by the progressive Herakles Westwood, suggesting he was reasonably treated off a mark of 125.
He runs off that same mark here, and with the return to a flat track set to suit and the yard’s horses often going well at Doncaster, he is worth supporting at 12/1.
Both selections wouldn’t want too much rain to hit Town Moor but if the going remains on the soft side of good, they are capable of big runs and make each-way appeal.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Latenightpass e/w 1.50pm Cheltenham
Hyland e/w 2.05pm Doncaster
New Order e/w 2.05pm Doncaster
Gowel Road e/w 3.35pm Cheltenham