This year is flying by and Cheltenham’s November meeting is already upon us. There are Festival clues aplenty over these three days with this meeting usually a very reliable form guide when it comes to the March extravaganza.
A cracking novices chase for the Arkle Trial.
It’s a tough place for Monmiral to start his chasing career and despite the red hot form of the Nicholls stable, he is passed over, while Tommy’s Oscar, despite jumping at pace on his debut at Carlisle and giving plenty of weight to a race fit rival, is also overlooked, as he won just one of is eight point-to-points.
BANBRIDGE is a Cheltenham festival winner having won the Martin Pipe earlier this year and went off favourite for Grade 1 honours at Aintree. He was beaten out of sight there but benefitted from a summer break when returning with a smooth chasing debut success at Gowran Park. He stays further and that could stand him in good stead up the hill if they go fast early.
2.20 CHELTENHAM – GA LAW & GALAHAD QUEST
I like the claims of GALAHAD QUEST in the Paddy Power Gold Cup for Jane Williams.
He has only won one of his eleven chase starts but has plenty of good form in the book to make him worth backing here. He won over hurdles at Cheltenham as a juvenile and is 4lb lower than when a close up fifth in this race last year. He was also second over track and trip on Trials Day in January. He had a nice pipe opener at Chepstow five weeks ago and although the stable form was worrying me, they had a timely winner on Wednesday to end a barren spell and Galahad Quest has been steadily supported since.
I also think GA LAW is going to run a massive race. He was a wide margin winner of the Rising Stars at Wincanton two years ago but has only been seen three times since. He returned from eighteen months off the track with an excellent third in the Old Roan at Aintree and off an unchanged mark, giving weight to the winner, and the subject of positive trainer reports, he also goes on the staking plan.
*18+ | BeGambleAware
