Alex Hammond tips: Racing blog ahead of Cheltenham on New Year's Day

What are you looking forward to in 2024? Have you set yourself any goals, places to visit or habits to break?

I’m not a fan of resolutions but on a personal level I’m hoping to get out more frequently in my campervan, and professionally I can’t wait to be back working at Newbury races. I visited the venue a couple of weeks ago, not in the campervan, but if that’s good enough for Lucinda Russell and Peter Scudamore in theirs, perhaps that should be my mode of transport next time.

I was there to do some filming, in preparation for Sky Sports Racing’s first broadcast at the Grade 1 venue in January, and it felt familiar but different. I bought my first flat in Newbury many years ago, and a decent bowler would almost have been able to throw a cricket ball onto the old bridge by the track from my kitchen window. There are closer kitchen windows nowadays with the new properties around the track, and the old bridge is out of action, but other than that it felt like coming home.

Hopefully, the year will start on a positive note with the first of the Premier meetings taking place at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

It remains to be seen if this innovation attracts a hoard of new racing fans, but if you don’t try something different, we won’t move forward. A winner or two would help though, wouldn’t it?

Libberty Hunter is the first horse I’ll be keeping a close eye on in the Close Brothers Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

Trained by Evan Williams, this horse is already showing more talent over fences than hurdles. He wasn’t useless over the smaller obstacles, but it looks like he’s going to be a decent chaser. His career over fences didn’t get off to the best start when he fell at Chepstow in November, but he put that right with a smooth success at Wincanton in mid-December.

He showed his athleticism that day when he got in close to a couple of fences and was able to fiddle out over them, but he looked particularly comfortable when he saw a decent stride and could put his scope to good use. He travelled strongly through the race and won in cruise control. A return to a left handed track at Cheltenham won’t be an inconvenience either as he naturally kept leading with his left leg at Wincanton, albeit was well balanced and would switch when required.

He deserved a 10lbs rise for the Wincanton win and there should be more to come. At the time of writing, he’s 3/1, third in the betting, with Sky Bet.

With Sky Bet offering money back as cash if you’re second in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at 1.30 it could be worth looking away from 11/8 favourite Inch House.

He deserves his position as market leader as there are flaws in all his rivals, but maybe Stumptown is the one for Gavin Cromwell with the blinkers fitted for the first time. He pulled up in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury last time out but it’s worth remembering he was a close second when sent off favourite for the Kim Muir at the festival in March, so if the headgear revives him the 4/1 may seem value.

Cromwell has had six winners from his sixteen runners at Cheltenham this season at a strike rate of 38%, so take him on at your peril. This is his only runner in Britain on New Year’s Day.

Stage Star will be popular in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase at 2.05. However, he’s Sky Bet’s 4/5 favourite, so I’m going to take him on with the Donald McCain trained runner Richmond Lake.

Only a seven-year-old, he comes into this with his confidence high having won his last four starts, two of which have come this winter (over hurdles on his reappearance). He will love the soft ground and the trip is ideal. He’s the 4/1 second favourite.

The Sam Thomas trained Ed Keeper is the one for me in the Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle at 2.40. I loved this horse when I saw him try to give lumps of weight away to the winner at Ascot on his seasonal return at Ascot in November and he justified that by winning at Newbury last time out.

The step up to 3-miles suited him that day and there should be more to come. He’s the 3/1 favourite.

The Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle is the only graded race on the card and has only attracted four runners. Bob Olinger bounced back to form over hurdles at Navan in November on his return to the track and he returns to the scene of two of his most prestigious triumphs.

He won the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle back in 2021 and the Turners Novices’ Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham festival. So, he brings an unbeaten Cheltenham record to the table. However, he has a 6lbs penalty to carry for that latest win and his main market rival, Marie’s Rock gets a 7lbs sex allowance, although she is also penalised thanks to her win in this race last year. She has obvious claims of a repeat performance but I’m looking forward to seeing her back over 3-miles in the future.

It’s Bob Olinger for me, and his price reflects his excellent record at Cheltenham as he’s 5/4 favourite.

Away from Cheltenham, Newcastle are bringing the year in with something new, with the addition of All-Weather Championships Trials Day. They have been rewarded with decent sized and competitive races. All bar one of the seven have double figure fields, something other venues would be envious of. That means opportunities for punters and hopefully a winner will come our way from that fixture too.

I think they’ll all have to go some to beat To Catch A Thief in the Boost Your Acca-Fenwa With Bet UK Handicap at 3.10. He’s a well related son of Cracksman for owner/breeder Anthony Oppenheimer and whilst the William Haggas trained gelding celebrates his fourth birthday on New Year’s Day, this will only be his fifth start, and he’s won two of those.

He looked an absolute certainty on his handicap debut over course and distance last time out, and although he’s been raised 6lbs for that win, I expect him to continue to progress. Tom Marquand is back from his successful stint in Japan, and he’ll be thrilled to be reunited with him.

So, all being well we’ll have a strong start to 2024. Happy New Year to you and good luck with your selections. Maybe this year I can persuade Newbury to open a campsite?! See you there, whatever your mode of transport.

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