Finian's Oscar is well worth chancing on his return to hurdles at Cheltenham, according to Simon Holt who has three Saturday selections.
Simon Holt selections
2.25 Cheltenham
3.15 Doncaster
3.35 Chelteham
FINIAN'S OSCAR, one of the leading novice hurdlers last season, is fancied to advertise his credentials for the Stayers Hurdle in March by taking Saturday's Grade Two galliardhomes.com Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Colin Tizzard’s six-year-old returns to the smaller obstacles here after proving a slightly cautious jumper over fences this season despite still improving, in ratings terms, on last term's efforts.
This is his first try at three miles but everything about his running style suggests he will stay well, and he was certainly way out of his comfort zone when a well beaten third behind Sceau Royal over just two miles at Sandown two starts ago.
Over hurdles, Finian's Oscar was unbeaten save for a narrow defeat by Bacardys at Punchestown last April having previously take a Grade One novices' event at the Aintree Grand National meeting from the talented but ill-fated Captain Forez and, with those efforts in mind, it is hard to believe that he can't rate higher over hurdles than over fences.
If that proves the case and this step up in trip suits him as I believe it will, he looks the one to beat in the hands of Bryan Cooper.
Much of the form here revolves around Beer Goggles and Wholestone.
Another victory for Beer Goggles, who sprung a 40/1 surprise win at Newbury in early December, is bound to provoke an outpouring of emotion following the tragic death of his trainer Richard Woollacott earlier this week.
Woollacott conjured massive improvement from this seven-year-old who made all and stayed on with remarkable tenacity under Richard Johnson to fend off Unowhatimeanharry and Taquin De Seuil at Newbury where Colin's Sister and Wholestone finished fourth and sixth respectively.
However, it is unlikely that Johnson's colleagues will give him too much rope this time.
Wholestone took a big step forward from that run when outpointing Agrapart and Colin's Sister over two-and-a-half miles here on New Year's Day, his fourth course success.
Equally effective at three miles, he looks sure to go well if reproducing that effort, though is not so favoured by the weights now.
Perhaps the biggest threat to the selection will come from The Worlds End who stepped up on an underwhelming reappearance effort at Chepstow to finish fourth behind Sam Spinner, L'Ami Serge and Unowhatimeanharry in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot with Thomas Campbell (now 1lb worse off) just over two lengths behind him in fifth.
Tom George's gelding showed tremendous courage to win at Aintree (3m) last April after a good novice campaign and was previously travelling as well as anything when falling two out at the Festival in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle in which Wholestone filled out third behind Penhill.
Earlier, the Betbright Trial Cotswold Chase looks trappy in that much will depend on whether Bristol De Mai can put behind him a below-par effort in the King George last time and return to the form of earlier impressive wins at Wetherby and Haydock.
While Kempton may not have suited him behind Might Bite, there won't be many excuses this time going back left handed on a course where he ran second to Black Hercules in the JLT Novices' Chase at the 2016 Festival.
However, Bristol De Mai does seem to have two ways of running and was also well beaten behind King George third Tea For Two at Aintree on his final start last term (possibly over the top having earlier finished seventh in the Gold Cup).
Tea For Two departed early in the Gold Cup and has yet to show his best form at Cheltenham, though another great run at Kempton earns him plenty of respect here.
Definitly Red is another who needs to prove himself as good here as elsewhere and I suspect he beat a couple of questionable stayers at Aintree last time.
At the weights, THE LAST SAMURI must have every chance receiving weight from all his rivals bar Singlefarmpayment.
This task marks a big change for Kim Bailey’s incredibly tough stayer as he is more used to carrying big weights in handicaps, but the 2016 Grand National runner-up comes here off the back of two excellent efforts this season, over hurdles at Kempton and then when chasing home the classy Blaklion under 11st12lb in the Becher Chase, back over the big fences.
With the stable in top form – Bailey has won with three of his last six runners over jumps – he looks bound to go well.
At Doncaster, I will also rely on the Bailey yard for a bit of value in the Sky Bet Handicap Chase with THUMB STONE BLUES.
A wide-margin winner over hurdles on the course last March, the eight-year-old has performed consistently this season finishing second to the progressive Delusionofgrandeur at Catterick on his latest start in November.
The winner went very close next time behind Get On The Yager and Wakanda at Wetherby and Thumb Stone Blues should beat the latter at these weights especially with the talented Ciaran Gethings taking off 3lb. At double-figure odds, he is worth each-way support.
L'Ami Serge is the class act in the field and, off a 7lb lower mark than over hurdles, looks well handicapped.
Nicky Henderson's gelding has a great deal of ability and cruised up to challenge Sam Spinner in the Long Walk last time only to find very little under pressure.
With Davy Russell an eye-catching booking, L'Ami Serge could easily be too good for his rivals but he's a bridle horse and, over fences in the past, has tended to jump sharply away to his left.
Recommended bets
1pt win The Last Samuri in 2.25 Cheltenham at best morning price
1pt e.w. Thumb Stone Blues in 3.15 Doncaster at best morning price
2pts win Finian’s Oscar in 3.35 Cheltenham at best morning price
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Posted at 1145 GMT on 26/01/18.