Our Racing Podcast panellists Ed Chamberlin, Graham Cunningham, Billy Nash and David Johnson nominate their best bets for Cheltenham's November Meeting.
Ed Chamberlin - Diesel D'Allier (2.55 Cheltenham, Friday)
I do think they may need to make a change to the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at the Festival as to have Gold Cup-type horses in it doesn't seem quite right. I thought Delta Work and Galvin should both have been in the Gold Cup last year - they had a good race between them to be fair, but it just doesn't feel right to me.
Friday's race at the November Meeting is one to have a bet, though, mainly because Gordon Elliott treats it the same way every season. This is a handicap and his horses tend to come over, have a sighter and have a bit of a spin before bigger targets later on. This race is not a priority for Galvin or for Delta Work, this is the time back one of the others in here.
Back On The Lash was the one last year and he'll have been trained for this again but I don't think he's quite in the same form as last year.
So DIESEL D'ALLIER is the one I'm going for this year.
He won this four years ago it was now, but he won here again in December 2021 and clearly just loves the place. He had a spin over hurdles the other day, will have been targeted at this and runs off just 10-3 getting lumps of weight of the Elliott pair at the top. Take the top two on again in March and they'll have to run off level weights so he'll have been trained to the minute for this race.
David Johnson - Placenet (2.55 Cheltenham, Saturday)
PLACENET looks a really interesting one in the Paddy Power Games Handicap Hurdle.
He's having his first start for David Pipe and has a BHA hurdles mark of 124 which I think looks pretty lenient even on his French hurdling form based on the Timeform ratings, and very lenient on his chasing form.
So I'd be very surprised if he's not capable of going very close. He could end up being one of the best handicapped horses running at Cheltenham all weekend.
Billy Nash - Sharp Object (4.05 Cheltenham, Saturday)
Two Irish horses have caught my eye at Cheltenham and both of them are trained by John McConnell. They could be sent off at short-ish prices if they run but he runs a very interesting filly in the mares' Listed bumper on Saturday called SHARP OBJECT.
She's had two runs, she won first time out and then finished second in a Listed bumper at Gowran Park in September, splitting a pair of Willie Mullins' horses in Aurora Vega and Abi's Champ. That was a strong contest in my opinion. I don't have a real handle on the best of the British form but she's going set a pretty high standard and should take plenty of beating if she turns up.
The other one was Intense Approach but he's been declared for Wexford on Friday so doesn't look like making the trip on this occasion.
Graham Cunningham - Fugitif (2.20 Cheltenham, Saturday)
The pace angle is definitely a good starting point in this year's Paddy Power Gold Cup - I think it could be firey this race. 'The Whacker is The Whacker', as the owner says (The Real Whacker), so he'll be pushing hard from an early stage. Stage Star pushes the pace too. I thought he got a very soft lead when winning the Turners at the Festival so I'm not quite sure he's as good as that Grade 1 success suggests.
Notlongtillmay ran well in the Turners and ran well on his reappearance, he races handy and so does Il Ridoto and Unexpected Party seemed to benefit from the forward ride he received last time.
I'm looking for a stalker, it's not a horse who has got any secrets but I think FUGITIF should run well.
He's got a very good Cheltenham record, ran a very good second at the Festival and he's got that stalking style and consistent profile overall, that suggests he might be a good each-way bet around 8/1. He's not a strong fancy, but I think Fugitif should run another good race.
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