The Sporting Life Racing Podcast team were asked to pick out horses to follow in the spring from the Cheltenham Festival in this week's show and these are the five they came up with...
Fact of the matter at Punchestown - David Johnson
"The one that stands out to me is FACT TO FILE going to Punchestown. We were talking about how much better he's potentially going to be going right-handed and I think you know he'll be at least as effective there. We know how good he is at Punchestown. He won the John Durkan there, didn't he, on his reappearance, obviously that was two and a half miles. But I don't think I'd be concerned about going back up to three miles at Punchestown. We know that track has been a bit of an Achilles heel for Galopin Des Champs in the spring, so I'd be very confident that Fact To File, if he goes for the Punchestown Gold Cup, even if it means he's taking on the Gold Cup winner, I'd expect him to come out on top there."
Two eyecatchers from the handicaps - Billy Nash
"I've got two out of the handicaps for the spring and possibly even into the summer. I thought ETHICAL DIAMOND ran a cracker in the County Hurdle, he came from an awful long way back to finish fourth doing his best work at the finish and there's definitely a big handicap hurdle in him. Possibly Galway, if they hang on to him for that long. But I do think he'll win a big two-mile handicap hurdle somewhere.
"Then over fences there's NURBURGRING. I thought he'd run well in the Jack Richards and he did, he finished fourth staying on really well at the finish again. I think he has a bit of unfinished business in races like that. There's a very valuable novice handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival that would look ideal for him. I think it's 2m5f. But again, he won the Galway Hurdle last year, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him go back there for the Galway Plate, this time over around 2m6f. I certainly think there's a big race in both of them hopefully before the year is out."
Gordon to exploit crazy Flat mark - Graham Cunningham
"Have you had a look at WODHOOH’s handicap mark on the Flat? She was a Sir Michael Stoute horse, owned by Al Shaqab, she only had the four runs. She's rated 71! She won a highly competitive Martin Pipe off 141 pulling a bus last week, so Gordon Elliott can do some damage on the Flat with her. I'm certain of that. Keep an eye for her when Gordon lets Wodhooh loose in the Flat season."
Cromwell to conquer the National - Ed Chamberlin
"VANILLIER for the Randox Grand National at Aintree, honestly. That horse is in rare form at the minute. Gavin Cromwell's got that horse in a really good place, and I think he's in better form than when he's gone there in the past, and I think he's going to run a huge race in the National. I mean, how many lengths did he lose when Sean Flanagan went the wrong way?! And momentum and everything else? He was absolutely loving it and was then flying at the finish. He's in rare form going to Aintree that horse."
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