Sam Spinner lines up in the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle and Mike Cattermole is sweet on his chances on day three of the Cheltenham Festival.
With more rain on the way to Cheltenham overnight and continuing on Thursday morning, Sam Spinner should be in his element and can strike a blow for the north by landing the Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle on day three.
Jedd O’Keefe’s stable star sprang to prominence when he sluiced through the mud at Haydock in November to demolish a competitive field of handicappers. The step up to the top level in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot came next when he toughed out a win from L’Ami Serge, Unowhatimeanharry and The Worlds End and he was put to one side to prepare for this.
Last year’s Coral Cup winner Supasundae is said to be in the form of his life and did well to beat an admittedly over the hill Faugheen at Leopardstown over two miles. A stamina test is what he needs and his close second to Apple’s Jade in the Christmas Hurdle over 3m puts him firmly in the picture.
Lil Rockefeller was second last year and could run a big race again while fellow outsider Old Guard, who beat him at Fontwell, is another that could outrun his price.
Yanworth reverts to hurdles and beat Supasundae at Aintree last April but Jessica Harrington has gone on record as saying that her horse was not at his best that day and seems confident of reversing form.
Willie Mullins has won four of the past six runnings of the opening JLT Novices’ Chase and Invitation Only has an obvious chance of adding to that outstanding record.
A good third to Monalee at Leopardstown last time, the winner ran an excellent race behind a very good horse in Presenting Percy in Wednesday’s RSA Chase to give the form substance. He looks to have further improvement in him.
Benatar is a likeable type and put himself right into this with a narrow defeat of Finian’s Oscar at Ascot before Christmas and there clearly isn’t much between them at their best. However, Finian’s has been pulled up since, has had a wind operation and the cheekpieces are on for the first time.
Benatar also has plenty of winning form in bad ground earlier in his career and the surface will also hold no fears for Terrefort who beat subsequent winner Cyrname at Sandown.
The Pertemps Final is full of possibilities and I can’t pretend that anything leaps out at me. However, Jonjo O’Neill can be relied to put one by – he won it in 2012 with Holywell - and Forza Milan will not mind the conditions and stays forever. He has been kept fresh since his defeat behind Louis’ Vac Pouch at Aintree in November.
Both the first and second have zoomed up the handicap since as the third Beer Goggles went on to win a Grade 2 at Newbury.
It is entirely possible that the unexposed Louis’ Vac Pouch can confirm the form with Forza Milan, however, and I will be having a little bit on both.
Un De Sceaux is confidently expected to win the Ryanair Chase for the second year running as there seems to be so many things in his favour here, especially the ground. He is such a consistent chaser and landing this will take his Grade One tally to nine.
I hope Cue Card returns safely but I will take Frodon to chase home the favourite.
Tully East won the novice handicap chase here last year and is back for a crack at the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase off an 8lb higher mark. He ran an excellent race over an inadequate trip at Leopardstown last month and looks ready to go very well again.
Movewiththetimes has not yet hit the heights in just three starts over fences but he remains one with potential and certainly races off a workable mark here on the best of his hurdles form.
Laurina is very much the one to beat in the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle - she looks outstanding – but Cap Soleil, who thrashed Countister at Newbury earlier in the season, goes there with a fair each-way chance.
Patrick Kelly did a wonderful job in producing Presenting Percy in top condition on Wednesday and I suspect he has been fine tuning Mall Dini to go very well in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Riders Handicap Chase.
Winner of the 2016 Pertemps Hurdle, Mall Dini was a creditable fifth in this last year (on good ground) off this mark. The difference is the much softer ground and that he has had a much lighter preparation this time.
However, Missed Approach is going to really appreciate this turning into a stamina test and has been given a real chance by the assessor. He was second to Tiger Roll in the 4m NH Chase last season when rated 145 and is now off 138.
He races for the first time since a wind operation and that could be significant – and helpful.
SELECTIONS: 1.30 INVITATION ONLY, 2.10 LOUIS’ VAC POUCH, FORZA MILAN (BOTH EW), 2.50 UN DE SCEAUX, 3.30 SAM SPINNER, 4.10 TULLY EAST, 4.50 LAURINA, 5.30 MISSED APPROACH
