John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Friday.
Three points of interest
Seven up for Gale Mahler?
The first day of Cheltenham’s new season features a fascinating edition of the Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle (15:00), a Grade 2 contest over two miles registered as the Sharp which has been won in the past by the likes of Cue Card, Dodging Bullets and Altior.
Of the six runners, the five who have already run over hurdles are unbeaten in that discipline, with Brave Knight winning all three of his starts for Paul Nicholls and Valgrand successful in both his runs for Dan Skelton, while Imaginarium and Strong Foundations both come here after successful hurdling debuts.
However, the mare in the line-up boasts the best record and the best form too, with Adrian Keatley’s Gale Mahler winning all four of her hurdles over the summer following a couple of bumper victories at the start of the season. Successful twice at Market Rasen and at Uttoxeter in between in her first three starts over hurdles, Gale Mahler showed further significant improvement when sent to the Galway Festival.
Taking on representatives of the top Irish jumping yards in a listed contest, she blew them away, showing speed to go with the stamina she’d shown previously when dashing clear in the straight to win by ten lengths.
Valgrand and Brave Knight are respected, but Gale Mahler, who is open to further improvement herself, sets a high standard 12 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.
Dual 2024 Festival winner Derek O’Connor back for more
Top Irish amateur Derek O’Connor very nearly pulled off a remarkable treble in the three amateurs riders’ contests at the Cheltenham Festival in March, winning the National Hunt Chase on Corbetts Cross and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir on Inothewayurthinkin but having to settle for second in the Festival Hunter Chase on Its On The Line.
O’Connor was winning the National Hunt Chase for the third time, though any further success he has in that race will be against professional jockeys with that race no longer confined to amateur riders from now on. Another of O’Connor’s National Hunt Chase winners came in 2016 on Minella Rocco, trained by Jonjo O’Neill who, with son A. J., supplies O’Connor with his mount Are U Wise To That in the amateur jockeys handicap chase (15:35).
O’Connor won this contest in 2017 and has place chances at least on Are U Wise To That who not only won first time out last season, on his chasing debut at Warwick, but also won a novices’ handicap at Cheltenham’s December meeting. However, Ceanndana has been running very well in Ireland for Ross O’Sullivan, winning three of his last four starts, and could prove best in this big field.
Potters Charm one to follow
Potters Charm is the only runner on the Cheltenham card with Timeform’s ‘large P’ symbol indicating he’s expected to make above-average improvement in the novice hurdle over just short of two and a half miles (16:10).
Runner-up in his only start in Irish points, Potters Charm looked an exciting prospect when making an impressive debut for Nigel Twiston-Davies in a bumper at Ffos Las in March when barely needing to come off the bridle before quickening clear to win by eleven lengths. That ensured him a place in Timeform’s Horses To Follow this season, anticipating a successful switch to hurdles, and he didn’t disappoint when reappearing at Worcester late last month. He again looked a good prospect, being well on top at the finish from runner-up Chancycourt who in turn finished a long way clear of the rest.
Potters Charm’s stable is in top form, as is often the case at this time of year, and he looks sure to take another big step forward here in a contest his stable has won in the past with high-class hurdler The New One.
Tip of the Day
Mr King – 14:43 Doncaster
Flags: Horse In Focus, Top-Rated
Doncaster’s mile handicap looks a wide-open contest so at likely odds it looks worth siding with Mr King to gain a first success since joining Iain Jardine.
Mr King’s latest start came in the Cambridgeshire where he finished in mid-division in that huge field but shaped much better than the bare result under a change from his usual hold-up tactics. Leading the near-side group, he went a couple of lengths clear overall three furlongs out, making his effort earlier than ideal, before being headed with over a furlong to run but still shaped best of those who didn’t race on the far side.
Just a week earlier at Ayr, Mr King had again shaped well to be beaten just a couple of necks into third having begun his challenge on a different part of the track to the pair who beat him. Successful at Naas in June on his final start for Ger Lyons, Mr King has given the firm impression in those last two starts that he can win races off his current mark.
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