It's been a profitable week for our flagship racing column at Cheltenham and Matt Brocklebank now provides his selections for Uttoxeter and Kempton on Saturday.
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Value Bet Cheltenham tips: Saturday, March 16
1pt win Monviel in 1.50 Uttoxeter at 9/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair, BetVictor)
1pt win Harbour Lake in 2.10 Kempton at 14/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes, bet365)
1pt e.w. Beauport in 3.00 Uttoxeter at 16/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
Raise a cheer to Port revival
Having a shot at the bet365 Midlands Grand National Handicap Chase at the end of what has been a lengthy punting week won’t be for everyone but if you’ve boxed clever at Cheltenham then Uttoxeter’s feature does offer up a rather tempting proposition.
Few would begrudge Fergal O’Brien a high-profile success with course winner Autonomous Cloud after the past few days that yard has had to endure, while Willie Mullins sends Mr Incredible back into battle after a long layoff and I’d imagine even the great trainer will be guessing which version of this quirky character we might see on Saturday.
It’s a no-brainer to take on the jolly, who clearly has a mind of his own and is not easy to train by all accounts, and I’m backing BEAUPORT who is a wild price if able to produce something like his best.
Admittedly, that’s a fairly significant ‘if’ but he’s often been best caught fresh in the past and has had a couple of months off since struggling to go the frantic early gallop in the Classic Chase at Warwick.
He’d previously run a promising race when second to Truckers Lodge over three and a half miles at Sandown in December and he definitely looks worth a try over a marathon trip now, where they'll go a stride slower early on which will hopefully allow him to get into a jumping rhythm.
Rated 148 when winning the Colin Parker at Carlisle at the start of last season, he's still searching for his first victory since but has come down 8lb and can be chanced here in what looks an open edition of the race.
Mon the money
Earlier on, I’m not going to take on the top of the market in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle but MONVIEL looks a bet in the Never Ordinary At bet365 Handicap Hurdle.
Harry Derham hasn’t had the grey long and swiftly shelved a novice chase campaign after he took a backwards step at Ascot, following a reasonable second to JPR One on his first go at that discipline at Newton Abbot in October.
A subsequent 85-day break followed and Monviel was not without support on his return to Ascot last month (sent off 17/2) but he looked a little disinterested in truth. Derham’s having none of it, as you might expect, fitting cheekpieces for the first time and stepping the horse up in trip again for his first crack at the full two and a half miles.
There’s encouragement in the pedigree regards to such a stamina test as his dam is out of a half-sister to 2m5f Listed hurdle winner Apple’s Girl (second dam of Apple’s Jade), and I think getting back on testing ground is going to really suit the horse.
He’s got winning form on heavy at Sandown from his novice hurdle days so the tough conditions in the Midlands will hold no fears. At the odds, he’s worth another chance now dropped in class.
Dive into good price about Lake
The ground is miles better down at Kempton and HARBOUR LAKE is the standout for me in the Read Nicky Henderson’s Exclusive Unibet Blog Handicap Hurdle.
His profile is very similar to that of Monviel, in that he’s had two starts in novice chases and not cut the mustard so his trainer Alan King switches straight back to the smaller obstacles here.
The last time he ran over hurdles was at Aintree last April and, running from a mark of 132, he put in a cracking effort when staying on for fifth behind Fennor Cross. That form is rock-solid in the context of this event, with the second Buddy One, third Sonigino and fourth Tritonic all winning nice races since.
On the back of the two sluggish chase runs this term, Harbour Lake has been gifted 4lb back for his return to hurdling and conditions look ideal for him here as he’s never really been one for mid-winter and was third in a good-ground Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham early on last term.
Published at 1600 GMT on 15/03/24
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