Cheltenham Festival – Day 3
Please see two tips from Richard Hutchinson, these represent two of the five tips he has sent out to paying subscribers, but you can have them for free!
Prices were correct at the time sent out to subscribers.
We hope you enjoy the racing action and good luck!!
Samcro – 2.30 – Ryanair Chase – 11/1 Boylesports – 3 point win
The Ryanair is an absolute cracker this year with plenty in with a good chance.
Min won last year jumping like a stag and only just held off Saint Calvados. Min is now 10 and might just be susceptible to younger legs.
The 2020 2m 4F Marsh Chase for novices, was just won by Samcro against Melon, with Mister Fisher a close fourth and they have all naturally graduated into this year’s Ryanair. That was a strong renewal and adds massive depth to today’s race.
If you throw in the Arkle 2020 second, Fakir Doudaires, and Imperial Aura who won at last year’s Festival, the field looks to be very strong.
The ground will be the most important factor and with it drying out it will certainly favour the enigmatic, but supremely classy Samcro. He is 2 from 2 at the track (both Grade 1’s) and loves fast ground. With the weather improving his wellbeing must also be heading in the same direction.
He is a proper class act when right, so with his ideal fast conditions he will take some beating.
I recommend a 3 point win with Boylesports at 11/1.
Everglow – 1.55 Pertemps 3m Handicap Hurdle – 33/1 Skybet – 1.5 points each way – 7 places.
A big three mile handicap hurdle which again isn’t as classy as previous years with the bottom weight able to run off a mark of 126. You normally need to be around 136.
Everglow sneaks in here off bottom weight and I really like his chances. He is only 6 years old, is still in his novice year and is open to big improvement. He is also completely unexposed at the trip of 3 miles and is by Presenting who progeny usually need 3 miles and prefer better ground conditions.
He started life in NH flat races and ran at Cheltenham, which his trainer Philip Hobbs only does if he rates the horse. Everglow did well finishing within 4 lengths of the winner and moved on to hurdling where his debut run was in a Grade 2 novice event, again Hobbs must have rated him to pitch in at that level.
On his next start he ran really well finishing 6 lengths 2nd to Star Gate who went onto finish second in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury. Everglow won his third start over 2m 4F but was still incredible green and babyish throughout, and shaped like he needed further.
On his handicap debut Hobb’s sent him to the Class 1 Lanzarote hurdle over 2m 5F and was given what looked a lenient mark of 126. In this big field he ran with huge promise staying on from the rear to finish a never nearer 12 length 7th. If there was ever a perfect trial for today’s 3 mile handicap, well that was it!!
Everglow ran his last race in a Pertemps qualifier, where he had to finish in the top 6 and he duly just did enough by running into 3rd.
Richard Johnson put Everglow up in October last year in his Tote 10 To Follow horses, so he must have expected Everglow to progress with some wins, and the fact he has run in high grade races all his life makes me think he must be showing more at home than he has currently achieved on the track.
It’s therefore really good news Hobbs has decided to add blinkers on him today which could help unlock his undoubted talent.
At 33/1 he is a huge price in a race where there are plenty of exposed runners and I therefore recommend 1.5 points each way with Skybet who offer 7 places!!
