Cheltenham International meeting

Cheltenham´s two-day International Meeting starts today with a strong card. Main event is the Grade Three handicap chase over an extended 3 miles at 14.45 CET; only 6 runners but quite tricky for punters. Mon Parrain (Paul Nicholls/ Ruby Walsh) has top weight, but is the likely favourite. However he was a bit disappointing here last time when second favourite for the Paddy Power and we feel that he is still a bit high in the weights for what he has actually achieved. Philip Hobbs has two chances here with German-bred Fair Along (Rhys Flint) and bottom-weight Mostly Bob /Richard Johnson), both of whom could finish in the money; we especially like Fair Along, who has run many good races at this track and finished really well when third in the Hennessy last time.
Shakalakaboomboom (Nicky Henderson/ Barry Geraghty) is an obvious danger, but has not run since winning at the Punchestown Festival in April.

Nicholls and Henderson could once again dominate racing and between them they have the fancied runners in almost every race. They can start by taking the novice chase at 13.00, where Solix (Henderson/ Geraghty) is our choice to defeat Sam Winner (Nicholls/ Walsh). Nicholls´ best chance is probably Oscargo (Walsh) in the handicap hurdle at 15.55; he is still inexperienced but looks likely to make the grade; German-bred Los Nadis (Jim Goldie/ Henry Brooke) could be placed here, as he has had a great year and is still well handicapped. Henderson should certainly take the final novice hurdle at 16.30with the unbeaten Darlan (Tony McCoy), who will be at long odds-on.

The cross country chase over just short of 4 miles at 15.20 is always a popular event and is run this time as a handicap. An Irish winner look highly likely, but they have more than half the field, so the question is always - which one? Top weight Garde Champetre (Enda Bolger/ JT McNamara) is a CD specialist and always runs well here, but his stable companion Chamirey (Nina Carberry) could be a dark horse under a much lighter weight. Willie Mullins saddles Uncle Junior (Emmet Mullins), who beat Garde Champetre here last time, and Scotsirish (Paddy Mullins) an easy winner at Punchestown but racing for the first time beyond 3 miles.