Cheltenham season starts today

There is some flat racing today, but pride of place goes to N.H. racing and in particular to Cheltenham, which stages its first day of the 2013-4 season with a strong card. There could well be some future stars in action today, and the opening novice hurdle at 15.10 CET was won last year by The New One, later an impressive Festival winner. His team are now represented by Pure Science (Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies), a smart bumper horse making his hurdling debut, and he could well follow up against some tough and experienced opposition. A large number of today´s runners are having their first race since the spring, and fitness could well be an advantage and in this respect we would not be surprised to see several Irish-trained winners. Rebel Fitz (Mike Winters/ Barry Geraghty) has already won 5 races this season and can score again at 15.40, despite giving weight to two useful rivals.

The 3 mile handicap hurdle qualifier at 16.15 was won by last year by Dessie Hughes and Bryan Cooper and they now team up with Rare Bob; this smart staying chaser - 5th in the Grand National- is very well handicapped over hurdles and we think he could take this very open event. Another possible Irish winner is Sizing Symphony (Henry de Bromhead/ Andrew Lynch) in the novice chase over 3 miles at 16.50; he is up in distance, but has won here and we do not expect this trip to be a problem. A horse we have always liked is German-bred Fredo (Ian Williams/ Sam Waley-Cohen) who runs in the amateur riders chase at 18.00. He has not won for ages but has usually been competing in much better company and with a top amateur on board should go close here. The two obvjuous candidates in the maiden hurdle at 17.25 are Lac Fontana (Paul Nicholls/ Daryl Jacob) and Germany Calling (Charlie Longsdon/ Noel Fehily). The former, 8th in the Triumph Hurdle, is probably the better long-term prospect but for today we prefer the latter, whose team continues in red-hot form.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Saint Roque - Rum And Butter - Pure Science
2. Race: Third Intention - Taquin Du Seuil - Third Intention
3. Race: Pure Faith - Captain Sunshine - Mission Complete
4. Race: Pantxoa - Sizing Symphony - Twirling Magnet
5. Race: Lac Fontana - Germany Calling - Hawaii Five Nil
6. Race: Oscar Davy - Fredo - Dammam
7. Race: Della Sun - Foxcub - Laudatory