Cheltenham Open Meeting: day three

The final day of Cheltenham´s big November meeting has another strong card, although the fields for the 3 featured races, all trials for the Festival here in March, are this time much smaller. The novice hurdle at 14.35 CET includes two runners that have won both their starts this season, Commissioned (John Ferguson/ Noel Fehily) and Vyta Du Roc (Nicky Henderson/ Barry Gerahty), while the latter´s wins came in very modest company, while the former´s form stands up really well- and in addition the stable´s hurdlers are in tremendous form. Irish raider Pyromaniac (Tony Martin/ Denis O´Regan) is worth a second look, as is the only mare in the field The Govaness (Fergal O´Brien/ Paddy Brennan), but surely the main danger is Emerging Talent (Paul Nicholls/ Sam Twiston-Davies).

That team have another good chance in the following novice chase at 15.10, a race Nicholls has won 5 times in the last 6 years, with Vibrato Valtat, but on their form over hurdles Court Minstrel (Evan Williams/ Paul Molloney) and Sgt. Reckless (Mick Channon/ Barry Hughes) can be preferred - althougn it does not always work out that way in this discipline.

The 2 mile chase at 15.50 has lost some of ist appeal with the news that Sire de Grugy has gone lame. Module (Tom George/ Brennan) was third to him in the Champion Chase, possibly the best form of offer here, but we cannot believe that he cam concede the weight to Dodging Bullets (Nicholls/ T-D) and Uxizandre (Alan KIng/ Geraghty); the latter won well enoiugh at Aintree with the fomrre well behind, but we prefer Dlodging Bullets today, who won at this Meeting last year and was also 4th in the Arkle. Yorkshire hope Simply Ned (Nicky Richards/ Brian Harding) actually comes out best at the weights, but he has never faced such strong oppposition before and we are not convinced.

The handicap hurdle at 16.15 is the big betting race of the day and looks very tough. Vaniteux (Henderson/ Geraghty) has top weight and is the likely favourite after his third place here at the Festival, but he seems handicapped to the hilt. Several runners are coming off ong breaks, which makes things even more difficilt; our 3 against the field are Olofi (George/ Brennan), a CD specialist who won this in 2012, the much improved Exitas (PW Middleton/ Charlie Deutsch), going for a four-timer, and Pine Creek (Ferguson/ Fehily), who has not run since December but is a horse we have always liked.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: In Fairness - Howlongisafoot - Jayo Time
2. Race: Emerging Talent - Vyta Du Roc - Commissioned
3. Race: Vibrato Valtat - Dunraven Storm - Sgt Reckless
4. Race: Simply Ned - Uxizandre - Dodging Bullets
5. Race: Vaniteux - Clondaw Warrior - Exitas
6. Race: Birch Hill - Definitly Red - Aqalim