Cheltenham Open Meeting: day two

The second day of Cheltenham´s big November Meeting and even stronger fields than yesterday. These are mainly hot handicaps rather than championship events, but we shall be seeing plenty of these runners at the March Festival here.

Main feature is the Paddy Power Gold Cup, a handicap chase over 2 1/2 miles at 15.30 CET, a really tiugh race with 18 runners. Oscar Whisky (Nicky Henderson/ Barry Geraghty) and Johns Spirit (Jonjo O´Neill/ Richie Mclernon) are the best horses in the gfield and both course specialists as well, but are weighted accordingly. They must be respected, but we cannot believe that they can score off this weight. When the latter won here at the October meeting.,Persian Snow (Philip Hobbs/ Richard Johnson) and Ericht (Henderson/ Andrew Tinkler) finished second and third and they could both reverse the form on these revised terms. The super-consistent Present View (Jamie Snowden/ Brendan Powell) is the likely favourite and holds Buywise (Evan Williams/ Paul Moloney), winner of 5 of his last 6 races, on their meeting at the Festival.

The handicap chase over 3 miles 3 furlongs at 14.50 is another really tough event and again we cannot believe that the top weights can win. We like Cape Tribulation (Malcolm Jefferson/ Barry Hughes), 5th in the 2013 Gold Cup, but The Druids Nephew (Neil Mulholland/ Barry Geraghty) is an obvious danger and so is the tough Irish-trained veteran Chicago Grey (Gordon Elliott/ Jason Maguire). The highest-rated race is the Grade Two 3yo hurdle at 16.35, with 2 German-breds holding chances -L´aigle Royale )(John Quinn/ Noel Fehily) and Golden Doyen (Hobbs/ Johnson), both of whom have alteady shown smart hurdling form. The one to beat could be Hargam (Henderson/ Geraghty). making his debut over sticks, but who showed good form on the flat in France.

There are more ex-flat horses running in the hurdle handicaps e.g. German-bred Big Easy (Hobbs/ Michael Nolen), who won the Cesarewitch last time out, at 16.00; Grand National winner Pineau de Re (Dr. Newland/ Daryl Jacobs) makes his seasonal reappearance here and is almost equally strong over hurdles, while Dawn Commander (Pauline Robeson/ Jamie Moore) is another German-bred to consider. The novice handicap hurdle at 13.40 also has plenty of ex-flat horses; John Ferguson, who is doing so well with his ex-Maktoum runners, saddles two of them, Chesterfield (Fehily) and Royal Skies (Mikey Ennis) and both must be considered, together with ex-German Verano (Charlie Mann/ Gavin Sheehan) and Earth Amber (Henderson/ David Bass), who was almost group class on the flat and looks very nicely handicapped here.

Cheltenham - betting forecast:
1. Race: Earth Amber - Chesterfield - John Louis
2. Race: Kings Palace - Sausalito Sunrise - Creepy
3. Race: The Druids Nephew - The Package - Sam Winner
4. Race: Present View - Buywise - Oscar Whisky
5. Race: Vivaldi Collonges - Big Easy - Katkeau
6. Race: Hargam - Golden Doyen - Unanimite
7. Race: Daring Carlotta - Miss Estela - Bitofapuzzle