Slade Steel (right) winning at Navan© Photo Healy Racing
There will be no shortage of short-priced favourites this week at Cheltenham but an each-way Lucky 15 can give you an interest with the possibility of a big return, and below are my four selections to hopefully give you some excitement over the next few days. Slade Steel represents Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead in the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and looks a solid starting point.
He was no match for Ballyburn last time at Leopardstown but there is no shame in that, and the testing ground will place an emphasis on his proven stamina.
The Telescope gelding previously won a Grade 2 over 2m4f at Navan and should be finishing strongly up the Cheltenham hill.
The Coral Cup on Wednesday is one of the most competitive events of the week and the lightly raced Doddiethegreat appeals from a yard that has won this 2m5f handicap four times since 2010.
The recent form of Nicky Henderson’s string does give some cause for concern, but the Seven Barrows maestro invariably has his team cherry ripe for the meeting that matters most.
The eight-year-old gelding has returned in good form this season after a lengthy two-year absence and was noted keeping on strongly in fourth over an insufficient two miles of the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month.
The remaining two selections both run on Friday.
Dan Skelton has proved a great target trainer since taking out a licence just over a decade ago and his record in the BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle is exemplary with four winners in the past eight years.
L’eau Du Sud carries strong stable confidence in this year’s renewal and not surprisingly as he beat all bar the progressive Iberico Lord who has been supplemented to run in today’s Unibet Champion Hurdle, in the aforementioned Betfair Hurdle.
Waterford Whispers completes the Lucky 15 bet in the concluding Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
The JP McManus-owned gelding sneaks into the bottom of the handicap after just the minimum four runs over hurdles for a novice and his form ties in with Answer To Kayf, who is a likely danger in this 2m4f race.
Best of luck to all our readers this week and enjoy what will hopefully be four days of pulsating action at Prestbury Park.
