sport news CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIPS - DAY FOUR: Galopin Des Champs goes for a famous Gold ... trends now
Another enthralling day of action is in store as we head into the final day of this year's Cheltenham Festival.
Defending champion GALOPIN DES CHAMPS remains the outstanding candidate, yet he looks like he will face a stiffer examination than he did 12 months ago, when he beat Bravemansgame seven lengths.
Fastorslow, who has twice finished a close second at the Festival, is still respected.
Of the longer-priced runners, the talented but fragile Monkfish looks the most interesting.
Mail Sport brings you our racing experts' tips ahead of day three of the Cheltenham Festival with selections from top tipster Robin Goodfellow, National Hunt legend Peter Scudamore and former Grade One winning jockey Lizzie Kelly.
Galopin Des Champs goes for a famous Gold Cup double at Cheltenham on Friday
With the seemingly outstanding candidate Sir Gino a non-runner, joining the other big British hope Burdett Road on the sidelines, this looks like another Willie Mullins carve-up.
He has more than half of the field — seven from 13 runners. Solid Kargese emerged on top when six of them clashed in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown with Storm Heart in second. But the one to take out of that race was third-placed MAJBOROUGH who made most of the running, jumping well, until he was overhauled at the last hurdle.
He is physically imposing and there is definite improvement in him given that was his first run for Mullins since being imported from France, where he also won.
The Leopardstown fouth Bunting can also step forward with some slicker jumping.
SELECTION: MAJBOROUGH .................................11-4
MAIN DANGER: KARGESE ....................................13-2
LIVE OUTSIDER: BUNTING ..................................16-1
Odds supplied by Paddy Power
TIPSTERS
ROBIN GOODFELLOW - MAJBOROUGH
PETER SCUDAMORE - SALVER
LIZZIE KELLY - KARGESE (nap)
CAPTAIN HEATH - MAJBOROUGH
GIMCRACK - MAJBOROUGH
2.10 BETMGM COUNTY HURDLESO SCOTTISH, seventh in the Plate Handicap Chase last season, has switched to hurdles and can take advantage off a lower handicap mark. On his latest run, he looked to hit the front before the last in a Leopardstown handicap, fading into fourth after being collared.
With a better-timed challenge, he will prove tough to beat.
Betfair Hurdle runner-up L’Eau Du Sud must be on the shortlist with the Skeltons — trainer Dan and jockey Harry — already on the scoreboard this week.
King Of Kingsfield’s third place last month to Ballyburn and Slade Steel, both winners this week, looks pretty good now.
Just behind him in fourth was Absurde. Given he won the Ebor Handicap on the Flat at York and ran in the Melbourne Cup, he could be very well weighted if he copes with the soft ground.
SELECTION: SO SCOTTISH ..................................12-1
MAIN DANGER: ABSURDE ....................................13-2
LIVE OUTSIDER: ENCAN TO BRUN O ...................25-1
Odds supplied by Paddy Power
TIPSTERS
ROBIN GOODFELLOW - KING OF KINGSFIELD
PETER SCUDAMORE - MAGICAL ZOE
LIZZIE KELLY - L’EAU DU SUD
CAPTAIN HEATH - SO SCOTTISH
GIMCRACK - KING OF KINGSFIELD
Harry Fry's unbeaten Gidleigh Park (R) leads the British challenge in Albert Bartlett Hurdle
THE St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase doesn’t get the headlines that other races at the Festival do but you should take the time to watch this contest, which follows the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Run over the same three and a quarter miles, it frequently makes compelling and dramatic viewing and this year’s race could be one of the best yet.
It features a clash between two flourishing Irish horses. Ferns Lock is trained by David Christie, who is due some luck at Cheltenham, having not been able to run his horse 12 months ago and losing out by a whisker in this race two years ago with Winged Leader.
He might have to settle for being the supporting act again, though, as confidence is growing in Its On The Line, who is trained by Emmet Mullins, owned by JP McManus and will be ridden by Derek O’Connor, an amateur in name only.
O’Connor delivered the ride of the Festival so far when producing Inothewayurthinkin to win the last race yesterday and he will relish his chance on a horse whom McManus only bought two weeks ago. Mullins, nephew of Cheltenham centurion Willie, is one of the game’s deep thinkers. He spends idle moments playing mind-training games on his phone and is always looking to squeeze out more improvement from his runners. Mullins has certainly had his work cut out with Its On The Line. Plenty of judges felt he looked laboured when winning his most recent race at Naas by a head.
But Mullins said: ‘It’s hard to say whether he has had a hard race because he doesn’t do a stroke. To have a hard race I’d say you’d have to be at the end of your tether — and he wasn’t. Half the battle in these races is having the right jockey, and we’ve got the right jockey.'
SELECTION: LECKY WATSON...............................9-1
MAIN DANGER: GIDLEIGH PARK ............................6-1
LIVE OUTSIDER: CHIGORIN.................................14-1
Odds supplied by Paddy Power
TIPSTERS
ROBIN GOODFELLOW - READIN TOMMY WRONG
PETER SCUDAMORE - JOHNNYWHO (EW)
LIZZIE KELLY - READIN TOMMY WRONG
CAPTAIN HEATH - LECKY WATSON
GIMCRACK - GIDLEIGH PARK
3.30 THE GOLD CUPREAD: IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ON EVERY RUNNER FROM MARCUS TOWNEND, LIZZIE KELLY AND PETER SCUDAMORE
4.10 ST JAMES'S PLACE HUNTERS’ CHASEPREMIER MAGIC won this last year at 66-1, beating Its On The Line one and a half lengths, but there seemed no fluke about the victory. He has won easily since and the cheekpieces he wore last season are back on after being left off in his two point-to-point wins this year.
Its On The Line, recently bought by JP McManus, has narrow wins over Ferns Lock and Billaway this season and his lazy way of racing is another reason to think he has more in the tank to call upon if he can be motivated to do so.
Ferns Lock is also young enough to be on the upgrade and will surely be in the shake-up, while Billaway fell in this last year but won it in 2022 and finished second the previous two seasons. He stays well and has place claims. Easy Wetherby winner Sine Nomine is interesting.
SELECTION: PREMIER MAGIC............................13-2
MAIN DANGER: FERNS LOCK ...............................11-4
LIVE OUTSIDER: SINE NOMINE ...........................12-1
TIPSTERS
ROBIN GOODFELLOW - ITS ON THE LINE
PETER SCUDAMORE - ITS ON THE LINE
LIZZIE KELLY - PREMIER MAGIC
CAPTAIN HEATH - PREMIER MAGIC
GIMCRACK - ITS ON THE LINE
Jockey JJ Slevin feels he has major chance of Gold Cup glory with Fastorslow
LIKELY favourite Dinoblue won a Grade One at Leopardstown in December, beating Wednesday’s Queen Mother Champion Chase runner-up Gentleman De Mee. Only El Fabiolo was too good for her back over that course and distance last month.
The concern is that she has never won at beyond 2m 1f and that may leave her vulnerable to ALLEGORIE DE VASSY.
The selection bounced back from a below-par run to beat Riviere D’etel four lengths at Naas last month and she finished second to Impervious in this race last season when Pink Legend was more than five lengths back in third.
Stamina is not a worry for Limerick Lace, an easy winner at Doncaster last time after finishing second in Navan’s competitive Troytown Chase over three miles in November.
SELECTION: ALLEGORIE DE VASSY......................9-2
MAIN DANGER: DINOBLUE ....................................Evs
LIVE OUTSIDER: RIVIERE D’ETEL .......................18-1
TIPSTERS
ROBIN GOODFELLOW - PINK LEGEND
PETER SCUDAMORE - DINOBLUE
