DAVY RUSSELL BLOG: Cheltenham Friday

Cheltenham’s November Meeting is always eagerly awaited, and it signifies the season is really getting into gear with the big guns often beginning to emerge, writes DAVY RUSSELL.

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🐴 CHUTZPAL – 1.10 Cheltenham

In the opening conditional jockeys’ race, I like the chances of CHUTZPAL. He’s done a lot of his running on the Flat through the summer and returned to hurdles at Listowel last time, when finishing a creditable second. Henry De Bromhead’s horses are in great form and he should come on from that. He’s ridden by Patrick O’Brien, who won the Martin Pipe at the Festival this year. I think Chutzpal has a good each-way chance.

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🐴 KINGSTON NARCISSUS – 1.45 Cheltenham

In the second race, I’m interested in Dan Skelton’s horse KINGSTON NARCISSUS stepping up to three miles for the first time. He’s been running some really good races in handicaps and I just feel he was tapped for a bit of toe at Wetherby last time. He’s left his hurdle rating well behind and he’s up to 130, and with possible improvement to come for this step up in trip, that entitles him to be very competitive here. He has plenty of experience over fences, which is to his advantage back in novice company. I can see him being dropped out and being given a typically patient Harry Skelton ride.

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🐴 SAINT SEGAL – 2.20 Cheltenham

The day’s feature, the Grade 2 Shloer Chase, is a very tricky contest. Jonbon has that slight hoodoo around him at Cheltenham. SAINT SEGAL is the only one of the four that has already had a start this season, so he will come here race-fit and he’s also the potential pace angle too. While some of the others probably possess more talent, if he goes to the front and jumps well, he might just be able to put his opposition to the sword with fitness on his side.

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🐴 COPPERHEAD – 2.55 Cheltenham

COPPERHEAD is of interest in the veterans’ chase. This is his seasonal debut, but he has some good form in the book, including when winning a race of this nature at Newbury last season. Off 134, he’s nearly down to a mark he has won off in the past, and I just feel that Joe Tizzard’s horses have hit the ground running this year.

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🐴 DIVINE DIVA – 3.30 Cheltenham

In the Grade 2 novice hurdle, I think DIVINE DIVA looks interesting. It was a very good run when third in a Cheltenham bumper last season. She disappointed at Aintree in the spring, but she was a very impressive winner when brought back to Cheltenham for her first run over hurdles last month. She gets the mares’ allowance and I thought she might be worth chancing in what looks a highly competitive race.

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🐴 FIRST ASCENT – 4.00 Cheltenham

Gordon [Elliott] has an interesting runner in the last race in FIRST ASCENT. His last run was on the Flat in Navan, but before that he had been running really consistently since joining Gordon. He has plenty of placed efforts over hurdles and was a good winner at Kilbeggan in September. While that is summer jumps form, I do think he could be capable of stepping up to a race like this. With it being a novice handicap, he brings plenty of experience into this, and could go well at a big price.

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