Cheltenham day 4

16:50 CHELTENHAM 

MILL GREEN   1  POINT EACH WAY  @ 33/1  – generally (5 places 1/5)  

This horse should have maybe won this race last year, standing start didn’t help and he was pushed along early… Ended up being last for most of the race and found every bit of trouble coming up the run in and still managed to finish 6th. Had a very similar trip to the bosses oscar who went close yesterday. like most of Nicky’s should like the ground and if he can get a better position early, I can see him out running his odds. 33s looks big. 

3.05 Cheltenham Minella Indo Advised Ante Post. A further 1pt ew 9-1 Generally 4 Places 

The win of Allaho has given me renewed confidence in the horse I thought would win the Gold Cup ever since he stuttered his RSA chance away last year. After a wonderful couple of first runs this season, a fall in December meant getting round was a priority next time out. It served to give us better value and the fact Jack Kennedy is on his back is great, as I fear Our Rach would have been too “kid gloves” with him. Let her run a massive race on A Plus Tard and we can nick the forecast. If Jack gets him rolling up front I expect him to stay there and storm up the hill Go Minella!! 

3:05 Cheltenham, Al Boum Photo, 2 point win, 3/1 generally

Two time Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo has been favourite for this race since crossing the line 12 months ago. The stable and jockey form of A Plus Tard is threatening his market position but that looks an over-reaction to me. Willie Mullins’s horses have still run very well this week.

Al Boum Photo has followed the same path to this race as in the 2 previous seasons. He is a through stayer at this distance and he also holds the class and pace to hold a position. He’s very solid and a repeat of what he has already done could be good enough for the hat-trick. He should be the clear favourite.

A Plus Tard stayed 3 miles at Christmas when winning at Leopardstown. He’s got a bit further to go still here and a stiffer hill late to climb. A Plus Tard was only third in last years Ryanair chase at the Cheltenham Festival and he needs a new personal best to beat an on song Al Boum Photo.

Champ has had a well documented unorthodox preparation for this race, running just once this year over 2 miles. He was keen to get on with things that day, which is a concern here. Champ jumped and didn’t travel well when winning at Cheltenham last year, which is another concern! He has plenty to prove and looks short at 5/1.

Minella Indo looked a contender for this race until a fall at Leopardstown at Christmas. He then got beat back there by Kemboy, that level isn’t enough but at least he jumped round. Frodon won’t stay in a strongly run Gold Cup and Native River in the race should ensure that’s what we’ll get. Santini isn’t likely to be quick enough to hold his place.

13:55 Cheltenham: McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

YOU RAISED ME UP 1 point each way @ 10/1 – Betway, Bet365, Boyles (6 places, 1/5)

Expect Petit Mouchoir to go off quickly. He can be tracked by Mengli Khan, Third Time Lucki, Gowel Road. Ganapathi should not be far away, with Captain Kangaroo, Champagne Gold and Ciel De Neige. Drop The Anchor, Fifty Ball, You Raised Me Up, Éclair Du Beaufeu and Buildmeupbuttercup. Towards the back might be Cayd Boy, Edwardstone and Milkwood.

I have the suspicion that You Raised Me Up is a very well treated horse off a mark of 141. This is a lightly raced horse who had smart form last season, including on his solitary start in a big field handicap, where he came third off a mark of 125. That does not immediately point to him being a leading player in this race, but he looks to have improved considerably this season. Martin Brassil’s runner won a maiden in September and was then put away until returning last month to win off a long lay-off at Naas over 2m 3f. That was a fine performance for several reasons. He beat a smart rival in Petibonome, a horse that had lost out to the smart Sneaky Getaway the time before, giving away 8lbs in the process. You Raised Me Up did that despite making a mess of the last two flights of hurdles and having a lot to do after the last, where he stayed on powerfully under pressure. He has been hit by an 11lb rise, but the way he picked up that day suggests there should be more to come. Good ground will help his cause. His trainer is a shrew operator who knows how to win at Cheltenham.

2:30 Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle

ALAPHILLIPPE 14/1 generally – 0.5 POINTS E/W (4 places, ⅕ odds)

ALAPHILLIPPE is an absolutely massive price. I can’t believe he is now 14/1 if I am being honest. This is not the strongest renewal of the race in my opinion and this horse has the right profile. You normally need a horse who has had a number of runs in the season and he comes here with 5 runs under his belt. He has won 4 of them and finished 2nd at Taunton, over a trip too short. He was stepped up to 3 miles for the first time at Haydock and absolutely bolted in. What I was impressed with how well he jumped. He is fast and slick over the hurdles and with others likely to make mistakes, he can make lengths at his hurdles. He just looks a straightforward horse who is underestimated. It would be a joy if this horse could win and give Fergal O’Brien his first Cheltenham Festival winner and I will be rooting for him. I really think this horse is a very dark horse who has not stopped progressing yet and if he was trained by Willie Mullins, Henry De Bromhead, Denise Foster, he would be a lot shorter in the market.