Cheltenham Festival: Dave Nevison's top tips for Wednesday
Our resident website tipster Dave Nevison marks your card for day two of the Cheltenham. Enjoy every moment from Prestbury Park with live coverage from 10am on Racing TV.
2.50 Cheltenham: Run For Oscar and Benson
Irish runners make up the majority of this massive Coral Cup field - which is a clear sign of current times - and I have a strong fancy for Run For Oscar, who seems to have plenty going for him off his mark.
He is a seriously improved horse on the Flat, winning the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last autumn and will no doubt figure in big races at Royal Ascot this summer. His hurdles campaign looks to have been geared up to this Festival run and he could probably have finished closer at both Haydock (slow-run race didn’t help) and Punchestown, where a mistake late on cost him a place. I believe that connections won’t have been too bothered about those performances as he had been on the go for a long time and he will be fresh and well now after an 11-week rest.
Claiming riders have won the last two runnings of this race and given these big handicaps are so competitive taking 5lbs off evidently does confer an advantage. I see the booking of Patrick Byrnes as a positive.
Benson is a rare Festival runner for Sandy Thomson, but could be an ideal type for this race given his come-from-behind running style. He came from a way back to win the Morebattle Hurdle last weekend and still had running in him after passing almost the entire field. He is much improved and a 5lb penalty should not stop him going very well here.
Given his connections, he will be a price and might just provide Scotland with a winner on what I am hoping could be a good meeting for the nation.
4.10 Cheltenham: Delta Work
Delta Work is now the standing dish in these sort of races and the 10-year-old will be around for a good while longer yet all being well. He won the Cross Country last season - spoiling the party for his stablemate Tiger Roll - and even though high-class Galvin represents strong opposition I think he looks good for a follow-up victory here.
Delta Work arrives here after a run in a Grade Two hurdle last time where he was never seen with a chance, but he finished well and was not knocked about in any way. He will be spot on for this and, after another win, I am hoping he will go on to be at least placed in the Grand National in a few weeks.
4.50 Cheltenham: Andy Dufresne and Before Midnight
I got on Andy Dufresne at 11-1 the day before this race last season, confident that he was a plot and had been laid out for this event. I was beaming as the price absolutely collapsed on the morning of the race and was very happy for most of the race itself before he ended up just being run out of it by a very well-handicapped winner.
All of his runs since don’t add up to a lot but the handicapper has taken the view that in the right race he might still be able to hit top form, leaving him on the same mark as last season. I have little doubt that this is the target race and, as he owes me nothing having got the place money last year, I’m happy to go in again.
Before Midnight could be an interesting English outsider from one of my favourite trainers, Sam Thomas.
An uncharacteristic mistake at the last at Doncaster cost him a couple of places but also likely got him dropped 1lb to now drop below his latest winning mark. His jumping is usually an asset, he has won around the course and could be very well suited by a race as competitive as this.
Before Midnight will be able to sit just behind what will be a very well-contested lead and hopefully Sam Twiston Davies will be able to deliver him after the last.
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL: WATCH & READ MORE
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✍ HARRY ALLWOOD'S BEST BETS IN THE HANDICAPS
🐴 A SUPER STATISTIC FOR EVERY RACE
📅 I WAS THERE: EIGHT MEMORABLE FESTIVAL DAYS
✍ DAN OVERALL STUDIES THE 9 HANDICAPS
✍ 11 THINGS WE LEARNT WHEN THE WEIGHTS WERE RELEASED
😲 WINNERS WHO HIT 999-1 IN-RUNNING AND EPIC LOSERS
🐴 BETTING OFFERS AND FREE BETS
RACE GUIDES AND STABLE TOURS
✍ CHAMPION HURDLE RUNNER-BY-RUNNER GUIDE
✍ CHAMPION CHASE RUNNER-BY-RUNNER GUIDE
✍ GOLD CUP RUNNER-BY-RUNNER GUIDE
📺 WATCH: GORDON ELLIOTT ON HIS LEADING CONTENDERS
📺 WATCH: WILLIE MULLINS ON HIS LEADING CONTENDERS
📺 WATCH: MARTIN PIPE - RACING GREAT
