It certainly does not get any easier on the third day of the
Cheltenham Festival but the first two days have been very kind to me and I won’t be trying to knock it out of the park with the three below.
They all run in the handicaps, but look worth a bet to me.
2.10 Skandiburg at a general 10-1
The Irish look to have several that have been plotted up in the Pertemps Final but I cannot resist Skandiburg, who has been campaigned very openly for two victories on his last two starts.
In my view, the advantage Skandiburg may have is that he wins his races after the last and by relatively narrow margins and also may just save a bit for himself so the handicapper cannot clobber him that hard for winning.
He has gone up an aggregate of 11lb for his wins at Aintree and Cheltenham and could easily find a bit more in a race that will suit him perfectly. Olly Murphy is in good form and Gavin Sheehan gets on well with him.
4.10: Deyrann De Carjac at a general 10-1
Has shown himself a good jumper in this early stage of his chasing career, which began at Cartmel in the summer.
He has been highly tried on his past two starts but far from disgraced himself and now, dropped to a handicap for the first time over fences, might prove himself well in.
He beat Pym and Whatmore, who was placed at the Festival on Tuesday, at Huntingdon in November and since then has been placed in races won by Champ and Midnight Shadow.
5.30 Le Breuil at a general 13-2
Jamie Codd is the go-to jockey for this horse at the Festivals and it proved a very good booking when they combined to win the National Hunt Chase last year.
They can score again in this ultra-competitive handicap, which has obviously been among his targets for this season – the other being the Randox Health
Grand National.
Le Breuil has slipped a little in the weights for his efforts this season and I am sure that will be regarded as a job well done given the ceiling for this event is 145 - exactly the mark he runs off.
It is a tough race but Le Breuil has shown himself to be a tough horse here and I expect we will see the best of him on Thursday.