Festival Trials Day: race-by-race guide and how to bet £20

The race sponsors have stablemates Billythrealbigred and Jagwaras their top-rated pair, with both also being in possession of a “p”, indicating they are open to further improvement. 

Front-runing Billythrealbigred has won his past five completed starts but this asks a different question of him, and he revels in heavy ground, which he is unlikely to get. 

Jagwar wouldn’t have finished too far behind Jingko Blue (who was conceding 8lb) at Uttoxeter last time but for a bad blunder at the final fence. He runs off the same mark and is bound to be popular, especially with Jingko Blue subsequently winning a Grade Two prize at Windsor, but he’s a skinny price. 

MASACCIO looks a decent each-way alternative reverting to handicap company after finishing a distant third to The Jukebox Man in the Kauto Star last month. 

He never got in a rhythm in that Grade One contest at Kempton and again failed to convince with his stamina, but he is back in shallower waters and drops back to a trip. 

His penultimate effort, when a keeping-on two-length runner-up to The Jukebox Man on level weights at Newbury (2m 4f), is the best piece of form on offer in this race. 

And it was only 13 months ago that he was pipped a nose by Jingko Blue in a novices’ hurdle at Newbury, when trying to give him 6lb. 

Burdett Road was unable to deliver for favourite backers in this race last year but his half-brother, EAST INDIA DOCK, who represents the same connections, can help put the record straight. 

Burdett Road had the misfortune to bump into Sir Gino but there doesn’t look a horse of his calibre for East India Dock to have to worry about on this occasion. 

This gelded son of Golden Horn, a useful stayer on the Flat, arrives with a very similar profile to Burdett Road (and the same pre-race official rating of 137) but looks a far superior jumper at the same stage of their careers, being tremendous in that department when routing the opposition at Cheltenham’s November Meeting. 

He's had ten weeks to refresh his batteries and during that time has been usurped as Triumph Hurdle favourite by Lulamba, who impressed when winning on his British debut at Ascot last weekend. 

This is a good opportunity for East India Dock to remind everyone of his powers. 

The form claims of Quantock Hills and Teriferma, who fought out a dead-heat here last month, are inferior, and it could be that Sauvignon and Stencil, who have been plying their trade in France up to now, pose a bigger threat. The handicapper rates Sauvignon as being 1lb superior to East India Dock but I’m not sure he’s got his sums right. 

I put up SOME SCOPE as an . Some will be worried about this progressive stayer dropping back in trip, but he doesn’t lack gears and his stamina is likely to come into play as there are a stack of runners in this who like to force the pace or be up with the gallop. It could well be teed up for a closer, and the Richard Hobson-trained seven-year-old fits the bill. 

Watch how

L'Homme Presse

has been nursed back to full health

It will be disappointing if L’HOMME PRESSE does not make the most of a good opportunity. 

He has the best form and is heavily favoured by the conditions of the race, as he escapes a penalty for beating Protektorat in last season’s Fleur De Lys Chase because that contest (with a first prize of £86,000) is not a Graded race or premier handicap. 

Moreover, the ten-year-old has been beaten only once in three visits to Cheltenham, with his reverse coming when a fine fourth to Galopin Des Champ in last season’s Gold Cup. Good ground would be a niggle for him, but the rain forecast to fall at the track Thursday night into Friday should ensure that is not a concern. 

The obvious danger is Gentlemansgame, who was a creditable third to Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase on his return last month, having signed off last season with a fine fourth to Fastorslow in the Punchestown Gold Cup. However, he must concede 6lb to L’Homme Presse and ran poorly in the Gold Cup last season, on his only previous start at Cheltenham. 

Chantry House won this race in 2022 but was getting his head in front for the first time since when winning a handicap here on New Year’s Day. He won that contest off a mark of 149 and faces no easy task meeting L’Homme Presse (rated 163) on level weights. 

Stage Star needs a revival and is not sure to stay, while Delta Work seems a fading force and Tommie Beau just isn’t up to this level. 

This should be a procession for the outstanding CONSTITUTION HILL, who is rated between 29lb and 50lb superior to his four rivals. 

The 2023 Champion Hurdle winner has had his travails over the past year or so, but most of his powers (if not all) looked intact when he fended off Lossiemouth to gain a historic third successive win in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton last month. The runner-up was entered for this at the start of the week, but her connections have decided against a swift rematch. 

This will be Constitution Hill’s first run over the New Course at Cheltenham – there is less jumping to be done in the last half a mile or so than on the Old Course and is more stamina sapping – but it should not make a great deal of difference to a horse who will line up unbeaten after nine starts. 

The opposition is clearly inferior, with little upside among them, and so the biggest threat to him is likely to be the eight flights of hurdles. He’s a swift, skimmy jumper who seems to enjoy throwing in some outlandishly long leaps, like the last in the 2023 Champion Hurdle and fourth at Kempton last time. That may cost him one day, but with a clear round he should avoid the indignity of being one of the shortest-priced losers the sport has seen. 

This looks tricky, but the obvious one in CRAMBO, who scooped a second successive Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot last time and has now won eight of his 13 races. 

His subdued runs at Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring of last season do leave a lingering question mark and I cannot be alone in wondering how he got beaten off a mark of 139 at Haydock 14 months ago, but on balance he's the safest choice, for all his price of 5-2 does not get my punting juices flowing. 

Strong Leader ran lamentably in the Long Walk and has to show that a breathing operation has got him back on track, while Botox Has was an also-ran in that contest. 

Gowel Road has become something of a cliff horse for me. He again gave his all when touched off by Lucky Reel in the  Relkeel here on New Year’s Day, but his jumping often lets him down and he’s had four tough races at Cheltenham since October. 

Monmiral returns to the scene of his surprise Pertemps Final victory but he’s going to need the principals to underperform if he’s to collect here. Kerryhill remains relatively unexposed but he disappointed on his return at Haydock – has since had a wind op – and will need to find a big chunk of improvement to make his presence felt. 

Last, but not least, we have

POTTERS CHARM

in the finale. This unbeaten five-year-old is not going to be much of a price, but finding chinks in his armour is not easy. 

He’s already impressed twice at Cheltenham this campaign, winning at the October and November meetings, and enhanced his reputation when landing the Formby Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day. 

That Grade One contest had plenty of depth and Potters Charm won despite dropping back to 2m, rather than because of it. There’s probably a bit of room for improvement in his jumping, although his RaceiQ Jump Index scores, which have ranged between 7.2 and 7.6, suggest he’s solid enough in that department. The official ratings suggest he’s got at least 10lb up his sleeve. 

Bill Joyce, Quebecois and Sixmilebridge all met in the Champion Bumper here in March, when they trailed home 15th, 16th and 17th respectively. I’m not sure any of the trio did themselves justice behind Jasmin De Vaux on the day, and at least they can jump better than the winner. 

Bill Joyce is the obvious one for the forecast, given that he was a good third to The New One in the Challow last time, and had previously beaten Quebecois fair and square at Sandown. 

1.15 East India Dock (Evens) 

1.50 Some Scope (12-1) 

2.25 L’Homme Presse (6-5) 

3.35 Crambo (9-4) 

4.10 Potters Charm (4-5) 

12.40 Masaccio (13-2)