{"id":10345,"date":"2024-10-23T15:41:57","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T15:41:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fairbettingsites.co.uk\/?p=10345"},"modified":"2024-10-23T15:41:57","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T15:41:57","slug":"the-showcase-cheltenham-day-1-preview-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fairbettingsites.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/10\/23\/the-showcase-cheltenham-day-1-preview-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"The Showcase Cheltenham Day 1 Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cheltenham<\/p>\n

The Showcase Meeting at Cheltenham is the first chance in the new National Hunt season for Festival hopefuls to gain valuable experience of the jumps racing. Held towards the end of October before Halloween, this two-day event can provide pointers for the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n

All Cheltenham meetings matter to horse racing betting sites<\/a>, even a more modest one like this. The Showcase begins on Friday, 25 October and concludes the following day. Our experts assess and preview the best of day one action.<\/p>\n

Headlining the card is the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle, transferred to this fixture last season. Although an early trial for the Supreme come the Festival, it can also be informative for the valuable Greatwood Hurdle – a Premier Handicap over the same course and distance in November…<\/p>\n

The Showcase Cheltenham Preview Day 1<\/h2>\n

1:15 – 2m 4f Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-140)<\/h3>\n

Race-fit horses have an excellent record in this. The two in-form this autumn are Nicky Henderson inmate In The Air<\/strong>, who runs for third time in less than a month seeking his hat-trick, and\u00a0Callin Baton Rouge\u00a0<\/strong>on a four-timer.<\/p>\n

The latter has improved from a low base of 84 to the tune of two whole stone since joining current connections. It is fellow joint-bottom weight\u00a0LETTERSTON LILY <\/strong>who looks worth another chance. She unseated at the first hurdle around Chepstow under an inexperienced rider the last day.<\/p>\n

Sean Bowen is back aboard his father’s four-year-old filly, whose form ties in with Sharp Novices’ Hurdle favourite Gale Mahler and subsequent Persian War heroine Flying Fortune. The latter also hails from the yard. Letterston Lily looks well-weighted and the step back up in trip should suit.<\/p>\n

Others to consider for the Cheltenham Showcase opener include course winner\u00a0American Sniper<\/strong>, who had a pipe-opener at Chepstow. Racing off the same mark he won off here last November over further means he could be dangerous for David Pipe.<\/p>\n

Of those making their reappearance, Henry Daly’s Listed April Meeting third\u00a0Wyenot\u00a0<\/strong>could be well-handicapped. Off an unchanged mark of 123, her placed effort behind the 143-rated Golden Ace, who previously won a Grade 2 at the Festival, reads well.<\/p>\n

Push The Button\u00a0<\/strong>is probably better than his course and distance fourth from The Showcase at Cheltenham 12 months ago. That form has worked out well and he beat a useful mare in Cherie D’Am next time out, but hasn’t raced since for Sam and Nigel Twiston-Davies.<\/p>\n

1:50 – 2m Class 2 Novice Chase<\/h3>\n

\"ShecouldbeanythingAlmost certain to go an Irish horse. Four of the five runners hail from the Emerald Isle, but Gordon Elliott’s\u00a0SHECOULDBEANYTHING<\/strong>, who holds an alternative entry at Clonmel on home soil the day before, looks the one to be on.<\/p>\n

She has done little wrong since switching to fences and, although penalised for Grade 3 success last time, holds fitness over main market rival\u00a0Path D’Oroux<\/strong>. That one ran third in the Grand Annual over course and distance at the Festival for Gavin Cromwell.<\/p>\n

Although Path D’Oroux receives 1lb in weight from Shecouldbeanything under the race conditions, he’s 0 from 10 in this sphere. The Elliott mare meets Joseph O’Brien runner San Salvador\u00a0<\/strong>off the same terms as their Galway encounter.<\/p>\n

He has since landed a Grade 3 after landing another subsequent scorer at that level during the Listowel Harvest Festival. Everything about 2023 Fred Winter winner Jazzy Matty<\/strong>, meanwhile, suggests he wants further than this if wins around Wexford and Sligo are any indicator.<\/p>\n

Noble Anthem reversed past form with Dream Jet when scoring at Sedgefield last time out, but is in very deep water now. Adrian Keatley has other more obvious chances on The Showcase Cheltenham card than this.<\/p>\n

2:25 – 2m Class 2 Handicap Chase<\/h3>\n

\"MulryanLast season’s 1-2\u00a0DANCING ON MY OWN <\/strong>and\u00a0Triple Trade\u00a0<\/strong>appeal most with the former only 2lb higher in the weights than 12 months ago. Henry De Bromhead is in good form and his veteran 10-year-old is actually 4lb better off with the re-opposing runner-up.<\/p>\n

Triple Trade is one of two engaged for Joe Tizzard and back down to his last winning mark. That came at Ascot, however, where he jumped the last five lengths down and Harper’s Brook pulled himself up in front.<\/p>\n

Harry Cobden rides Triple Trade, while stable jockey Brendan Powell is on Silver Trophy third Scarface<\/strong>. He may the need run, but drops back in trip from that placed effort at the April Meeting.<\/p>\n

Two younger horses to note here are the locally-trained\u00a0Matata\u00a0<\/strong>for Twiston-Davies, plus Nicky Henderson five-year-old mare\u00a0Arclight<\/strong>. Both have good bits of form, but the latter’s frontrunning style found him wanting here on New Year’s Day. Arclight has never raced left-handed over fences before.<\/p>\n

3:00 – 2m Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle<\/h3>\n

\"JimmyImpossible to oppose in-form mare GALE MAHLER <\/strong>who routed the field by 10 lengths in Listed company during the Galway Festival.<\/p>\n

She just keeps on winning for Keatley and can make this a magnificent seventh success on the spin. Gale Mahler is odds-on but very difficult to take on.<\/p>\n

The entire field must give her a little bit of weight and her 135 rating sets a clear and obvious standard. Gale Mahler could go on from here into handicaps or even be back here in March for the Dawn Run.<\/p>\n