Punters won’t want to be nursing too much of a hangover with Cheltenham getting under way at 12.10 on New Year’s Day. There is some top quality National Hunt action to greet 2015 and there could be plenty of festival clues throughout the card.
There are some decent staying novice hurdlers in the opener and I see no reason to desert Brother Tedd after two easy victories for Philip Hobbs. The market suggests that Different Gravey and Zeroeshadesofgrey will fight out the finish but I am surprised to see Brother Tedd as big as 11-2. Assuming all eight stand their ground, he looks a rock solid each-way bet at those odds.
The second race will take some sorting out and the Aintree race won by Oscar Time may hold the key. Alfie Spinner would probably come out on top on the bare form but I liked the way that Our Father travelled into the race before lack of fitness told in the closing stages. The grey was a top novice a couple of seasons ago and David Pipe knows how to get them ready for competitive races like this.
Ptit Zig was very impressive at Ascot and can beat Champagne West in the Dipper Novices’ Chase at 1.20. He looks a classy recruit to fences and was thought good enough to contest the Champion Hurdle last season. The only slight concern is that it is his first sight of the Cheltenham fences but he should have too much speed for the Philip Hobbs runner.
The big handicap chase of the day at 1.55 looks wide open. I studied the form for this race in some detail before concluding that Splash Of Ginge could be the value bet. I was disappointed to see the bookies chalk him up as favourite but it is fatal to change your mind. The best odds guarantee will come in useful if he goes bigger than 6-1 on the day.
Knight Of Noir is the selection in the handicap hurdle at 2.30 after his promising first run of the season. He travelled well throughout but was just out-sprinted from the last by Morito Du Berlais. That horse has gone on to run well in top handicaps since so Knight Of Noir should go well despite a 5lbs weights rise.
Finally, I am siding with Rock On Ruby in the two and a half-mile hurdle over the Henderson duo of Vaniteux and Beat That. I am a great admirer of Beat That but this trip looks short of his best and it may be significant that Geraghty prefers Vaniteux. Rock On Ruby loves it here and always looked in control last time out.
Brother Tedd 12.10 @11-2 Skybet
Our Father 12.45 @7-1 Paddy Power
Ptit Zig 1.20 @11-8 William Hill
Splash Of Ginge 1.55 @6-1 William Hill
Knight Of Noir 2.30 @5-1 Ladbrokes
Rock On Ruby 3.05 @3-1 Coral
