Five horses to follow at Cheltenham this weekend – including a festival winner, five-timer-seeker and an exciting novice hurdler
Cheltenham’s two-day December meeting takes place this weekend with the feature race, Saturday’s December Gold Cup (1.50), attracting 12 confirmations. There is a whole host of interesting names in contention on the undercard, and here are five who catch the eye.
12.40 Friday: 2m4½f novices’ chase
A disappointing chase debut at Sandown last season resulted in Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old going back over hurdles, and it proved worthwhile as he followed up his Pertemps Final second with a win in Listed company at Punchestown in May.
He is back over fences now and although he was a well-beaten second at Kempton last month, when he was sent off the even-money favourite in a five-runner beginners’ chase, he will have no doubt learned from that experience.
Jeriko Du Reponet: entered at Cheltenham on FridayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
This looks a sterner test, with the likes of Sixmilebridge and Royal Infantry among his potential opposition, but Henderson has won this race four times since 2016, including with subsequent Arkle winner Jango Baie 12 months ago.
1.50 Friday: 3m2½f handicap chase
Venetia Williams has not had the best start to the season, but Djelo’s win in the Peterborough Chase came at the right time as she primes his stablemate L’Homme Presse for his first start of the campaign.
The ten-year-old was last seen being pulled up in February’s Ascot Chase, but his two runs prior showed that there is still plenty left in the tank. He finished an excellent third to Banbridge in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day, before going two better to win the Cotswold Chase at this track in January.
L’Homme Presse (left): defeated Stage Star in the Cotswold ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
He will have to shoulder topweight but has won on three of his four outings to Cheltenham, including the Brown Advisory at the festival in 2022, and can go well again.
12.10 Saturday: JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, 2m1f
The Triumph Hurdle in March could well be under serious consideration for One Horse Town, who has been a revelation since joining Harry Derham from Joseph O’Brien.
The three-year-old has had 11 starts, nine of which have come for Derham, and is seeking to land an incredible five-timer after following up his two dominant wins in the summer with victories at Kempton and Cheltenham in the last two months.
One Horse Town and Paul O’Brien on the way to winning at Cheltenham last monthCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)
His course-and-distance success last time provided Derham with his first Graded winner, and the fact One Horse Town has been entered here suggests connections are prepared to have a crack at the big one in the spring.
1.15 Saturday: 2m4½f mares’ handicap chase
There appears to be no limit to the heights Jamie Snowden is climbing this year, and as well as having two potential December Gold Cup contenders in Ga Law and Colonel Harry, the Lambourn trainer could run this in-form six-year-old mare.
She was a well-beaten second at Plumpton in April but has since reeled off a hat-trick of victories and warmed up for this assignment by comfortably winning a similar race at Kempton last month.
Jamie Snowden: in-form trainer could run She Is For Me Boys at Cheltenham on SaturdayCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
The third that day, It’s Easy, franked the form when bolting up by 40 lengths at Bangor next time out, and it’s hard to look past Snowden, who last month fired in 20 winners from 47 runners in Britain.
3.00 Saturday: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, 3m
Olly Murphy enjoyed a big-race victory with Go Dante at Sandown on Saturday, and the trainer looks to have a strong fancy in this Grade 2 with They Call Me Hugo.
The five-year-old, who was a wide-margin point-to-point winner earlier this year, joined the yard in November and made a winning start to his career when scoring in a Ffos Las maiden last month.
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