‘He looks a certainty at Cheltenham’ – the best of Upping The Ante episode seven with Johnny Dineen and David Jennings
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Your favourite duo are back to reveal their festive highlights – and look forward to the New Year’s Day action.
Stars of the week
‘He could trouble Final Demand’
Koktail Divin produced a “fierce effort” to beat established Graded horses and Dineen expects him to prove a big challenge to Final Demand in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
‘He deserves to be a Festival favourite’
Narciso Has jumped to the top of the Triumph Hurdle betting and Dineen believes he could be the one to beat in that contest. David Jennings feels he could be overpriced given what we have seen so far.
‘He has a turn of foot you don’t often see in a jumps horse’
Johnny’s clear number one was El Cairos, who was an unlucky faller but still made quite the impression at Leopardstown. Dineen highlights his turn of foot as quite remarkable for a jumper. Connections believe he could be extraordinary and he is the one to beat in the Supreme.
El Cairos: impressed despite fallingCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)
The festival squads
‘He comes alive in the spring’
Its On The Line won at Down Royal and Johnny Dineen fancies him to go one better in March having only been beaten a neck in the Hunters’ Chase last season.
Dineen said: “He’s been touched off at Cheltenham and he won the other day without cheekpieces on, which is a good sign. There’s not much in the division and I can’t see him not being on the premises in the Hunters’ Chase.”
David Jennings is excited about the 14-1 available for Bob Olinger to win the Stayers’ Hurdle again.
He said: “I thought he beat Teahupoo fair and square last season, and there was a little bit of spark in his run at Leopardstown. He’ll come on for it a lot, he comes alive in the spring and I think he’s far too big a price.”
Bob Olinger (right) and Teahupoo: Stayers’ contenders again?Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
Johnny’s festival squad
Romeo Coolio
9-2, Arkle Novices’ Chase
Doctor Du Mesnil
14-1, Turners Novices’ Hurdle
Jade De Grugy
25-1, Mares’ Chase
Its On The Line
9-1, Hunters’ Chase
DJ’s festival squad
Skylight Hustle
50-1, Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
Sir Gino
9-2, Champion Hurdle
Desertmore House
10-1, Cross Country Chase
Bob Olinger
14-1, Stayers’ Hurdle
Sortudo
25-1, Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
(Prices when advised)
Selections
Cheltenham New Year’s Day
Dineen thinks the day’s hot favourite Kabral Du Mathan is a shoo-in in the Relkeel Hurdle (2.35). He was a smart winner of a handicap on his stable debut for Dan Skelton last time.
He said: “He’s a certainty. I don’t think he’s too short because he’s taking on nothing. Lucky Place is going backwards, and he’s going forwards.”
Riskintheground is David Jennings’ selection in the feature Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (2.00), but Johnny is with Twinjets.
Kabral Du Mathan: fancied at Cheltenham on New Year’s DayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)
Dineen said: “He only went up 9lb for his two wins. He always threatened to be a good horse for Milton Harris, now he’s with [Paul] Nicholls and his jumping is good. He’s still got a bit of upsides.”
Elsewhere, there is a difference of opinion in the 2m4½f novices’ chase (12.50), with Dineen a fan of Regent’s Stroll and DJ fancying Califet En Vol. In the 3m1½f handicap chase (1.25), Inch House is DJ’s selection and Dineen is with Excello.
Naas
The Grade 1 Ballymore Novice Hurdle (2.25) is the chance for a standout Irish novice to come forward in the two-and-a-half-mile division and Sortudo looks the most likely for Willie Mullins.
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WATCH: David Jennings and Johnny Dineen on the Christmas action – plus a hot pick for the Arkle
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