Cheltenham’s second fixture of the season in the three-day November Meeting and it kicks off on Friday. The Grade 2 Shloer Chase is the big race on Day 1, with the Paddy Power Gold Cup and Greatwood Hurdle to come on Saturday and Sunday.
This £100,000 chase over two miles is a legitimate Champion Chase trial and a field of four has been declared for this year’s event.
Here we analyse the big race of the day and pick out three further strong fancies for Friday’s card, where they race from 1.10-4.00 and the main event takes place at 2.20.
2.20 – Shloer Chase (Grade 2, 2m)
The unusually quick conditions at Cheltenham, and all across the country this week, has had a significant impact on declarations and just four runners will take their chance. That means all finishers will earn a share of the £100,000 prize.
Nicky Henderson’s superstar chaser JONBON is amongst them and the 170-rated gelding should prove very hard to beat. Many share the view that Jonbon would potentially be better over further but his performance in the Celebration Chase in April suggests he has more than enough boot for his three rivals here.
Having missed the Cheltenham Festival, he made a winning return to action in the Melling Chase at Aintree, when getting the better of the Ryanair Chase winner, Conflated, Envoi Allen and Pic D’Orhy, who was uncharacteristically below-par on the day.
It was his four-length beating of his Arkle conqueror El Fabiolo at Sandown that really caught the eye and his jumping wasn’t always the most fluent, making his success even more impressive. This £570,000 purchase has more than paid for himself and it’s hard to see him getting beaten, especially as two of his rivals were behind him at Sandown.
Jonbon can be his own worst enemy at times and although the engine is clearly there, his jumping can be a problem. A good example of this is his defeat in the rearranged Clarence House Chase here in January but Nico de Boinville should ensure that he’s on his best behaviour.
Edwardstone is well set to fill the runner-up spot behind him once again, having done so in this race last year and in the Tingle Creek. The step up to an extended 2m4f didn’t go to plan at Kempton in January but he was a wide-margin winner of the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase at Newbury after that.
Alan King’s front-running 10-year-old could cause problems for Jonbon if he can jump and travel well from the front and put his rivals jumping under pressure. That seems unlikely though and this 164-rated gelding looks booked for second spot.
Boothill is an admirably consistent performer and his mark of 158 means he’s forced to run in these races rather than handicaps. Harry Fry’s nine-year-old has had wind surgery over the summer and that could facilitate improvement.
How much improvement is up for debate and both Jonbon and Edwardstone appear to have his measure. Ground conditions will be to his liking however and third-place could well be on the agenda. The yard is operating at a strike-rate of 38 per cent in the last fortnight, which does bode well for a big run.
Unexpected Party won the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival but his trainer has admitted that he’ll be following Jonbon around for some place prize money. His defeat at Carlisle earlier this week suggests that improvement will be needed if he’s to finish in front of any of his three rivals here.
SELECTION: JONBON
NEXT BEST: EDWARDSTONE
1.45 - Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Novices' Chase (Listed, 3m½f)
We’ll be on the lookout for Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase candidates here but frankly it would be a surprise if any of the four runners will be in the mix. A fair prize pot of £40,000 is on offer for this Listed novice over an extended three miles but conditions have put many off.
Springwell Bay heads the market and the Jonjo & A J O’Neill-trained seven-year-old was victorious at Chepstow over a shorter trip last month. Fairly useful over hurdles, connections are expecting more over fences and they rate this son of Kayf Tara highly.
HYLAND has been on the go throughout the summer and the quick conditions will suit nicely. Nicky Henderson’s gelding was an impressive winner over course and distance in October and a repeat of that effort would surely put him bang in the mix.
There’s a chance that it was a fluke, as the effort did come seemingly out of nowhere, but he looks like the one to side with at the prices.
SELECTION: HYLAND
NEXT BEST: SPRINGWELL BAY
2.55 - Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase (3m5½f)
The Cross Country races tend to divide opinion but they are interesting to watch. It often pays to have previous experience of the course here and two of the nine runners have faced this unique test before. Conflated heads the market but there are some question marks with regards to stamina and Gavin Cromwell’s FAMEAFTERTHEGLORY could be the one to side with.
He was last seen finishing second to Stumptown in a Cross Country chase at the Punchestown Festival in May and plenty went wrong in the race, so he did well under the circumstances.
Staying on well up the hill when third over course and distance in September, if giving himself a bit less to do this time, perhaps he can get his head in front.
French raider Sweet David is very interesting here and he finished second in a Listed contest at Craon in September. One would imagine a similar effort over a similar trip would facilitate a big run.
SELECTION: FAMEAFTERTHEGLORY
NEXT BEST: SWEET DAVID
3.30 - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2, 2m5f)
The market probably has this race spot on and unbeaten hurdler POTTERS CHARM has earned his place at the head of it. Local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies loves to have a winner or two here and this promising five-year-old could provide one.
He was a comfortable winner over course and distance last month and he seems likely to progress again. Victory here would earn back just under a third of his £105,000 price tag and he could be one to follow this season.
Valgrand was an impressive winner of a Grade 2 here over shorter when last seen and Gale Mahler was 17 lengths behind him that day. That performance was a head-scratcher as it came out of nowhere but he’s best placed to pick up the pieces of Potters Charm disappoints.
SELECTION: POTTERS CHARM
NEXT BEST: VALGRAND
