Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Day One – Copybet

Sixmilebridge returns to Cheltenham as a chaser very much on the rise, and there was plenty to like about the way he picked up where he left off when making a winning seasonal debut at Ayr.

He travelled with purpose, jumped with the fluency of a horse that has clearly benefited from a summer of strengthening, and stretched away late in a manner that suggested there is still a fair bit left under the bonnet. For all that his novice hurdle campaign ended in frustration, he still remained a promising type.

Fences appear to have helped him channel that ability more effectively, and Fergal O’Brien’s measured approach looks to be reaping the rewards. A return to a more galloping course should suit him far better than the tighter tracks.

With proven stamina at this trip and the promise of further improvement to come, Sixmilebridge looks poised to win this and go 2-2 over fences.

Fugitif has been a standing dish in these competitive 2m4f Cheltenham handicaps, and even at ten he still retains the tools to land another big prize when circumstances fall his way.

Few in this field boast his blend of tactical pace, sharp jumping and proven course efficiency; time and again, he has delivered high-class efforts here, including a winning performance and a pair of cracking runner-up finishes in deep Grade 3s. When this track, trip and tempo align, he invariably puts himself in the thick of it.

His reappearance last month reads better on reflection. He moved through the race like the class act he is, only fading late on ground that was softer than ideal after a 212-day absence. That should have blown away the cobwebs, and he now returns to his optimum scenario: at his ideal intermediate trip, and a handicapping mark that still gives him room to strike.

Charlie Maggs takes off a valuable claim and knows him well, and the Hobson yard tends to have Fugitif spot-on for these midwinter Cheltenham assignments. Back on a course he thrives on, and with conditions more in his favour, he looks primed to outrun his odds once again.

Favori De Champdou lines up in the 15:00 at Cheltenham as a thoroughly intriguing contender, not least because this is a Cross Country test, a sphere in which Gordon Elliott has few equals.

Elliott’s knack for producing horses tailor-made for these unconventional challenges is well established, and his runners typically travel, measure the obstacles and switch into the unique rhythm of the course far better than most.

The decision to send Favori De Champdou down this route strongly hints that connections believe this marathon trip and demanding layout will play directly to his strengths.

Stamina has always been his calling card. He’s a smooth, economical jumper who keeps finding when others are starting to feel the pinch, and his Fairyhouse comeback was far more encouraging than the bare result. He moved well for a long way after a lengthy absence and should be considerably fitter now.

The Cross Country track places a premium on balance, composure and staying power, and Favori De Champdou has shown all three throughout his career.