Cheltenham November Meeting Day Two tips – Copybet
The November Meeting at Cheltenham is one of the best three-day fixtures at the Home of Jump Racing and day two takes place on Saturday in the Cotswolds.
There are seven races at Cheltenham from 12:35-16:00 and Dan Skelton is on the charge in his bid to land a first trainer’s championship.
There is also strong Irish representation on a day when Ireland legend Edward O’Grady is commemorated in the big race.
Vincenzo – Cheltenham
The big race of the day can go to Vincenzo, who was a massive improver in four starts over fences last season and remains unexposed after only one outing over this 2m4f distance.
Vincenzo was beaten only a length and a quarter on that occasion behind Booster Bob in a hot handicap chase at Newbury and had previously won two of his preceding three starts over fences, with his other defeat coming at the hands of the Grade 1-winner Kalif Du Berlais at this track.
There is a strong chance that Vincenzo can find even more improvement now that he has had another summer behind him and he remains unexposed to the handicapper, despite having been raised 3lb for his Newbury run. He could rate a lot higher than 137 in the future.
Trainer Sam Thomas has a useful 3lb claimer booked, the stable is in flying form, and a tongue-tie goes on for the first time. That might help him find further progress.
Herakles Westwood – Cheltenham
The 3m1f amateur jockeys’ handicap chase is one of the more competitive races on the card, but Herakles Westwood looks by far the most exciting runner in the line up.
The Warren Greatrex-trained eight-year-old was giving subsequent Ultima winner Myretown a race when that rival fell at Windsor in January and Herakles Westwood went on to win well that day. It proved he handles soft conditions and the form looks very strong in this context.
Herakles Westwood went on to finish seventh in a hot running of the National Hunt Chase at the festival here in March and this will be a significantly easier task than he faced that day.
Top Irish amateur Finian Maguire has been booked to ride Herakles Westwood and the softer the ground the better for this son of Saddler Maker, whose progeny love the mud.
C’est Different – Cheltenham
I’m hoping that it will be a good day for the Sam Thomas yard because Vincenzo is fancied to land the big one and C’est Different can go well in the 2m5f handicap hurdle.
The lightly raced five-year-old was steadily progressive last season and took off in February, when following up an easy victory on his handicap hurdle debut at Carlisle with a win at Chepstow just five days later on much softer ground. That shows he will handle conditions.
C’est Different is 20lb higher in the weights now and goes from 2lb out of the handicap, but he is totally unexposed and it’s hard to know just how good he might be. Thomas certainly wouldn’t be running him here if he were a no hoper and there should be lots more to come.
Jockey Dylan Johnston will be getting down near to his lowest weight to ride C’est Different and who knows how much improvement the youngster will have found over the summer break. That makes him just the type of horse to be interested in at what should be a price.