Cheltenham Saturday tips – Copybet
It’s the second and final day of Cheltenham’s Christmas Meeting on Saturday, seven races scheduled from the iconic Prestbury Park venue with the action getting under way at 12:10.
There is quality throughout the card, the meeting kicking off with a trial for the Triumph Hurdle and followed by a host of hot handicaps, the highlight being the 11-runner December Gold Cup at 13:50.
Our expert has provided his top three bets from the meeting, with the NAP coming in the opener and longshot in the feature.
One Horse Town – Cheltenham
The Harry Derham-trained ONE HORSE TOWN has yet to put a foot wrong in four outings over hurdles and he looks set to extend his unbeaten run in this opener.
The son of Threat started out with Joseph O’Brien in Ireland and ran two respectable races on the AW for that trainer before being sold privately out of that yard a year ago.
He continued to run to a similar level on the Flat for Derham, going close on his stable debut over 7f at Chelmsford, and deservedly got off the mark at Kempton, upped to 1m3f in March.
However, the switch to hurdles has been the making of him and he has emerged as one of the leading British candidates for the Triumph Hurdle following a decisive all-the-way win in a Grade 2 on the Old Course here last month.
A 7lb penalty shouldn’t be insurmountable and he’s got 4lb in hand on his chief market rival, Minella Study.
Zertakt – Cheltenham
Venetia Williams has yet to hit the sort of form expected of her at this time of year, but there have been some encouraging signs of late, not least Djelo’s wide-margin success in the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on Sunday.
Indeed, there was a lot to like about the seasonal return of ZERTAKT at Newcastle last month, the seven-year-old collared on the run-in, having made a notable error at the final fence.
He’s still a maiden over fences after six tries, but he’s been exceptionally consistent, finishing in the first three on five occasions.
Zertakt has been put up 2lb for his comeback defeat, but has massive potential off his new mark of 116, having run to Racing Post Ratings of 119, 121 and 126 on his last three starts.
He’ll have fitness on his side now and makes plenty of appeal.
Imperial Saint – Cheltenham
Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s IMPERIAL SAINT was unable to justify favouritism on his return at Aintree last month, but he ran within 7lb of his best and is a major player in this feature handicap chase off a 1lb lower mark.
The seven-year-old did well over hurdles, but his form has gone from strength to strength since switching to fences, winning three times at Aintree off marks of 124, 128 and 137.
He’s by no means a one-trick pony, though, as he showed when finishing third over this course and distance in January, the gelding going down by two-and-a-half lengths and matching his career-best Racing Post Rating of 148.
Imperial Saint runs off an official mark of 143 on Saturday and represents excellent each-way value.