Cheltenham Trials Day – Copybet
All eyes will be on Cheltenham on Saturday, a high quality eight-race card to be staged at the Prestbury Park venue - the track’s final fixture before the four-day festival in March.
The meeting, which gets underway at 12:05, features three competitive handicaps and no less than five Grade 2s, including trials for the Triumph Hurdle, Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Stayers’ Hurdle.
Maestro Conti – Cheltenham
Dan and Harry Skelton have a strong hand in the juvenile hurdling division this season and they look to hold the aces in this Triumph Hurdle Trial with MAESTRO CONTI.
The four-year-old impressed when winning on heavy going at Moulins in September for Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm and proved head and shoulders above his rivals when defying a penalty on his British/stable debut on good ground at Kempton last month.
He travelled strongly at the Sunbury track and settled matters quickly between the final two flights, pulling nine lengths clear without Harry Skelton getting at all serious.
This has been the plan since and he’s expected to maintain his unbeaten record, with a 3lb penalty of no real significance.
Jagwar – Cheltenham
Vincenzo and Imperial Saint, second and sixth respectively in the December Gold Cup here last month, recorded notable successes last weekend and that form looks set for another boost courtesy of the third-placed JAGWAR.
The Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained selection has an outstanding record at this venue, winning the novices’ handicap chase on this card last year off a mark of 132 before following up at the Plate Handicap Chase at the festival, off 139.
Up another 9lb, he wasn’t quite able to maintain his unbeaten record at this venue when third last month, but he was only beaten a length-and-three-quarters and must have every chance of defying his latest 1lb rise with fitness now on his side.
Fortune Timmy – Cheltenham
Chris Gordon’s FORTUNE TIMMY is rated within 5lb of likely short-priced favourite Act Of Innocence, yet has been installed at double figure odds.
The six-year-old is enjoying an excellent first season under rules, winning two of his three starts, most recently when scoring by 24 lengths at Fontwell on Boxing Day.
His only defeat came when third behind Nicky Henderson’s Old Park Star at Kempton in November, but there was absolutely no disgrace being beaten four-and-a-half lengths by that rival, who is now a strong favourite for the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.