What happened at Cheltenham yesterday?!

Published: Sat, 10/27/18

Great to have racing back at Cheltenham yesterday, wasn't it?

Well NTF members certainly think so!

I covered one race on Friday, this was the shortlist/conclusion...

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4.55 Cheltenham - Amateur Riders Handicap Chase

Shortlist

ANOTHER FRONTIER – 7/7

GOOHAR – 7/7

SAM RED – 7/7

CUCKLINGTON – 7/7

~~UNDER THE PHONE – 7/7~~ - Non-Runner

Conclusion/Selections

ANOTHER FRONTIER (N Twiston-Davies) – This lad is still unexposed after only 4 starts over fences and the form of his last two starts last season have both worked out pretty well so far. 3m – 3m1f trips look his game (114514 over those trips – 0/13 over all other trips) and there’s a good chance NTD has had this race in mind for the horse for a while, given his runners are 3/13, 3p in the race since 2006, improving to 4111 (3/4, 1p) with those aged 6yo or 7yo. He’s also a qualifier on the NTD mini-angle, which is always good.

SAM RED (D Skelton) – Has been a little in and out in recent starts but I think these conditions will suit and based on his 2^nd behind next time out Bet365 Gold Cup winner Step Back at Fakenham last April (when giving that one almost a stone) the 111 mark he runs off here (claimers 7lb taken into account) makes him look very appealing indeed. If you consider him under the following conditions... Class 3 & below | LH tracks | 1 or 2 starts in season... then you get a form line of 51121 (3/5, 1p – all 3 career wins) and those conditions are met here.

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As I'm sure many of you will have witnessed, SAM RED got up in the dying strides under a power-packed ride from his young pilot to score at 11-1 (backed in from a morning price of 16-1).

That's obviously not the full story though, there was certainly an element of 'luck' involved in the result as for the second time in a day on the chase track there was a horse running out on the run-in, jumping over/through the flimsy tape they pull across on the exit to the full course.

That undoubtedly needs sorted and sorted quick, it's happened before and it will happen again, there simply has to be a better solution than bloody tape! It's 2018, not the dark ages!

On this occasion, however, NTF members and I profited and profited handsomely from the incident.

>>Get Saturday's Cheltenham analysis NOW!

But you know what, it's swings and roundabouts in this great game and I've been on the opposite side of mis-fortune MANY times in the past and will certainly be on the wrong side of lady luck again in the future.

So when it goes my way like that, I'll take it, gladly. I feel the pain of those that were on the horse that ran out though, it's a cruel game this at times.

At the end of the day SAM RED was still running a massive race, he would have been a tasty each-way return in second had the leading horse not run out (or for all we know he might have still won, races do change so dramatically up that hill!). The analysis stacked up in what was a damn tricky race to pull apart (for the record I'd ruled out the other two on the shortlist due to both almost certainly being in need of the run, Goohar was 0/10 off a break of 46+ days although not that it mattered as he departed at the first and Cucklington was 0/11 off a break of 21+ days).

If you want to see the full race analysis guide I produced for NTF members then you can grab it HERE.

If you want to grab the analysis for today and for Aintree tomorrow then head HERE.

What else was going on at jumping HQ though?

Well I don't think I can go without mentioning the fans favourite that is LIL ROCKERFELLER.

Jeez that was a harem scarem round of jumping!?!

It's always tricky when you send a top-class hurdler chasing after spending two or more seasons over timber, it can be very hard for them to change their jumping technique. Not impossible, but often very hard. Lil Rockerfeller definitely showed signs of that today. I'd worry about him when meeting stronger opposition. He was miles clear of his opponents today (based on his hurdle form) and it was sheer class that got him home in front, that and his endless supply of guts. When it came to jumping technique he was probably the poorest in the entire field, and that's a big worry.

I hope I'm wrong, I really do, but I fear I'll be proven correct, unfortunately...

Ben (NTF)

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