William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty is back with his best bets for Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham, Wednesday
The Turners (1:20pm) is a race with a lot of depth to it. I was really taken by FINAL DEMAND in his maiden hurdle success at Limerick over Christmas, but his win in the Nathaniel Lacy at the Dublin Racing Festival was impressive. The thing that struck me about him was he looked like a horse that was in the process of learning. Paul Townend had to give him a squeeze and ask him after the second last but he kept picking up. To me he looks like a horse with a lot of potential. I have great respect for The New Lion, but we just don’t know where Final Demand’s ceiling is, and I think he could be very, very good.
I have great respect for Ballyburn in the Brown Advisory (2:00pm), and he was a good winner last time in Leopardstown, but I don’t think DANCING CITY has been recognised for what he has achieved. He’s not the flashiest performer, but he’s a proper three-miler. He won the Grade 1 three-mile novice hurdle at the Punchestown Festival last season, when he had Better Days Ahead over four lengths behind him. That was on good-to-yielding ground, so to me good ground won’t be an issue. He’s taken really well to fences, I think he’s a better chaser than he was a hurdler, and I think he’s been overlooked in the betting. I really fancy him.
The Coral Cup (2:40pm) looks an absolute minefield. I came down on IMPOSE TOI who was a good winner at Newbury back in November. He had some good form the previous season over two miles, notably when second to Luccia in a big handicap at Ascot. I think he has shown he has more to offer now stepping up in trip. We haven’t seen him since his Newbury win but that wouldn’t be unusual, with a view to protecting his handicap mark.
I’m going with old-timer GALVIN in the Cross Country (3:20pm). He ran a brilliant race in the Grand National last season when finishing fourth and considering that came in soft ground, which isn’t ideal for him, it was a great effort to be beaten by only eight lengths. He backed that up when a narrow second in the US Grand National over two miles five furlongs, which just shows that he still has lots of spark. He’s been a good performer in these cross-country races in the past and he’s down in the handicap since he was at his peak a few years ago. I think he’s the class act in the race.
For me the key to the Champion Chase (4:00pm) is Solness. He’s going to make it a proper test, as it’s going to be an end-to-end gallop, which I think is going to play to JONBON’s strengths. The question mark is whether Solness can reproduce the sort of performance he did at Leopardstown, because there was no fluke about that success. Jonbon is so consistent and has been brilliant in all three of his starts this season so he’s the one to beat, but I do think his main danger is Solness and he could offer some each way value.
JAZZY MATTY is a horse I think could be well-handicapped in the Grand Annual (4:40pm). He was a winner of the Fred Winter two season ago when ridden by the late Michael O’Sullivan, so it would be a very emotional success. Cian Collins is a young up-and-coming trainer and a very shrewd operator, and he’s campaigned this horse nicely. He’s had six runs over fences and he’s got Cheltenham course form from back in October, so he has experience. He finished second in a Thurles handicap hurdle last time, which should have left him spot on for this.
I know there is a lot of talk about the favourite Copacabana in the Champion Bumper (5:20pm), and Patrick [Mullins] has chosen him as well, but it’s not always Willie’s [Mullins] first string that tends to win this race. BAMBINO FEVER has won impressively on her last two starts. Mares tend to do well in this race, and I think the seven-pound allowance counts for a lot with these bumper horses. The mare she beat last time at Leopardstown has won since to frank the form. Jody Townend rides and she gets on really well with Bambino Fever. This race is never straightforward, but I thought she could be a little bit of value in what looks an open race.
