Cheltenham Wednesday Preview - 14/04/21

The first race of the day at Cheltenham on Wednesday is the 2m4f Novices' Hurdle and Torn And Frayed for Nigel Twiston-Davies is a highly progressive horse that should go well again here;

The seven year old has got consistently better all the way through this season, heating the soft ground at the start of the term, but since the better ground has come, has started to turn into a seriously nice prospect.

At Hereford in February the seven year old got off the mark for the first time this season beating a smart horse for trainer Andy Irvine, who has since gone on to win both of his next two races.

In March Torn And Frayed went to Kelso and bumper into one for Paul Nicholls with Flash Collonges being a class above, but he still stayed on for second going clear of the third.

The gelding got back to winning ways last time out at Fakenham on good ground when taking a Novices' Hurdle by an eased down 20 lengths.

This is much tougher, but getting his ground and the way he is progressing he is hard to oppose.

The feature race on the card at Cheltenham on Wednesday is the Grade Two Ballymore Silver Trophy Handicap Chase and Coole Cody looks the value bet.

This 10 year old, although slightly older than most in this field loves it round Cheltenham and looks to have some of the best recent form on offer.

The gelding has been highly consistent this term, needing good ground to be at his best and on debut in August at Newton Abbot he got that and scored nicely.

He backed that up on his next two runs when close seconds at Newton Abbot again and at Cheltenham and that set him up perfectly for a crack at the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Over a similar trip to this race a Cheltenham, the gelding went on to land his biggest scalp of his career when taking the Grade Three event by close to four lengths.

He was sent back to Cheltenham after that trying to land the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup and having gone up in the weights he still managed to finish sixth of 17 runners.

Given a little break, he returned in the Grade Two Pendil Novices' Chase in February at Newbury and he was third of four runners, with the winner Tamaroc Du Mathan holding some close form with the Dual Grade One winning Shishkin.

Coole Cody headed back to Cheltenham last time out in the Paddy Power Plate at the festival and he managed to finished a superb fourth of 21 runners behind superstar The Shunter and Farclas.

Both the first and second have gone on to frank the form in better races and with conditions to suit Coole Cody looks tough to beat if turning up.

Next up is the 2m4f Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle and Proschema for the Skelton's could bounce back to form stepping up in trip.

The six year old was a smart second on his debut at Wetherby and although being pulled up at Cheltenham in the Greatwood hurdle has bounced back to form on the flat, landing back to back races in jumpers bumpers on the all weather.

He went to Newbury last time out back over hurdles and it was thought he would run well on the drying ground he likes but he ran no sort of race to finish fifth.

The form of that race has worked out however, with the winner going on to finish a close third in the Grade One Aintree Hurdle last week.

Proschema now stepped up in trip should give a much better showing and at an each way price is worth taking the punt.

The Class 3 Limited Novices' Handicap Chase sees a field of potential improvers and the biggest one of the lot seems to be the Olly Murphy trained Eaglehill.

The seven year old has come on leaps and bounds this season being taken over fences, winning two of his three events over the bigger obstacles.

Having been pulled up at Lingfield in heavy ground, he went to Taunton over 2m5 1/2f and was a decent winner of a small fielded event.

Given a penalty for that he still went to Plumpton on good ground and in the latter stages rallied to win quite cosily in a decent race.

He is up to a mark of 122 now but still seems to be feasibly treated and getting back onto a sound surface could see him progress once more.

This is tougher.

A Class 2 Handicap Hurdle over three miles comes next and the horse that looks to best handicapped horse in the field is Encore Champs for Dan Skelton.

With Harry Skelton chasing the jockeys title every race counts from now on and with this seven year old he looks to have a horse that can go close.

The gelding was seen for the first time this season in February when fifth of 10 runners at Kempton behind Hometown Boy, who has since gone on to frank that form at Aintree in a Grade Three event.

He may have needed the run that day after 11 months off the track and now on a workable mark and much fitter, he could close getting his quick conditions.

The penultimate race of the afternoon is the 3m2f Class 2 Handicap Chase and a horse at a big price that takes the eye from an each way angle is Beau Du Brizais.

The Philip Hobbs trained nine year old has been a frequent runner in similar events this season and having finished second twice on his last four outings means he has been knocking on the door.

In November the gelding gave his best run of the term to finish second over course and distance in the Cross Country Chase over 3m6f at the track.

He then went for the same race in December and with better horses turning up he could only finish fifth, still staying out the trip well.

Given a three month break he was last seen over 3m4f at Taunton when probably needing the run but still finishing a decent fifth of the five runners.

Back down to this trip will suit him and having performed to his best on good ground in his career, he is worth an each way stab at a double figure price.

The final event of the afternoon sees a decent Handicap Hurdle over the minimum trip with Elham Valley for Fergal O'Brien looking sure to run a cracker.

The gelding was previously with trainer John Gallagher and this term was given to O'Brien to be tried in the national hunt sphere.

On debut the three year old got over to a winning start at Sandown in a Juvenile Hurdle beating a decent field fairly easily and that form has since been franked.

He was then chucked straight into the Grade One Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow and he finished a fair fourth behind the likes of Adagio, Houx Gris and Nassalam who are all nice horses in their own right.

Elham Valley stepped up his form line again when third behind Monmiral, who has since gone on to take the Grade One 4-Y-O Hurdle at Aintree.

The gelding last time out gave his best run of the season when a very close third In the Boodles at the Cheltenham festival, being narrowly beaten by Jeff Kidder, who has since franked the form by winning a Grade Two and Saint Sam who has form tying in with the likeable Zanahiyr in Grade Ones.

If running to anywhere near his best he should take the event being effectively 4lb lower than his run in the boodles with Liam Harrison taking off 7lb.