Day Three Cheltenham November Meeting Preview - 13/11/22

The first event on day three of the November meeting is the Novices' Chase over 3m 1/2 f and this race gives Mister Coffey a big opportunity to get back to winning ways.

A smart hurdler for Nicky Henderson when second on hurdling debut behind West Cork and then winning impressively at Sandown, he then went to Sandown in December 2020 and finished a fair third in a Listed Handicap Hurdle.

Rounding off his hurdling career he was a good seventh in the Betfair Hurdle behind Soaring Glory and then when upped to 2m4f was fourth in the Grade Three Pertemps Handicap Hurdle behind the well handicapped Tronador.

He was sent chasing last term and put up two decent efforts to start off over lesser trips, with his second at Kempton on Boxing Day in a good Novices' Handicap Chase behind the late flying Jacamar.

Sent to Sandown in February in the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices' Chase he bumped into the superb L'Homme Presse who franked the form at the festival.

Getting his first try at 3m2f he revelled in the trip at the Cheltenham festival when a narrow second in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase.

Dropped to 2m5f in the Topham at Aintree he ran no race not taking to the fences but back at Cheltenham in a much easier race, he should be primed to go close again.

The feature race of the afternoon at Cheltenham is the Grade Two Shloer Chase and Edwardstone if in the same form as last season should not be beat.

The gelding was exceptional last season going over fences, having a slight hiccup on debut when being bought down at Warwick when travelling well, next time out he put things right over the same C&D when taking a decent two mile Novices' Chase.

Stepped up to Grade One company next time out he went on to improve once more to land the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown, seeing off his closes rivals War Lord and Third Time Lucki by 16 lengths.

With the second and third since going on to frank the form, Edwardstone went to Kempton and also boosted it by making it a hat-trick of wins when landing the Grade Two Wayward Lad Novices' Chase.

He made it four in a row next time out at Warwick in the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices' Chase when easily seeing off Third Time Lucki again.

Sent off favourite for the Arkle at the Cheltenham festival he was an emphatic winner of the race under a great ride by Tom Cannon.

Looking to finish the season off with a third Grade One and sixth straight win he found Gentleman De Mee too good in the Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

Back for another season and getting 3lb off Nube Negra, although going into open company for the first time he looks extremely tough to beat.

Next up is the Jewson Handicap Chase over 3m 3 1/f for the stayers and we are putting up two runners that could go close.

The first is the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Fantastikas who was supposed to start off at Sandown last week but the meeting was abandoned, so now switched to Cheltenham he is primed for a big run.

A good hurdler for Nigel Twiston-Davies, he was sent chasing last term and got off the mark on seasonal debut at Lingfield with ease.

Pitched into the Grade Two December Novices' Chase at Doncaster he was second behind Threeunderthrufive and then went to Cheltenham in January and was a fair third behind Grade One winner L'Homme Presse in the Dipper Novices' Chase.

Back to winning ways at Lingfield in a Novices' Chase on heavy ground, he then went to the Cheltenham festival in the Ultima Handicap Chase and ran a cracker to finish seventh of 24.

Pulled up on his last start in the Scottish Grand National, he is back in an easier event and having a great record fresh and receiving weight off his rivals, he looks the value.

At a bigger price and interesting at the weights in Back On The Lash who was a winner at the November meeting last year in the 3m6f Cross Country Chase off 138, showing he loves Cheltenham and will get this trip.

Up to 141 after that he struggled in some decent races but getting back down to a mark of 133 for his seasonal debut at Worcester he was a good second to Finisk River in a 2m4f Hurdle event which would have set him up perfect for this event.

Racing off 1lb lower than when winning at Cheltenham last season he looks very interesting and around November time is the time to catch him.

The Greatwood Hurdle is one of the big handicap events at the November meeting and with a decent sized field holding up we have put up two selections.

The first is the Emmet Mullins trained Thousand Tears who could be extremely well handicapped for this event and this Irish handler knows how to place horses for a race like this.

The gelding has been well backed all week for this event given two runs on the flat for this yard since switching from John Burke, he was second of 16 over 1m4f at Roscommon behind Kerry National winner Busselton and then next time out at Ballinrobe was a fair third behind Midnight run.

A mark of 128 looks very fair for a horse that should improve for the step back over hurdles and like we mentioned, Emmet Mullins is a master with these sorts of horses when coming over to England.

Interesting and has been saved since then for this event.

Another one at a slightly bigger price that we thought could run well was Cormier for Brian Ellison, who won back to back races last year in good handicaps one over course and distance in January off 130 and then off 4lb higher at Kelso when he took the Morebattle Hurdle.

Last seen over hurdles when seventh of 26 in the County Hurdle at last year’s festival off 139, he races off 138 today and with handy conditional jockey Ben Bromley taking off 7lb, he essentially runs off 131 which looks an attractive mark for this proven handicapper.

Having runs on the flat since he will be bang on for this event.

The penultimate race of the afternoon at Cheltenham is the interesting Grade Two Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Iberico Lord for Nicky Henderson and JP McManus could have a huge career.

Bought off the back of one run in a bumper over 1m7f in France when winning very comfortably he fits the mould of a typical progressive type for this owner/trainer.

The yard have won this race in the past with Altior.

The final event of the afternoon is the Listed Bumper over 2m 1/2f and we have put up two interesting runners that should go close.

We start with Roger Pol for Jamie Snowden who has been seen twice to date, firstly in a PTP when second of nine at Ballingarry in May this year and then on rules debut at Worcester in October he took the eye when winning a decent bumper to get off the mark for his career.

The form of that race has took some nice boosts with the fourth for Sir Mark Prescott since bolting up at Lingfield in a bumper and if improving again should go close.

Looking to keep his unbeaten record going is the Fergal O'Brien trained Crambo winning on rules debut on Boxing Day last year at Huntingdon and then in March this year made it 2/2 when beating the talented Butch for Olly Murphy giving him 7lb.

Fergal has done well in the bumpers at this meeting in recent years and may have just targeted this event with this horse.

Rider Connor Brace takes the ride having won on him last time out.