2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tips Dave Stevos
2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tips and Preview
We finally got a winner on the board on Wednesday with Put The Kettle On in the Champion Chase. Fiddlerontheroof also nicked some place money at 40s to ensure we made a small profit on the day. The Stayers’ Hurdle is the big race tomorrow and it looks a super renewal. Dave Stevos has had his head in the formbook again, check out his 2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday tips and preview below…
1.20: Marsh Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
The 20f Marsh Novices’ Chase kicks off the action on Thursday and eight go to post. The hugely exciting Envoi Allen is the market leader for his new trainer Henry De Bromhead. This horse has looked like a machine on his last couple of starts. He is a top prospect and he has a flawless record under rules, winning 11/11. Two of those wins came at this track. The Champion Bumper in 2019 and the Ballymore last year.
Can he be beaten? Of course he can, this is horse racing and he hasn’t exactly had an ideal preparation. Some trainers would never dream of even changing the bucket they feed the horse from in the lead up to a Championship race, let alone change yards. Yet, this is what has happened to Envoi Allen. The good news for his many backers is that Envoi Allen has taken everything in his stride so far during his career. Chances are, he’ll be in top form on Thursday.
Ground Concerns For Lad
The best back story in this race is Chatham Street Lad. Trained by charismatic Corkman Mick Winters, this fella earned his place in this race when running away with the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup back in December. Barely two months earlier he was winning his first chase off a mark of 118 at Ballinrobe. He is now rated 156 so it has been a rapid rise through the ranks for him. However, soft ground seems to be a necessity for the son of Beneficial. He has yet to win on ground with good in the description.
If the return to Cheltenham sparks him back to his best, Darver Star looks a big price. It was only a year ago that he ran so well in the Champion Hurdle and he won really well on his chase debut at Punchestown (17f yld). Two of his next three runs were poor, but he did run well his sole start on yielding at Leopardstown when he probably hit the front far too soon. Still, he was only beat 4.5L in that Grade 1 and he had excuses for his poor run last time.
The ground was too soft for him at the Dublin Racing Festival and his yard wasn’t firing at the time either. Today, the ground should be absolutely perfect for the son of Kalanisi. He will be well suited by the step back up in trip to 20f too. Darver Star possesses some of the best hurdles form in this and he has placed festival form in the book. 33/1 looks a pretty big price if you forgive him his last run and at those odds, he has to be worth chancing e/w.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tips: Darver Star e/w @ 33/1
1.55: Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)
The first big handicap of the day on Thursday is the 24 runner Pertemps Hurdle. Three miles is the trip and Sneezy Foster will be looking to maintain Cullentra House’s stranglehold on this race. The yard are hoping to complete a four timer after wins for Delta Work and Sire Du Berlais x2. They will be relying on The Bosses Oscar to bring home the bacon in 2021. He has been freshened up, he’ll like the ground and he has an obvious chance for Jack Kennedy. That is well reflected in his price though.
Fergal O’Brien fires two bullets at the race and Imperial Alcazar heads the market at around 5/1. He has won his last two starts on heavy ground. However, at a much bigger price I think his stablemate Ask Dillon could surprise with a bold showing. This son of Ask, thought good enough to run in the Stayers’ Hurdle last year, gets into this race off 144. He has been running well without winning this season on ground probably on the soft side for him.
His two career wins have come on soft/good to soft and he has plenty of form in the book that suggests he can be competitive off his current rating. He was beat just a head off 142 at Carlisle back in December. He was just over a length behind the winner at Chepstow off 143 on his penultimate outing. His form figures on good to soft read 221, including a bumper 2nd behind McFabulous. His jockey’s claim means he is effectively running off 137 today. With 7 places on offer, Ask Dillon is the e/w selection at 28/1.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tips: Ask Dillon e/w @ 28/1 (7 Places Skybet)
2.30: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
What a line up it is for this year’s Ryanair Chase. Fourteen horses have stood their ground and it really is a cracking contest. I am a huge fan of Dashel Drasher and he more than deserves his place in this field. He is a smart and accurate jumper, he has won his last three in a row and he is a former course winner on good ground. He has an awful lot going for him but this is by far the toughest task he has faced to date. Matt Griffith’s mount is almost certain to give his running though. Even if he doesn’t win, he will go out on his shield.
Mighty Min is sure to be popular with Irish punters and he is the favourite. He landed this race in 2020, edging out Saint Calvados by a neck. He won a heavy ground Grade 1 at Punchestown on his return to action, beating Tornado Flyer by a length. However, the son of Walk In The Park ran an absolute stinker last time over 17f at Leopardstown. If the real Min turns up he will be the one to beat but the fact remains he has won just once in four attempts at The Festival.
Steel To Go Well At A Price
Real Steel has clearly taken a while to get settled in at Paul Nicholls’ yard. Formerly trained by Willie Mullins, this 8yo son of Loup Breton will appreciate the drying ground at Cheltenham. On his last start for Willie Mullins he ran in the 2020 Gold Cup and he was a big eye-catcher. He travelled and jumped beautifully and he was bang there jumping the last. He faded in the last 100 yards into 6th, 7L behind Al Boum Photo.
That run suggests that the Gold Cup trip stretches his stamina and he drops back in distance today. Five of his best runs have come at around 20/21f and he was only 4L behind Min when they met over 21f at Punchestown. Tornado Flyer was a horse I fancied to run well in the Champion Chase but he turns up here instead. However, his best recent run behind Min was on heavy and the ground may be too lively for him. With extra places on offer I am going to back Dashel Drasher and Real Steel at 25/1.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tips: Real Steel @ 25/1 NB; Dashel Drasher @ 25/1 (Both 5 places)
2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday: 3.05 – Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
It was another win for the Irish in the Champion Chase on Wednesday. Will it be more of the same in Thursday’s feature? I am pleased to see that my 25/1 e/w tip Fury Road has been very well supported. He is into as short as 6/1 in some places and his run behind Monkfish in last year’s Albert Bartlett was franked on Wednesday. This drying ground should enable him to turn around the form with Beacon Edge who beat him last time on heavy. I wouldn’t be backing him at his current odds though and he won’t have it all his own way with the likes of Paisley Park in the field.
Emma Lavelle’s stable star won this race in scintillating style back in 2019. He was badly out of sorts last season but judging by his form this season, that was only a blip. The son of Oscar looked as good as ever when chasing home Thyme Park on his seasonal bow at Newbury. He then turned that form around last time out at Ascot on heavy ground. I think today’s good to soft ground will be right up his street and if he produces his best the rest could be playing for place money only.
Oscar Bids To Retain Crown
Lisnagar Oscar pulled off a huge shock in this last year for Rebecca Curtis and Adam Wedge. His first two runs this season suggested that may have been a flash in the pan. However, it was much more like it at Haydock last time. He went down by less than a length to Third Wind on soft ground but it was admittedly a much weaker race than this one. The ground today is a worry too because his best form by far has come on properly soft ground.
Flooring Porter is something of an unknown quantity. Gavin Cromwell’s charge slammed The Storyteller, Fury Road and Sire Du Berlais on his first Grade 1 start at Leopardstown over Xmas. He looked a proper stayer that day but can he back it up? The ground will be very different today and he lacks course form so the percentage call is to oppose. Sire Du Berlais is looking to win at The Festival for the third year running but he is a 9yo now. He had no excuses the last day on his first run at the top table.
Beacon Could Shine For Meade
At the current odds, Beacon Edge makes most appeal from an each way perspective. Noel Meade was in the winner’s enclosure on Day 1 so clearly his horses are in fine fettle. This horse beat Fury Road last time out on his first try beyond 20f on heavy at Navan. It was a superb, brave effort and it is encouraging that he possesses plenty of form on better ground too.
He won his bumper on good ground and he was only 3L behind Envoi Allen in a good ground bumper at Leopardstown. His three runs over timber on yielding have produced form figures of 311 with the third coming in a Grade 1 bumper at Punchestown. His 3/4 length defeat to Honeysuckle at Fairyhouse looks alright now too and his dam’s half-sister, Jessie’s Dream, was beat a neck in the RSA Chase so the chances are that he will stay this trip. At odds of 18/1 Beacon Edge is the each way pick.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday: Already Advised Ante-Post Fury Road @ 25/1; Beacon Edge e/w @ 18/1 (5 Places)
2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday – 3.40: Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
The one I am interested in for this 20f handicap chase is Champagne Court. He is trained by Jeremy Scott and Nick Schofield, who was a winner on Sky Pirate on Wednesday, is on board. To say this horse has been frustrating to follow is an understatement. I was really taken by him when he won his maiden hurdle at Exeter but he failed to win another race over timber. He did run really well at the festival in a handicap when 4th behind Early Doors but apart from that he was basically disappointing.
He looked a different horse when he switched to chasing in late 2019. Jerermy Scott’s charge won a pair of Novice Chases in tremendous style and they earned him a rating of 143. That was as good as it got though as he was beaten off that mark twice afterwards, including when 8th in the Listed Novice Chase at The Festival in 2020. He had a wind-op after his run here last March which suggests the may have had some breathing issues.
His first four runs this season were poor, although he did show up well for a long way on his return to action over timber at Cheltenham. His last run, off 135, was very encouraging when he finished just 3.5L behind Espoir De Teillee at Warwick in first time cheekpieces. Those are retained today and he is now 1lb lower than for his last outing. He isn’t one for maximum stakes given his overall profile but I am convinced there is a big race in him. Hopefully it is today. At 33/1 Champagne Court is the e/w pick.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tips: Champagne Court e/w @ 33/1 (6 places Skybet)
4.15: Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
Thursday’s penultimate race is this Grade 2 novices hurdle for the girls. A field of 15 are due to go to post and this has been a Willie Mullins benefit since it was first run in 2016. However, if the betting is to be believed his record could be under threat. The bookies have Peter Fahey’s Royal Kahala and Jonathan Sweeney’s Roseys Hollow at the head of the market. They locked horns in a heavy ground Grade 3 at Fairyhouse last time and Roseys Hollow prevailed by 2L. There is unlikely to be much between them again. But, can they repel the four pronged Willie Mullins challenge?
Gauloise looks to be Clonsutton’s best hope with stable jockey Paul Townend on board. She was back in 3rd in the same Grade 3 as the top two ran in last time and she has over 3L to find with the winner. Glens Of Antrim (Jonjo O’Neill jr) and Hook Up (Danny Mullins) are single figure odds too and both are deserving of respect hailing from the Mullins operation. However, none of those three mares are proven on decent ground, unlike the mount of Brian Hayes, Pont Aval.
Take A Punt On Pont
This mare is very lightly raced for an 8yo. She won her bumper on good ground at Ballinrobe and she was then missing for nearly two years after a below par display in a Grade 3 bumper at Punchestown. When she returned to action at Limerick she was pulled up. However, that was likely down to the extremely testing ground. It was much better last time on soft at Punchestown when she took a maiden hurdle by 9L.
She won that race in spite of the conditions in my view. I think you’ll see an even better mare on this nicer ground. Her sire Soldier Of Fortune’s progeny tend to appreciate a sound surface. Also, her full sister Ponte Fortune won two flat races on good and good to soft in France. Willie Mullins won this with rank outsider Eglantine Du Seuil a couple of years ago (we were on) and hopefully he repeats the trick with Pont Aval. He says in his race preview that this mare wants softer ground, but I disagree. At odds of 25/1 with 5 places available from Skybet, she is the e/w pick.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Thursday Tips: Pont Aval e/w @ 25/1 (5 Places Skybet)
4.50: Kim Muir Handicap Chase (Class 2)
The finale at Cheltenham on Thursday is the Kim Muir handicap. Stamina will be the order of the day in this 26f contest and Plan Of Attack looks the obvious one. He has had a stinker of a season so far but he ran a blinder in this off 140 last year and he is back for a repeat bid off 2lb lower. His trainer Henry De Bromhead is having a great week, as is his jockey Rachael Blackmore. It would be no surprise to see him bounce back with a big run in the first time blinkers but I’ll be taking a chance on one at bigger odds each way.
I fancied Go Another One to run big in this last season but the rain ruined his chance. This horse is a proper tool when he gets his ground, like he did when hacking up by 17L at Cork back in August. That run came after a 143 day break and his trainer has wisely freshened him up for this race. He shaped nicely in a hurdle race on his last start in October, finishing 3rd behind The Bosses Oscar at Thurles.
His record when returning from an absence of 50 days or more is 1432111F1 and Simon Torrens takes off a valuable 3lb. Some Neck ran well for John McConnell in the X-Country and I think this fella could go even closer. With 6 places on offer from SkyBet, Go Another One is the e/w NAP of the day at odds of 33/1.
