2021 Cheltenham November Friday Tips

Yibir ensured we didn’t go without a winner at the Breeders’ Cup. Dunbar Road very nearly made it two but missed out by a flared nostril. We also nicked a lovely place with Giant Game at big odds. Now the focus returns to the domestic action and the November Meeting at Cheltenham. There will be four live races on ITV4 and Dave Stevos has previewed them all. Check out his 2021 Cheltenham November Friday Tips and preview below.

1.45 – Handicap Chase (Class 2)

First up on Friday at Cheltenham’s November meeting is this 16f handicap chase. Just nine runners will compete for the £23k first prize and Magic Saint is the 3/1 fav. Paul Nicholl’s 7yo son of Saint Des Saints is not one I’d be interested in. Yes, he won this last year off the same mark after a prep run. However, that prep run was a lot better than his effort at Wetherby a fortnight ago. Since that win he has run one good race from six starts and while he could bounce back to form, I wouldn’t be backing him at 3/1.

The one I am taking a chance on at bigger odds is Fanzio. This 6yo son of Day Flight races off a career high mark of 138 today. He ran poorly over hurdles subsequently but this will be his first outing over the bigger obstacles since his 11L romp at Perth (16f gd) off 130 back in April. That was his 4th win from 13 chase starts and he has placed on another 7 occasions so he is generally pretty consistent in this sphere.

Lily Pinchin is a decent claimer and she takes off a handy 5lbs. That means Fanzio is effectively just 3lb higher than he was at Perth. He has tended to need his reappearance run in the past but that was also the case with Saint Xavier, a winner in France for Hobson last week after a 168 day break. Trip and ground look ideal and if he is fit and ready to go, Fanzio could outrun his odds of 20/1.

2021 Cheltenham November Friday Tips: Fanzio e/w @ 20/1 NB

2.20 – Novices’ Chase (Class 2)

What a spectacle this race promises to be. A huge turnout with two runners fighting it out for a £25k purse. My Drogo is the odds on favourite for the Skeltons. A hugely progressive sort last season, he is rated 7lbs higher than his sole rival Gin On Lime and he gets 1lb in weight from her. Since making his debut in a bumper here in October 2020 he has gone on to land a maiden hurdle, two Grade 2s and a Grade 1 hurdle at Aintree. He is by Milan and out of a Midnight Legend mare so his pedigree suggests he’ll make a chaser. It’ll be interesting to see how he takes to this discipline.

Gin On Lime, on the other hand, has loads of chasing experience. A hurdle winner in France, she failed to win on her first four runs for Henry De Bromhead. However, on her return from a 168 day break in May she landed her first win in a Mares’ Chase at Killarney (by 42L). Since then her form figures read 1121, including a place and a win at Grade 3 level. This mare will bounce out and try to make all. Having chasing experience is a big plus and My Drogo won’t have it easy. If I was having a bet I’d back Gin On Lime at the prices but this match race makes no appeal. Hopefully we don’t have many more farcically low turnouts at Cheltenham this season.

2021 Cheltenham November Friday Tips: No Bet

2.55 – X Country Handicap Chase (Class 2)

This is a strange race with a few of them miles out of the handicap. That was the case last year too and two of the worst treated horses in the race finished 1-2, both at 22/1. The 161 rated Balko Des Flos is top weight and his presence means that the bottom five in the handicap are 5lbs, 8lbs, 13lbs, 21lbs and 30lbs wrong at the weights.

Balko Des Flos is the fav but surely all roads lead back to Aintree for him. He ran a blinder in the National last season off 152 and he is rated 161 now. Connections will surely be trying to get him back down to something like last year’s rating for the big one in the Spring. Diesel D’Allier is next best in the betting for Richard Bandey and Harry Bannister. All his best form is on soft ground, including when winning this in 2019 off 12lbs lower, and surely he is best watched.

Freewheelin Interesting

Back On The Lash is a former Cheltenham hurdle winner but that was at 17f. He just about hung on when he won over 24f for the only time and I’m not sure this 30f trip will suit him. He looked a non-stayer when well beat his sole try at further than 3 miles. Freewheelin Dylan makes most appeal of those at the top of the betting. Last year’s 150/1 Irish National winner will stay this trip and he is usually a dependable jumper. He ran well off 145 two starts ago so 147 shouldn’t be beyond him and he goes well fresh.

Another one who will get this trip is Newmarket raider Friends Don’t Ask. I though he might run well in the Eider last season but he probably lacked a bit of experience. Since then he has won three chases at 26f and he won over 31f the race before he ran in the Eider. Good ground suits and while he ran poorly last time when fav at Wincanton, he is better than that. Friends Don’t Ask is rated 114 and he races off 135 here, which isn’t ideal obviously. However, with question marks aplenty about those at the head of the betting, I think he is worth a small interest e/w at odds of 40/1 with an extra place available.

2021 Cheltenham November Friday Tips: Friends Don’t Ask e/w @ 40/1 (4 places)

3.30 – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)

Another relatively small field with just seven going to post for this 21f Grade 2 hurdle. Six of the seven won last time out but none were as impressive as Gelino Bello at Aintree. He landed a maiden by 6L and he had previously run well in a Listed bumper at Newbury. This represents a big step up in class for the French bred 5yo and Off Your Rocco’s form is arguably stronger.

Gordon Elliott’s son of Shirocco is rated 140 after successive wins in Novice (16f gd) and Listed (21f sft) company. At the current prices I would definitely prefer to be with the Irish raider at 3/1 rather than taking 11/8 about Gelino Bello.

Blazing Khal represents Charles Byrnes and he is also on a hat-trick, he landed a heavy ground bumper at Limerick (16f hvy) before scoring in a Galway maiden in October (19f sft). The better ground here is a worry for him and he needs to improve markedly to trouble the top two.

Mood Looks A Decent Price

The one I like at a decent price is Current Mood for Adam Wedge and Evan Williams. This mare came has a couple of P2P wins in Ireland and she has won her first two starts since joining the Williams team. A 14L win on hurdling debut at Ffos Las (16f gd) was followed by a 3L Class 2 win at Ludlow (21f gd) and while the form is hard to weigh up, visually she was very impressive.

This is her stiffest task to date but unlike a few of her rivals she is proven at the distance and on the forecast ground. Her weight for sex allowance means she gets 9lbs from Off Your Rocco so theoretically, with a rating of 131, there should be nothing between them. Maybe she won’t be up to this level but she is totally unexposed, conditions and the trip are perfect and at 10/1, she is the each way pick.

 2021 Cheltenham November Friday Tips: Current Mood e/w @ 10/1 NAP