2022 Cheltenham Festival Day 4 Tips – Neil Morrice provides his best bets and tips for Friday.
Race 1 JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE (Grade 1)
No12 VAUBAN
Trainer: Willie Mullins – Jockey:
Owner Rich Ricci’s disappointment over Gaelic Warrior’s narrow defeat on Tuesday can be erased with a victory in the juvenile championship from VAUBAN. The former dual winner on the Flat in France has lived up to his high billing with a narrow defeat against Pied Piper at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve, and when equipped with a tongue strap with an impressive triumph at Leopardstown. PIED PIPER reopposes as one of Gordon Elliott’s best chances of the week and could easily give us the other side of the exacta, while at longer odds five race winner and unbeaten KNIGHT SALUTE could get into the shake up. He greatly impressed in his trial at Kempton, and could be the best of the home contingent ahead of PORTICELLO.
Race 2 McCOY CONTRACTORS COUNTY HANDICAP HURDLE (Grade 3)
No10 I LIKE TO MOVE IT (Each Way)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: San Twiston-Davies
Taking stock of the fact that novices have a good record in the race, I LIKE TO MOVE IT is worth backing to take the spoils. A winner of his first three races over jumps including a Grade 2, he bounced back from an underwhelming effort behind Jonbon at Ascot to be beaten inches by Glory And Fortune in Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle, his first run in a handicap. That is more than enough evidence to suggest he can put in another huge earning run for a top local stable that rarely misses out at the Festival. STATE MAN is with only three races under his belt the least experienced in the field, but having been prepared for this first handicap assignment with a kid glove from Willie Mullins he needs respecting. Imperial Cup hero SURPRISE PACKAGE was impressive in Saturday’s Sandown feature and may well earn again under a 5lb penalty. COLONEL MUSTARD constantly troubles the judge and may also get into the shake-up.
Race 3 ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES’ HURDLE (Grade 1)
No10 HILLCREST (Nap)
Trainer: Henry Daly – Jockey: Richard Patrick
This is the race I’m most looking forward to all week, and the reason is an equine giant named HILLCREST. Everything about the seven-year-old oozes class, and his dismissal of the useful I Am Maximus at this course on New Year’s Day was one of the most taking performances by a novice this season. Not only that, but when stepped up to three miles in very testing conditions at Haydock he destroyed a strong field in a good time, a run that promoted him to outright favourite for this. He’s subsequently had extra tuition in the jumps department from eventer Laura Collett, and when schooling under Richard Patrick last week was both slick and assured. Biased views can end in disappointment, but it will take something very special to hamper his rise to the top and I think he’s worth a good bet. One not to be underestimated is STAG HORN, who although taking a big step up the class ladder has the ability to travel and to quicken. GINTO has been backed as if defeat was out of the question and answered that assurance on all three starts over jumps. He’s shown he can handle a variety of ground, and looks the best of the Irish contingent by a fair way. MINELLA COCOONER reacted positively to the fitting of a hood when scoring at the Dublin Racing Festival. He can take home a minor cheque.
Race 4 BOODLES CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP (Grade 1)
No11 TORNADO FLYER (Each Way)
Trainer: Willie Mullins- Jockey : Danny Mullins
Irish domination in the Gold Cup is par for the course these days, and chasers from the Emerald Isle can again monopolise the finish of the meeting’s blue riband. While 2021 winner MINELLA INDO’s halo has slipped a tad this season, several of his compatriots come to the table on the back of recent victories. Amongst them is AL BOUM PHOTO for whom this would be a sensational third Gold Cup triumph, and the ten-year-old looked to have retained much of his ability when taking out the same Tramore contest he did last year on the way to finishing third in the big one. GALVIN makes his Gold Cup debut as a new kid on the block and gamely kept A PLUS TARD at bay in an epic battle for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in late December. There’s little to split them on the book but the horse that could improve past them all is last season’s Ryanair Chase third and King George VI Chase winner TORNADO FLYER who appeared to greatly enjoy a return to three miles at Kempton, and could have plenty more to give on his first outing since. He’s been an infrequent winner over the last couple of seasons, but that authoritative display indicates he’s fully back in the zone and ready to progress further.
Race 5 ST. JAMES’S PLACE FESTIVAL CHALLENGE CUP OPEN HUNTERS’ CHASE
No19 WINGED LEADER
Trainer: David Christie – Jockey: Mr B O’Neill
Multiple Irish hunter-chase victor WNGED LEADER has the best recent form to bring to the table by far, courtesy of a wide margin triumph over BILLAWAY at Thurles in January. That authoritative display marks the eight-year-old out as a much improved performer, bringing with it the clinching leg of a nap hand of victories. If turning up in the same mood he should not only confirm his superiority over the second but can also take the notable scalp of BOB AND CO, who was travelling powerfully in the corresponding race in 2021 when unseating his pilot at the top of the hill. For Bob, a recent defeat at the hooves of COUSIN PASCAL can be corrected, while at longer odds FUMET D’OUDAIRIES could also get into the argument.
2022 Cheltenham Festival Day 4 – Vienna Court to beat more obvious candidates in Mares’ Chase
Race 6 MRS PADDY POWER MARES’ CHASE (Grade 2)
No7 VIENNA COURT (Each Way)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: SAM Twiston-Davies
With two successes in handicap chases at the course this season VIENNA COURT appeals as a value option against more obvious candidates to take out this mares’ chase. The seven-year-old showed how much she’s improved with those December and January triumphs, and though turned over when odds-on for a Listed chase at Huntingdon she can bounce back. Her trainer also fields ZAMBELLA, who is shorter in the betting and has a chance in her own right, but having spurned the chance to run her in another handicap this week Vienna Court’s connections clearly think they can take a cheque from the purse of this distaffers’ contest. Hat-trick seeking CONCERTISTA is another who had an option but sticks to fences when she could have returned to hurdles. She’s afforded abundant respect along with her Willie Mullins-trained stablemate ELIMAY, who strictly on the book has it to do with Zambella from Aintree placings in December. However the most likely of the Irish mares to prevail is MOUNT IDA, who had Elimay half a length behind when landing a Grade 3 at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day.
Race 7 MARTIN PIPE CONDITIONAL JOCKEYS’ HANDICAP HURDLE
No15 COBBLERS DREAM
Trainer: Ben Case – Jockey: Jack Andrews
Out in front is not a bad place to be in a race of this ilk, which serves as a last chance saloon for punters trying to jump out of jail. Therefore anyone behind the eight ball at this late stage should consider siding with winning Irish bumper horse and confirmed pace setter COBBLERS DREAM who has absolutely thrived since his switch to Case at the historic Edgcote Stables. Since a runaway triumph on debut under Rules at Warwick he’s taken out the valuable Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton and is unbeaten over hurdles. He has a rock solid look. LANGER DAN was a dark horse when chasing home Galopin Des Champs in last year’s race, and looks to have been specially prepared by Dan Skelton to stage a repeat. He enjoyed a nice pipe-opener at Taunton the other day that should have helped bring him to concert pitch. The best of Gordon Elliott’s six protagonists could be I A CONNECT, a winner of three of four starts this season and still upwardly mobile, while stablemate CHEMICAL ENERGY is equally consistent and could easily get into the shake-up.
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