Three horses our experts have in their sights for Tuesday's Cheltenham handicap weights reveal

Racing Post

27 February 2024

Three horses our experts have in their sights for Tuesday's Cheltenham handicap weights reveal

The weights for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival are set to be revealed on Tuesday. Here, three of our experts have picked out one of their big handicap fancies for the week . . .

Odds: 12-1 general

Under Control beat a then 120-rated Iberico Lord at Sandown last season off a mark of 128 and that rates a serious piece of form. She now gets 5lb from her stablemate, who is the ante-post favourite for this having won the Greatwood and Betfair Hurdles this season, and is one of the best handicapped horses in Britain.

I thought she'd be competing in Grade 1s this season, but a wind issue came to light when she stopped rather quickly on her seasonal return at Newbury. She travelled like the winner until the final few furlongs and was much better last time after a wind op when splitting Ashroe Diamond and Gala Marceau.

She's entered in the Morebattle on Saturday which would trigger a £100k bonus for following up at the festival, so I can see her shortening considerably if she does win. Willie Mullins has a superb record in the race and it will be interesting to see what mark his Grade 1-winning mare Zenta and Ebor winner Absurde receive.
Tom Park

Jky: Tnr: Nicky Henderson

Odds: 8-1 with bet365 and Coral

Ireland’s poor record in the Ultima has been well documented with Dun Doire the last winner for the away side in 2006. Fastorslow almost ended that drought when beaten a neck by Corach Rambler last season before going on to land back-to-back Grade 1s, beating Galopin Des Champs twice. With Fastorslow and Corach Rambler running in the Gold Cup, The Goffer, who finished fourth last year, could have a serious chance of improving upon that effort depending on what the handicapper does with his adjusted rating.

The Gordon Elliott-trained seven-year-old has an official rating of 144 but ran off a mark of 149 in the Ultima and when fourth again in the bet365 Gold Cup on his two starts in British handicaps last season. The Goffer beat Great Yorkshire Chase winner Annual Invictus on Sandown’s season finale day so if allocated a similar revised rating of 149, then he will be a serious threat. He’s not been missed in the market, but demonstrated his wellbeing when landing a 16-runner Flat race at Punchestown recently and is the first horse I’ll be looking at when the weights are revealed.
By Charlie Huggins

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Odds: 12-1 with bet365

Nicky Henderson has won this race twice in the past five seasons and he has another serious contender this year in Doddiethegreat. He made an impressive return following a long layoff when first of four in a small, but competitive Ascot contest. The form of the race has worked out well with the second and fourth both winning since.

Doddiethegreat took to Cheltenham well on his handicap debut when second to Go Dante, while he could have snatched third in the Betfair Hurdle but for a mistake at the second last. He remains on a workable mark of 132 after that Newbury run, has won over this distance before, and more improvement should be expected.
Liam Headd

Jky: Tnr: Nicky Henderson

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