ITV Racing Tips: Three tips for Cheltenham on Friday
It's day one of Cheltenham's November Meeting on Friday and there will be four races taking place in front of the ITV Racing cameras. There could be some notable Cheltenham Festival clues emerging from the Prestbury Park action and our man Steve Chambers has taken a look at the live ITV races, picking out three bets for the top quality National Hunt racing...
Last seen falling in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree, Dan Skelton's Calico will make his seasonal reappearance on Friday at Cheltenham in a competitive-looking contest at 13:45 and along with the top weight Do Your Job that pair look the ones to beat in this 2m event. However, it's the Joe Tizzard-trained TRIPLE TRADE that looks one with vast improvement in him over fences and he is the selection in what is a really trappy betting heat.
Seen running at Cheltenham last month at the Showcase Meeting, the seven-year-old was seen finishing a staying-on second behind Dancing On My Own and Triple Trade will line up off a 1lb higher mark here. Prior to that he won back-to-back races at Wincanton and Kempton, so he's a chaser going places and he can land victory here. He was tapped for toe a little bit in October, so he will need them to go a decent gallop out front, but he's sure to be doing all his best work in the closing stages of the contest and he can pick them up after the final fence for an in-form Tizzard yard.
Four go to post for the Grade 2 Arkle Trial at 14:20 and popular all week with the punters has been JPR One for the abovementioned Tizzard, who made an impressive winning debut over fences at Newton Abbot and is looking to kick on from that victory. A 33/1 shot for the Arkle at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, the six-year-old has certainly got to be the one to beat, but he looks awfully skinny with the bookmakers and he's worth taking on.
Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero's HOMME PUBLIC is another with a solitary chase run under his belt and that was a taking victory at Wetherby. He shaped like he could be a decent performer over the larger obstacles after being smart over hurdles and he looks one that can improve immeasurably for the switch to the chasing sphere. He maybe the outsider of the quartet at the time of writing, but he looks to have the potential to land this prize.
Attracting some top quality National Hunt stars, the Cross Country Chase continues to grow in stature and the 1-2 from last year's festival sees Gordon Elliott's Delta Work and Galvin line up again here, with the pair dominating the betting. Unlike at the festival, the race on Friday is a handicap, so it certainly adds genuine intrigue to the contest as those two proven Graded horses will have to give significant weight to their rivals. Galvin is set to carry 12st and Delta Work 11st 13lbs, although Galvin does have Rob James's 7lbs claim to aid him. Despite the hefty weight, they can fight out the finish.
The likes of Back On The Lash, Diesel D'Allier and Francky Du Berlais are decent performers in this discipline, but they don't have the same class as the Irish pairing and it's DELTA WORK that makes more appeal as he got the better of his stablemate Galvin in March off level weights, so receiving 1lb from his Cullenta House rival here should mean he can frank the form. Delta Work has had a run already this season and while he was no match for Minella Indo at Punchestown last month he should strip fitter for that outing and while he's not a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender any more he's one that should be too good here.
