Cheltenham 1.15

Cheltenham 1.15 Novice Handicap Chase Class 2 - 2 miles 4 1/2 Furlongs (New Course) 12 run

A competitive field but the lack of experience at anywhere quite like Cheltenham is a telling factor for many as it is far removed from some of the flat "Park Type" Courses most have run and run well at.

I am drawn to a pair as Tip and Tracker.

CHAMPAGNE COURT is my idea of the winner and has some e/w value. Has won last 2 races impressively, looks progressive and has decent New Course Cheltenham form in different genres with a 4th place finish at the 2019 Festival in The Martin Pipe and 4th also on this Course in a National Hunt Flat race. In essence we therefore know the horse handles the undulations, down hill sections and uphill finish and that's a big advantage.

At bigger Odds my Tracker is COURT MASTER who is very progressive and upped considerably in Class here but well worth an each way punt. Has stamina to win a 3 miles P2P race and basic speed to then be runner up in a 2 mile NHFlat race, a rare combination and whilst it may find a ceiling here, no harm in a small bet for a horse fit, well and confident.

TIP - CHAMPAGNE COURT / TRACKER - COURT MASTER @ 18/1.

I looked at the 1.50 race but hard to split Highway One o One who has good Course and Distance form the usual stable niggle but solid, Lalor, something of a mercurial horse with of course a story to tug the heart strings and Spiritofthegames who almost pulled off a 40/1 win here last time. The e/w value might be MY WAY for Paul Nicholls but it was one of those races I spent 2 hours looking at and was as far away after 2 hours from any decisive strategy as when I started. A race to watch I think today.

ROBIN as indicated above is very keen on CALIPTO @ 14/1 in the Sky Bet and that is also a decent Daily TRACKER bet.