Cheltenham Saturday

12:45 Ryman Novices’ Chase 2m 4f 127y

Beakstown was a little disappointing on his chase debut when beaten by Sam Spinner, but he frightened himself by standing too far off the first open ditch at Wetherby, and did well to complete at all after that. He jumped boldly at the business end but had used up too much of himself to get back to the lead and was outstayed by the winner.

He has the physique and the attitude to be a very good chaser, but I do think he has stamina limitations, or perhaps a wind infirmity, and that was shown up when he ran behind Champ at Newbury last time. That day he tried to mix it with Dashel Drasher, but weakened rather tamely from the penultimate fence to be fourth.

In fairness, that run came over an extended two miles and six furlongs, and that is certainly at the upper end of his stamina range, while both Champ and Dashel Drasher have won impressively since. That does not give him much to find here, and I have a niggling suspicion that after he’s had his breathing tweaked he will blossom, and to that end I’ve backed him to win any race at the Cheltenham Festival (the Close Brothers would be ideal with his current mark of 139 likely to see him sneak in, and he would stay on that mark if placed here).

I’d still fancy him to be good enough to win this in receipt of weight from the previous winners though, and hopefully the cynical view that he’s being lined up for a handicap touch will see him go off at a healthy price.

13:20 Cheltenham Club Handicap Chase 2m 62y

Northern Beau is sure to be an outsider here, and Michael Scudamore’s mare is out of the weights in a competitive race, but she was also out of the weights when beating no less a rival than Happy Diva over course and distance in the spring, and that form clearly looks much better in hindsight.

The Canford Cliffs mare really wants good ground, and I thought she ran very well in the circumstances when a not-knocked-about sixth behind Saint Calvados on the old course here in October, where the unseasonably heavy ground would not have suited.

In truth, she will almost certainly be better still on real spring ground, but she is open to improvement as a six-year-old, and her true mark is very lenient on a line through the mare she beat in April. So she makes a fair bit of appeal at the prices against a largely exposed bunch.

13:55 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 2m 4f 127y

The accidental scratching of favourite Riders Onthe Storm has robbed this race not only of a large degree of interest, but also of the magical 16 runners, so it’s not actually the most appealing betting race, for all that some firms will step up in terms of enhanced terms in the morning.

There is no doubt that Not That Fuisse has been laid out for this race, and being beaten in three above-average novice chases means that the canny Dan Skelton has ensured that his charge is able to run off his hurdles mark due to BHA handicapping protocol, which prohibits the raising of horses beaten in novice contests at class 2 or lower.

Not That Fuisse appears a better chaser than he was over timber, and in a race where few are obviously well treated, he has to be backed, despite some reservations about his jumping technique.

He made several errors when second to Al Dancer here in October and that would normally put me off, but he has doubtless had plenty of remedial work at home, and should be primed to run for his life.

Rather than back him each-way given the possibility of his jumping letting him down, I’m inclined to split stakes, and the other one of interest is Gary Moore’s apparent second-string Benatar.

The son of Beneficial did not really fire in a curtailed 2018/19 campaign, but he was an exciting novice who ran well when third in the JLT behind Shattered Love, and he is still capable of building on that form. One of the issues with Benatar is that he’s been too headstrong for his own good, but the fitting of a hood for the first time could be a big help in that regard, and he’s worth chancing win-only at the overnight prices.

15:05 Unibet International Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m 179y

This is a horrible race to unpick, with questions over all the runners for one reason or another. Call Me Lord is just about the one to beat on form, but he’s been raced entirely right-handed since joining Nicky Henderson, that decision not coincidental given his tendency to hang right on the home gallops. That bias has not been evident in recent runs, and I thought he would have won if kicked on at Ascot last time.

He has enough big runs in his back catalogue to prove his worth at this level, and he did win at tight, left-handed Compiegne for Mickaël Seror before joining Henderson. So the notion that he must go the other way around is not historically accurate.

The fact that his esteemed and hugely experienced trainer took that view for a while does advise caution here, but he’s already a much bigger price than he would be if this race was run at Sandown, and that’s enough to tempt me in.

Doncaster Saturday

14:45 Bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m 128y

Some of the ratings which French imports have achieved in juvenile hurdles have been eyebrow-raising, given the crop does not look a vintage one, and there have been a couple of well-touted youngsters already sent home with their tails between their legs.

I’ve been bemused by some of the figures these juveniles are meant to have run to, but I’m willing to make the occasional exception, and Tombee Du Cielis one such case. It’s true that her official mark in France is probably flattering, but Timeform’s assessment seems fair and that tends to inform the betting market more with such types.

The filly, formerly trained by Anne-Sophie Pacault in France, ran three times in March and April when gaining her credentials, and that timing is crucial, as there is plenty of scope for progress in the intervening months given her age. The pair she split in a listed contest on her penultimate start have solid and consistent form at that level, the third turning the tables on winner Asterisk when the trio met again at Auteuil in April in the Prix D’Iena.

In receipt of weight from all her rivals in this Grade 2 contest, she looks well weighted, and her owners have won the Summit with talented pair Peace And Co and We Have A Dream in recent years, so it’s definitely a race they like to target.

Recommended

Beakstown 12:45 Cheltenham – 1pt win @ Best odds

Northern Beau 1:20 Cheltenham – 1pt e/w @ best odds

Benatar 1:55 Cheltenham – 1pt win @ 16/1 (Bet365, BetVictor)

Call Me Lord 3:05 Cheltenham – 1pt win @ 5/1 (Hills)