Cheltenham Course Specialists for the November Meeting

Even with the cancellation of Friday’s racing, we’re still going to be treated to a feast of jumps’ action this weekend at Cheltenham from their November Meeting, live on ITV Racing on Saturday and Sunday.

Course form is all important at Prestbury Park. Here’s nine course specialists who have what it takes to land the spoils over the weekend. Be sure to make use of all our tips and analysis across the next few days.

Saturday

1.15 Wholestone

The likeable Wholestone has raced twelve times at Cheltenham, winning four times. He’s a three times Grade Two winner here over hurdles and was beaten just a neck on his second run over fences last month having done much of the donkey work from the front.

Natural progression for what was effectively his first race over fences (chase debut was effectively a walkover) should see him score.

2.25 Slate House & Siruh Du Lac

The two favourites for the BetVictor Gold Cup have the course form to boot. Colin Tizzard’s Slate House won his first two races under rules here in 2017 and appeared to have got his career back on track with a decisive win over course and distance after a summer wind operation.

Nick Williams’ Siruh Du Lac has won both starts over fences at Cheltenham, landing two Grade Threes on the new course last season including the Brown Advisory in the Festival. Absent since, he’s on a nine pound higher mark, however he’s far from finished improving at the tender age of six-years-old.

3.00 Tobefair

Debra Hamer’s Tobefair has got his career back on track in recent months after a poor spell over fences. He went down by a neck in the Pertemps here in March before making amends with two wins either side of a summer break at Cheltenham, the latest a battling success three weeks ago.

Sunday

1.50 Al Dancer

An eleven-length winner of a handicap last December, Al Dancer atoned for a poor performance in the Supreme with a decisive win over track and trip on chase debut from the re-opposing Getaway Trump.

Reports from the Nicholls’ yard that the latter needed the run have seen him backed into favouritism. He does have a three-pound swing at the weights, however given the ease with which the Twiston-Davies’ runner saw him off, the market surely has it wrong.

2.25 Defi Du Seuil

Philip Hobbs’ Defi Du Seuil is a five times course winner, including the 2017 Triumph and the 2019 JLT. He has stronger claims than Politologue, who’s none from five at the track.

3.00 Quel Destin & Benny’s Bridge

Paul Nicholls’ Quel Destin enjoyed a productive campaign last season, winning five starts including a Grade One at Chepstow and a Triumph Trial at this meeting over track and trip. A respectable fifth in the real thing in March, he defied a penalty in a four-year-old contest here last month with a career best performance.

He has to carry top weight in the Greatwood on his handicap debut, but he’s a reliable and versatile sort who’s far from finished improving. Two-from-three at this venue, he’ll know exactly what’s required to get the job done.

The ante post favourite for the Greatwood is Fergal O’Brien’s Benny’s Bridge who’s a perfect two-from-two at Prestbury Park. He landed a handicap on the new course in January and impressed on his return over track and trip. He did that with plenty to spare and is far from excessively treated off this ten pound higher mark.

4.00 Time Flies By

The final race of the meeting is a Listed bumper over the extended two-miles. Only one horse in this lightly-raced field has appeared at Cheltenham previously in the form of Time Flies By.

Nicky Henderson’s four-year-old gelding travelled powerfully on bottomless ground under Barry Geraghty to overcome a well backed favourite. He had a half-brother to The New One back in fourth, with a number of other promising rivals in behind.