Barry Geraghty and Gordon Elliott, two stalwarts of the Cheltenham Festival over recent years, have been in flying form in 2020.
The jockey has four wins to his name, starting proceedings with an authoritative win in the Champion Hurdle onboard Epatante. Further success for JP McManus followed on Champ in the RSA, Dame De Compagnie in the Coral Cup and Sire Du Berlais in the Pertemps for Gordon Elliott.
Including Sire Du Berlais, Elliott has had six winners. Victories also came in the NH Chase with Ravenhill, the Ballymore and Boodles with Envoi Allen and Aramax respectively, as well as further wins on Thursday with Samcro and Milan Native in the Kim Muir.
Here’s four eye-catching runners for the duo on Friday – two for Geraghty, who only has the two rides, and two for Elliott. Be sure to check out our Cheltenham Tips on Gold Cup day, as well as our Cheltenham Free Bets.
Gerahgty was onboard the gelding when he landed a Grade One prize at the Dublin Racing Festival in February. He was a shade fortuitous there, with the leader Aspire Tower falling and Cerberus idling late on.
Nevertheless, he showed a very game attitude to overhaul the latter in the dying strides. That effort suggests he’s only going to improve for the stiff finish at Cheltenham, and there’s few riding with more confidence than Geraghty.
Like many of Willie Mullins’ best hurdlers, Saint Roi was purchased from France. Placed in a Listed Juvenile hurdle there in 2018, the gelding found two-miles-three too far on stable debut at Clonmel.
A drop back in trip worked wonders next time out though, running out a nine-length winner. The second has franked the form twice, suggesting that this mark of 137 is more than fair. Well backed for his handicap debut, he’s a very interesting contender under that man Geraghty.
The feature of a fantastic day’s racing in which the improving Delta Work has strong claims for Gordon Elliott. Third in last year’s RSA, he’s won three of his four starts since, including from a number of re-opposing rivals the last twice.
He’s shown an impressive attitude to record back to back Grade Ones at Leopardstown this winter. Both those efforts suggest there’s more to come from his over this extra two furlongs. His impressive record of six-from-eight over fences and unexposed profile suggest he’s going to be bang there.
The closer could well go the way of Column Of Fire for Elliott, who ran a cracker on handicap debut at the Dublin Racing Festival. The six-year-old had previously bolted up in a maiden over this trip in January before going off favourite for that three-mile event.
He was only beaten two lengths by a progressive rival, clear of Tout Est Permis who has since finished third in the Pertemps. An each way price makes the gelding, who has form figures of 32F13 this season, a cracking bet.