Cheltenham Tips: 2/1 shot heads Saturday’s three selections

The November Meeting continues into Saturday with a classy seven-race card featuring a strong renewal of the Gold Cup Handicap Chase.

I’m about to give my idea of the winner of that race, plus another couple of tips for you to consider.

13:45 – Good Risk At All @ 2/1

My strongest fancy at HQ on Saturday is Sam Thomas’ Good Risk At All for this Listed novices’ chase over an extended three miles.

The seven-year-old was a decent hurdler, but on the evidence of his debut over the bigger obstacles, he’s going to be a much better chaser.

I thought he was absolutely brilliant at Carlisle last month, barely putting a foot wrong and always looking like he had at least five of his six rivals beat.

Would he have beat Giovinco, who unseated three out? As a big fan of the latter – so much so that I’ve tipped him at 20/1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival – I’d like to say no, but in all honesty it was too early to tell.

What I do know is that both were travelling equally-well at the time, and I saw more than enough to suggest the selection could take high rank amongst the UK novice chasers this season.

I fancy him to get the better of his five rivals on Saturday, providing – and this is key – he gets the trip. There’s good reason to believe he will see it out, but it’s a case of ‘we won’t know until we know’. If he does, I think he’ll be hard to beat.

14:20 – Notlongtillmay @ 7/1

This looks a red-hot renewal of the Gold Cup Handicap Chase.

Amongst the 14 runners is Brown Advisory hero The Real Whacker and the Turners 1-2 in Stage Star and Notlongtillmay. Both Cheltenham Festival winners have a fair weight to carry round first time out, whereas the latter’s fitness is guaranteed having made a very pleasing return here exactly three weeks ago.

Laura Morgan’s seven-year-old stayed on nicely over the minimum trip and should be absolutely spot on for this. To me, he has as good a chance as any.

16:05 – Sharp Object @ 9/2

Finally, I think John McConnell’s Sharp Object is a cracking price for the bumper.

For me, the four-year-old filly brings the best form to the table courtesy of her second to Willie Mullins’ exciting Aurora Vega in a red-hot affair at Gowran Park back in late September. Behind the selection that day was Abi’s Champ, already a dual bumper winner, who subsequently bolted up on her hurdling debut.

I’d say that’s a fair bit more than anything in this field of 15 has achieved, and I see no reason why this daughter of Diamond Boy can’t progress again.

The poor form of her trainer, who’s not had a winner in 37 days, is a concern, but it doesn’t put me off having a bet as the majority were completely unfancied – and there has been one or two decent performances in defeat during that time.