Saturday 28th January
11.40 Cheltenham - Scriptwriter 3/1 (365,Lads,Coral)
SCRIPTWRITER has impressed since leaving Aiden O'Briens yard for Milton Harris' .. In three outings hes yet to be beaten and to my eyes the form looks decent. Won lto on the flat at Wolverhampton and before that won two hurdles races comfortably , is one from one here at Cheltenham and is also 1/1 over todays distance. Trainer brings just this one here today and he has a 33% strike rate over the past three weeks , Paddy Brennan in the plate and hes two from two on the horse , hes got a 50% strike rate over the past fortnight and i think hes a jockey you can trust to get your horse home if its capable. Some decent looking opposition but from what i've seen so far Scriptwriter looks an exciting prospect and i think he can take this on the way to bigger and better things.
2.18 Lingfield - Impeach 11/2 (Lads,BFred) - Tyger Bay 7/4 (365,Lads)
TYGER BAY has been the model of consistency , won two races back to back over CD back in December , then was 2nd and then 3rd (lto , again over CD) .. Has won 3 and placed once from 5 runs over CD and coming down in class i can see him going very close here this afternoon. William Carver has ridden him twice winning once and placing in the other and comes here for this one ride. Whilst IMPEACH has also won 3 and placed once (from 6 runs over CD) , ran a pleasing enough race on his return to action last time out and i think better can be expected here with that run under his saddle and with the bang in form Billy Loughnane in the saddle for the first time. Trainer Conrad Allen is responsible for both selections and theyre his only runners on the card. Whilst i favour Tyger Bay slightly , a spot on Impeach would be a major threat to all.
3.35 Cheltenham - Mofasa 20/1 (Lads)
Open looking race where i like the look of MOFASA at a decent price , before his last run he'd won two on the bounce and looked good in doing so but last time out , where he went off an odds on favourite , he totally bombed and ran too badly to be true coming plum last of four. I really think he can be forgiven that run (could be wrong tho , has been known lol) and at the 20s on offer i think hes worth a shot to nothing as those at the front end of the market all look beatable. I think the main problem is he makes the odd mistake , if he can iron out that then i think he'll win some decent races. Trainer sends just this one to the meeting and he knows the time of day , has a 33% strike rate when sending his runners here this term and is 15.2% overall at the course. Jockey is two from three on the horse , and hes been riding well of late with an 18.6% strike rate over the past month and he has a 28.6% strike rate at Cheltenham this season along with a profit of +£8.50. All things considered i think that the 20/1 is too bigger price to ignore , and fingers crossed he can get back on track this afternoon.
4.10 Cheltenham - Malakhana 25/1 (365,Hills)
Another typical open looking Cheltenham Handicap where quite a few of the 16 runners look to hold chances , and one of them is the decently priced MALAKHANA , who i think could give the principals something to think about if at his best. Hes a bit like my selection in the 3.35 where he had been running well but then threw in a poor effort last time , and for whatever reason , he seems friendless in the betting ,, to me in his last race he looked to be going okay in midfield when he clipped heels , that put him off his stride and he lost his chance .. before that race he'd won a brace of races on the flat .. last season (when he joined the Ian Williams yard) he excelled with figures of - 1,5,2,4,1,1,1 hes come back this term and ran okay but all , bar his last race , have been on the flat so i think , that given his prior form over hurdles , its far too early to be giving up on him. Trainer sends just this one to the meeting today and hes a shrewdie and i dont think he'd be sending him if he didnt think he had a chance , whilst jockey Charlie Todd also goes for just this one ride and he has three wins from 7 rides aboard the horse. Not a sure thing by any stretch of the imagination but too early to be writing him off and at the price well worth a go i think.
7.00 Kempton - Crystal Casque 10/1 (BFred) - Billy Mill 8/1 (365)
Couple in this one catch my eye , both hailing from the Rod Millman yard , firstly CRYSTAL CASQUE , who was holding her form well before having a break and was a sound enough 4th on her re appearance last time out , if she can come on for that run like she ought to then i think she has a serious chance in this. Usually runs well here at Kempton , she has two wins and two places from 6 runs over this evenings CD , Oliver Searle gets the leg up and he has a win and two places from 6 rides to date and he comes her solely for this ride. The trainers other runner is BILLY MILL and like his stablemate had been running well enough before a break and ran a respectable enough comeback last time , and hopefully will also come on for that lto run. Decent record over this evenings CD , a win and 2 places from 4 outings . Saffie Osbourne on steering duties and shes one from one on the horse. If on song both can go well and either of them are more than capable of taking this.
3rd - Moonlit Cloud 14/1 (365)
1st 9/2
2nd