Betfair Cotswold Chase
Saturday 25th January, 3:35pm
L’Homme Presse @ 10/11
Gentlemansgame @ 5/2
Chantry House @ 7/1
Stage Star @ 15/2
Delta Work @ 25/1
Tommie Beau @ 66/1
*prices correct at time of writing.
THE RACE
Positioned six and a bit weeks before the Festival itself, Cheltenham’s Trials Day provides a well-timed warm-up for what’s ahead in the middle of March (11 – 14 this year). Staged on the stamina-examining New Course, the £125,000 Cotswold Chase (2-25) is billed as a dress rehearsal for the Gold Cup – which is staged on the same course, though over a slither further – but really it’s a nice, valuable prize in its own right.
THE MARKET
The lightly-raced L’Homme Presse sets the standard, coming here off the back of a solid third behind Banbridge in the King George; that was his first run since finishing fourth in the Gold Cup itself. The suspicion that Venetia Williams’ horses had suddenly gone quiet was at least partly dispelled in midweek by a Leicester double.
Gentlemansgame, rated three pounds behind L’Homme Presse and a Gold Cup pull-up, started his season off in encouraging style in Leopardstown’s Savills Chase when an honourable third behind Galopin Des Champs. These are just the type of ‘slightly calmer waters’ races in which he thrives.
2022 winner Chantry House took advantage of a favourable weight-level to make a successful switch from hurdling over course and distance on New Year’s Day – this is clearly harder but he won that well.
Stage Star, a Grade One winner on the course, in the Turners at the 2023 Festival, is up in distance but although he’s into unknown territory his year-older half-brother stayed this far well, albeit at a lower level.
As well as being placed in two Grand Nationals and a close fifth in a Gold Cup, plus more, Delta Work has won a hurdle over his kind of distance on the New Course and can never be confidently discounted.
THE WINNER
Over further, Stage Star provides intrigue and L’Homme Presse is L’Homme Presse, but that was a striking return by Gentlemansgame – what do you think?
CORN’S QUARTET
If only somebody had priced up the possibility of a Constitution Hill/Lossiemouth rematch – judged by Willie Mullins’ tone after the Christmas Hurdle, he didn’t fancy it for one minute and the entry was surely only made to, as trainers love to say, cover all bases. Barring something extraordinary, Constitution Hill will march on towards the attempt to regain his champion’s crown (3-00).
It’s a significant afternoon for trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero with Jagwar and Billytherealbigred (12-40) – usually a reliable trial – and Iroko in the handicap at 1-50. Billytherealbigred is 2/2 over fences, and probably a little unlucky not to be unbeaten since joining the stable. To employ another phrase beloved of trainers: he could be anything.
Keep an eye on Mambonumberfive against East India Dock etc (1-15). As Lou Bega nearly sung: Ladies and Gentleman, if it’s not one, two, three, four or five here, it will be soon…
In the Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster (3-15), Forward Plan, 2024’s just-pipped runner-up, remains competitive off this higher mark and ten pounds come off for the rider.
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