SHOWCASE MEETING HANDICAP CHASE
Saturday 26th October, 2:20pm
Broadway Boy @ 3/1
Some Scope @ 9/2
Senior Chief @ 11/2
Le Milos @ 17/2
Does He Know @ 10/1
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
THE RACE
Cheltenham celebrates its opening weekend with the first of the competitive handicap chases that feature at the course in the run-up to Christmas.
This one (2-20) is staged over three miles and one furlong, and although there haven’t been any massive shocks in recent stagings no favourite has been successful in the race since Balthazar King in 2013.
THE MARKET
From an in-form Cotswold stable which famously targets all Cheltenham meetings, Broadway Boy is three from four at the track, and the only beating he received was a second-place behind Flooring Porter no less this time last year. A Festival fancy in March prior to being ruled out by an infection, he subsequently under-performed at Aintree.
Some Scope is another improving local though his stamina was shown to be vulnerable up the Cheltenham hill when fourth in April.
Ireland’s Senior Chief, still relatively unexposed over fences and fitted with cheekpieces for the first time, shaped up well before apparently running out of juice and being pulled up in the Irish Grand National.
Le Milos has run in just one chase of late, when seventh in the old Whitbread, though his CV does include quality performances at a high level.
Does He Know, a four-time course winner on good or good to soft and representing the nascent association between Kim Bailey and Tom Bellamy, underwent wind surgery after being pulled up last time out, but he beat Some Scope at Doncaster in March.
Chasing Fire goes well fresh and put in his best display, jumping soundly, stepped up to this kind of distance at Perth in April.
Improvement from Pepe Le Moko in only his fifth chase can be anticipated; the redoubtable Vanillier starts a campaign which will probably lead back to the Grand National; and Kinondo Kwetu, three pounds lower than when being pulled up in this last year, has been in rare old form on good ground.
THE WINNER
In a competitive race, Henry de Bromhead’s Senior Chief was smart enough in his first three chases to think something like this is within his grasp – what do you reckon?
CORN’S QUARTET
At Doncaster, what a smashing Futurity (2-40) with Wimbledon Hawkeye the form horse and Godolphin and Coolmore well-represented, but the Gosdens have a strong-hand in Detain and the supplemented Nebras; preference is for Detain after two taking all-weather successes.
Returning to Cheltenham, Botox Has is topweight (2-55) but has earned it, flying high since finishing an excellent second in this race two years ago, and returning from a break doesn’t seem to make much difference.
The word around the Cotswolds is that British debutante Seatoit (4-40) should indeed see to it, and to more in the future.
Kelso honours ex-chaser Nuts Well (4-30) and the horse’s owner/trainers Ian and Ann Hamilton have a good chance of scooping the prize with Pay The Piper whose most recent run, conceding weight and finishing second behind up-and-coming Primoz, looks like a more than decent effort.
For all your horse racing bets, visit our dedicated horse racing betting page.
