1.30 - Sona Sasta - decent E/W price and Pipe seems to be very hopeful
2.05 - So Young - Stable going great guns and Mullins seems to rate him very highly. Won in France on ground better than he faced in Ireland, so should be ok.
First Lieutenant E/W - Looks to have a big future, has won before on good, and trainer thinks he could be his next War Of Attrition (big compliment when he has Weapons Amnesty still to come back). Davy Russell is a tremendous jockey as well.
2.40 - Time For Rupert - Done nothing wrong over fences so far, loves Cheltenham and jumps like a dream. Form been boosted since, if he is cherry ripe then he will take a lot of beating.
The places for this race will be very tight IMO, only one I'm ruling out of winning is Elysian Rock.
3.20 - Master Minded - Was far below his best last year, only winning an easy Tingle Creek between two poor efforts. Has looked something like his best again this year, perhaps will never reach such heights once again though. Is still only 8 and still one of the younger horses in the race. Big Zeb will need to improve again, but is capable of doing so, this looks a tougher renewal than last year. I'm confident that with the resurge in form from Nicholls yard, and Master Minded having a wind op & rib fixed that he will be able to get Big Zeb off the bridle and really question his jumping.
Captain Cee Bee could sneak a place. He will have to improve, but has won at the festival before and has been looked after this term with this race his main target. Has his ground and if he can find the improvement & keep his jumping together may not be far away.
4.00 - Call The Police - Excellent debut for yard 2nd in MCR then won non-handicap without breaking sweat. Never a handicap cert at Chelts really and faces a lot of horses with good profiles but he could prove a class above. Mullins is happy enough and it will be interesting to see how he goes.
Orzare is a very interesting horse. Will need to improve for what he has ran in, and has been off track for 13 months, but Gary Moore is a very shrewd trainer and good at picking races for his horses. At 33s he could sneak a place, some firms may offer 5 places on this race too.
4.40 - Kayef E/W - The Fred Winter can be a hard race to pick a winner, but there seems to be a bit of quiet confidence about Kayef, rumours of big sums been placed on him at big odds earlier this week. Interesting in a race where it sometimes sees a big priced runner floor the favourite.
5.15 - Divine Rhapsody E/W - Bumpers aren't really my cup of tea but trainer is in decent enough nick for a small stable and this lad has been kept for this since winning last April, with the form being boosted since 2nd 3rd and 4th winning. Carberry is an eyecatching jockey booking and he could surprise the likes of Ericht and Knights Pass. Ericht running in the race may be significant, as Henderson makes no secret of the fact he hates the race, and Knights Pass is thought the world of by Greatrex.
My selections
I was reading an interesting article with Nicholls a few years ago, apparently he needs to be chauffered to each meeting he attends as he uses this time to catch up with paperwork and phonecalls. No stop for the Champion trainer.
