Cheltenham New Years Day Preview - The Winners Enclosure

Our pick is one of the least experienced horses in the field and judging on his last run the step up to 2m4f today looks to be more than beneficial.

I Am Maximus has only had the three career starts, but he has won two out of the three runs, one in a class 2 bumper and one over hurdles in a Maiden Hurdle last time out.

He was expected to win the way he did last time out, with a run under his belt over hurdles when second to JPR One at Exeter in November before that, he was sent off 2/5 favourite.

He was quite keen early on but did jump well and responded nicely when asked of by Nico De Boinville, and he was always running on to the line.

He looked like a potential stayer in the making in his last run, and as previously mentioned the step up in trip will be warranted in this as his pedigree suggests so, it has also been mentioned that he will come on for each run, especially when the eventual step up in trip to suit comes in this.

He looks a nice talent and will get better and better with each run he has for a very much inform stable and jockey combination.  

Venetia Williams is having a fantastic season currently operating at a 32% strike rate with 7 winners in just 22 runners in the last 14 days, and each of her runners must be respected whenever they run, especially when it comes to Cheltenham.

She has a certain horse that all seem the same who will run through the brick wall for connections, and Destinee Royale is no exception.

He is a thorough stayer who will absolutely relish these conditions on New Year’s Day, especially the soft ground at Cheltenham.

He has never run at Cheltenham before, but really does look like a nice stayer over fences to land a competitive race like this.

His best career performance to date was when hacking up in the mud at Haydock in February, when landing a 10-runner staying handicap chase by just over 6 lengths, jumping very well and travelling nicely into the race to put the race to bed after jumping the last.

His jumping seems to be his strong point, he has jumped well in every chase start and seems to have taken to the larger obstacles like a duck to water.

He was lightly raced over hurdles with only 3 starts, so putting over fences looks like it was the plan with him all along, especially after a nice 34 length win on chasing debut back in February last year.  

The Noel Fehily syndicate has been doing superbly since forming a few years back when jockey Noel Fehily started it up with friend and ambassador David Crosse, and they have a runner in the Paddy Power Novices Chase (The Dipper) to give owners a fairy-tale day at the home of National Hunt racing Cheltenham racecourse.

Come On Teddy is one of the less experienced horses in the field over the larger obstacles, with only one start over fences, but that was a decent display in what looks like a race that is going to throw up a few winners down the line.

He made a few novicey jumps that day, but what really caught the eye was how he travelled from last to first coming up the back straight.

He made smooth headway down the back straight and contested the lead with 3 to jump, then was pushed along and battled on gamely when approached by the runner up Fern Hill (Who has since come second in another red-hot novice’s race) coming up to the last, but he battled on superbly to win by a neck, showing some real grit and determination considering he was slightly novicey when jumping.

As mentioned, he made a few novicey mistakes, mainly when jumping but he is expected to come on for that run and learn his job a bit more over the larger obstacles for a trainer who is very good with chasers.

It also appears that he likes Cheltenham as he won over hurdles in December last year and was a fantastic 3rd in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham festival last season, that was a huge run in a red-hot contest.

With normal progression to come and the experience under his belt for fences, he will run a big race in this at a venue that clearly suits his running style.    

A typical wide open Graded affair with currently 16 runners going to the past, and Dan Skelton has the current market leader in Alnadam, Dan and Harry who won this race last season with Oldgrangewood.

Alnadam has always been a horse connections think a lot of, especially since going chasing, and he deserves his place at the head of the market in this Grade 3 contest.

You wouldn’t think it looking at his last run, but he has some good form last season and he just had his pipe opener last time out at Haydock when finishing last of 4 runners, but that was a red-hot contest with Bravemansgame, Itchy Feet and Pay The Piper in there, all very nice chasers in the making.

He is guaranteed to come on for the run, as he looked like he needed it, falling away with two fences to go.

He is now back in slightly calmer waters he can put his electric jumping to good use, something he shown when winning a class 3 handicap at Sandown in February. A big run is expected for last year’s winning combination of Dan and Harry Skelton.    

A point-to-point winner back in 2019, Whatsupwithyou has been running well over fences and hurdles without winning, ever since his winning start over hurdles on debut back at Ascot by 3 and a quarter length in December 2019 on some very testing conditions.

He hasn’t won since that fantastic debut effort but has been knocking on the door in some hot contests, especially a fourth-place finish in last seasons Conditionals Jockey Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival, which is arguably a career best.

He has been running over fences this season, and that hasn’t particularly worked well but did finish a nice 3rd last time out. He doesn’t look a natural chaser, and his handicap mark over the smaller obstacles looks to have been protected slightly, and he has been dropped down 6lb from his last run over hurdles to a nice rating of 130.

He beat some horses on his debut that have peak ratings of 139, so this race is certainly in his grasp of taking for the inform Ben Pauling team operating at a 30% strike rate (6 winners in just 20 runners) in the last 14 days, the testing conditions will suit and him the best out of this field and he should run a good race as a result of this.     

Brewin’upastorm has always been a horse that has promised so much for the Olly Murphy team, a Grade 2 winner over hurdles, he was always expected to make a top chaser, but lacked the enthusiasm for running over larger obstacles that he did when running over hurdles.

His record sits at a fantastic 4 winners in just 9 runs over hurdles, including a very nice 9 length romp at Aintree last time out, beating some nice staying hurdle types in the process.

Since going back over hurdles he looks better than ever, and he has been crying out for this slightly longer a trip for a while.

On the softer conditions that suits him wonders, he will be very hard to beat in this class of race that he won last season, he has been campaigned very nicely since his disappointing chasing days and it shows how much the trainer and connections value him. 

A typically competitive Listed Junior bumper to end the card at Cheltenham, has some very nice types for the future declared to run in it this year.

Chic Avenue has a nice run behind her back after finishing 3rd at Wetherby at the start of the month, only being beaten by just over a length, she was held up at the back of the field and made some lovely headway coming down the straight.

She might have won or at least got closer that day, but slightly wandered and was very green running down the straight when asked, so with her first day at school out the way, racing experience under her belt she should run a nice race in this.