all roads lead to cheltenham in march.

​Firstly, a little moan. On Friday of this week there is the first day of Cheltenham’s 3-day November meeting and just up the road there is a meeting at Worcester. How does that help either racecourse attain a full house of spectators? It is race-planning that suggests there is no plan.
The highlights on Friday, and of course I am not referencing Worcester, are the novice chase which hopefully will provide us with a first glimpse of My Drogo as a steeplechaser. I doubt if the race will be overly-subscribed as already Nicky Henderson has ducked out of the race and ran Galleyhill at Exeter yesterday, though if Henry de Bromhead brings over Gin on Lime I think the mare might give My Drogo a more severe test than the Skelton’s will appreciate. I watched Rachel Blackmore win a novice chase in the summer on Gin on Lime and I don’t think I have ever seen a better display by a novice over fences at the first time of asking or an easier winner.
The Cross-Country Chase may not have Tiger Roll this time around (he is entered in the 3-mile 3-furlong handicap on Sunday) but it does have, at the time of writing, the Grand National runner-up Balko Des Flos, the Irish Grand National winner Freewheelin Dylan, the Welsh Grand National winner Potters Corner and, if my unreliable memory comes good for once, the former Scottish Grand National winner Talkischeap in the declarations, though I may be confusing the horse with another of Alan King’s. Also in the field could be another Irish cross-country specialist in Singing Banjo. To my mind, without Tiger Roll, this year’s renewal is a better contest.
The interest for me on Saturday is the first appearances for Paul Nicholls of Simply the Betts and Lalor in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. Neither has the recent form to suggest they could win such a competitive race, yet either could conceivably win going away. Harry Cobden has chosen, I guess, to ride Lalor, which suggests he is the stable’s first choice, with Bryony Frost getting the leg up on Simply the Betts, a horse that is made for her freewheeling, brave style of riding. 11st 10Ibs should, though, anchor him, especially after such a long lay-off. Protektorat is the classy young horse in the race but again 11st 10Ibs is a lot of weight to carry in such a competitive chase. If I were to venture into my local bookie, I would be interested in Midnight Shadow and Farinet of Venetia Williams, though I suspect the latter needs a monsoon to hit Cheltenham to line up.
Given Gordon Elliott doesn’t have a runner in the 3-year-old hurdle there is a strong possibility that the first ante-post favourite for the Triumph Hurdle will be British-trained, especially if Magistrato wins for Paul Nicholls.
Sunday, though, looks the most significant of the 3-days, with the opening race on I.T.V. having, though one wants soft and the other good ground, Yala Enki and Tiger Roll in opposition. This might be one for Ireland as Jessie Harrington has a horse carrying only 10-stone in Port Stanley.
The Shloer Chase is a corker. Put The Kettle On puts her unbeaten Cheltenham record on the line. The opposition is almost 2-mile Champion Chase quality, without, of course, any of the Willie Mullins flyers, with Nube Negra, Politilogue, Sky Pirate and Rouge Vif to make it a really informative cracker of a race.
The Greatwood never throws up a genuine Champion Hurdle horse and won’t this year, even if Adagio wins carrying 11-st 12-Ibs. The race has Irish export written all over it, with at least 4 from over the sea with obvious chances. Straw Fan Jack might worth an each-way investment, though the main British hope will undoubtedly be Nicky Henderson’s No Ordinary Joe.
But as good as the racing will be at Cheltenham, the greatest interest of the weekend will take place half-an-hour before the first race at Prestbury on Saturday. The BetVictor Loyalty Club Beginners Chase is pencilled in, though bear in mind that Henry de Bromhead is notorious for last minute changes of plan, for the chase debut of Bob Olinger, the latest in a long line of horses to carry the cross of being the ‘next Arkle’. The horse will be totally prepared for his first public chase venture, though de Bromhead will have left plenty to work on fitness-wise. I hope he wins as I am getting older by the minute and it would be pretty special to have my life book-ended by Arkle and a horse that finally lives-up to the herald’s call of being his successor.