Snap Tie support seems significant

Up The Ante:

THE Cheltenham Festival is less than a fortnight away and, as usual, some big-name contenders have fallen by the wayside.

Fingal Bay (Neptune Novices’ Hurdle), Grandouet (Champion Hurdle) and Backstage (Foxhunters) are three strongly-fancied horses which readily spring to mind and you can bet there will be more to follow in the next 12 days.

Our portfolio is building up rather nicely, with the vast majority a shorter price than when they were recommended.

All we need now is a clear run to the Festival and the prospect of decent going as all our selections were made on the assumption that the ground will, as usual, ride no worse than good to soft.

Selections already made are in the panel on this page and tonight I have been looking at one or two races yet to be touched on in this column.

Let’s start with the Pulteney Land Investments Novices’ Handicap Chase and a horse of Nick Henderson’s called Triolo D’Alene, who joined the stable at Christmas and duly won on his first start in Britain at Ascot.

He jumps well, is unexposed and will be well prepared by his meticulous trainer. Add the presence of Barry Geraghty on board and I expect this one to start a lot shorter than the 7-1 currently on offer.

With Fingal Bay – one of my favourite horses around – out of the Neptune, I quite like the look of course and distance winner Batonnier.

The 12-1 available earlier this week has been hoovered up, but this progressive individual has a lot going for him and is well fancied by trainer Alan King.

Maybe it’s sentiment, but I can’t stop myself from throwing a few shekels at Snap Tie in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle.

It is only three runs since this fluent hurdler finished seventh in the 2009 Champion Hurdle and he can run in this race off a mark of 137 - 21 pounds lower than his last outing in a handicap.

Admittedly, Snap Tie cannot be expected to be quite the force of old, but he will have everything in his favour in the County.

The ground is usually at its quickest on the final day of the meeting, Snap Tie has always produced his best when fresh and he loves an end-to-end gallop.

It would be a great training feat by Philip Hobbs were Snap Tie to win this after a lay-off of almost two years, but there was money for the horse earlier this week so the stable is clearly confident.

At 20-1, he is well worth chancing each-way.




RECOMMENDATIONS: Triolo D’Alene, Pulteney Handicap Chase, 7-1, (general); Batonnier, Neptune Investment Hurdle, 10-1 (Ladbrokes); Snap Tie, County Hurdle, 20-1 (Coral).






OLDHAM Evening Chronicle racing correspondent Keith McHugh will be on the panel at a Cheltenham Festival preview night at Hopwood Unionist Club, Heywood, on Tuesday, March 6 (7.45pm).



Also giving their Festival thoughts will be top trainer Charlie Longsdon, Nicky Henderson’s assistant trainer, Ben Pauling, “Jumping Prospects” author John Morris and Tote PR man George Primarolo.

Entry costs £10 and tickets can be ordered by ringing John Morris on 0151 520 0080.






PREVIOUSLY ADVISED:



Rock On Ruby, Champion Hurdle

16-1 (14-1)

Medermit, Ryanair Chase

16-1 (now 8-1)

Our Father (Pertemps Hurdle

12-1 (7-1)

Grumeti, Triumph Hurdle

10-1 (5-1)

First Lieutenant, RSA Chase

8-1 (7-1)

Brindisi Breeze, Albert Bartlett

Novices’ Hurdle

12-1 (12-l)

Salsify, Foxhunters Chase

12-1 (8-1)

New Year’s Eve, Festival Bumper

12-1 (12-1).

Ruby Light, Gold Cup

20-1 (N/A, runs in Ryanair Chase)