Galopin Des Champs is an even-money chance to follow up last year’s seven-length defeat of Bravemansgame when he goes to post for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Friday, but this looks like a stronger race than the 2023 edition and Venetia Williams’s L’Homme Presse (3.30), at around 12-1, has plenty to recommend him as a value alternative to the favourite. Williams has few peers as a trainer of steeplechasers, although the sport’s most prestigious event has eluded her to date. L’Homme Presse, however, looks like Williams’s best chance in the race since the popular Teeton Mill suffered a career-ending injury after setting off as the second-favourite a quarter of a century ago.
The nine-year-old has won both of his starts at Cheltenham, including the Brown Advisory Novice Chase at this meeting two years ago when he hit the line like a horse that can only improve for Friday’s step up to three and a quarter miles.
L’Homme Presse was off the track for more than a year after falling at the last in the King George at Kempton in December 2022, and while his prep run at Ascot last month left some observers underwhelmed, he was running over too short a trip against a top-class opponent over the course and distance. Williams, meanwhile, was delighted with the L’Homme Presse’s run and the recent rain at Cheltenham could prove to have been the final piece of the puzzle.
Cheltenham 1.30: Storm Heart, second home in a 1-2-3 for Willie Mullins in the best trial for this race at Leopardstown, could have enough improvement to prevail this time.
Cheltenham 2.10: No end of possibilities in what is often the toughest of all the Festival handicaps to solve, but So Scottish, sixth in the Plate over fences 12 months ago, could make the most of his lower hurdles mark.
Cheltenham 2.50: Readin Tommy Wrong, a Grade One winner on only his second start over hurdles, is the pick of these on form and can only improve for the step up to three miles.
Cheltenham 4.10: There is little to choose between Ferns Lock and likely favourite Its On The Line on form, so David Christie’s runner looks the better option at around 3-1.
Fakenham 1.10 Bluegrass 1.45 Ballylinch 2.25 Ballyrashane 3.05 Fever Dream 3.45 Pump It Up 4.25 Tapley 5.05 Rebel Dawn Rising
Cheltenham 1.30 Storm Heart 2.10 So Scottish (nb) 2.50 Readin Tommy Wrong 3.30 L’Homme Presse (nap) 4.10 Ferns Lock 4.50 Dinoblue 5.30 Bingoo
Ffos Las 1.55 Reverend Hubert 2.35 Mumbles 3.15 Followango 3.55 Bonza Boy 4.35 Major Fortune 5.10 Desert Fortune
Newcastle 5.00 Isle of Sark 5.40 Native King 6.10 Hiya Maite 6.40 Daytona Lady 7.10 Trulie Good 7.40 Bits And Bobs 8.10 Al Muqdad
Wolverhampton 5.20 Thismydream 6.00 Etretat 6.30 Prince Maxi 7.00 Trois Blancs 7.30 Overlooked 8.00 Stolen Encounter 8.30 Prince Ali
Cheltenham 4.50: Dinoblue was within nine lengths of her high-class stable companion El Fabiolo last time and will be very hard to beat back racing against her own sex.
Cheltenham 5.30: He needs to bounce back from a lesser effort last time but Bingoo has the leading conditional Patrick Wadge holding the reins, and will appreciate the return to this trip and could outrun odds of around 40-1.
