S.P.Read Esq: Cheltenham Open Meeting – Day Three
Our daily columnist and pundit S.P. Read Esq. looks ahead to the racing on Sunday afternoon at CHELTENHAM and finds the best opportunities available on Star Spreads, the home of sports spread betting.
Huge day of racing, both sides of the Irish Sea, on Sunday but the star attraction is very much the reappearance of Faugheen ‘The Machine’ at Punchestown in the Morgiana Hurdle at 2.15.
The reigning Champion Hurdler is unbeaten in 10 races and faces a seemingly a routine task today to extend that sequence, given he is 19lb clear of his nearest rival on official ratings.
The form of Willie Mullins may give layers faint hope (his three odds-on shots yesterday were all beaten) but the reality is that even a below his best Faugheen wins this easily.
Elsewhere on the Punchestown card, chasing stars of the future get the chance to strut their stuff in the two other Graded races.
Feature race on day three of the Open Meeting at Cheltenham is the Grade 3 Greatwood Hurdle at 2.40, a competitive handicap run over just north of two miles.
The John Fergusson trained Nabucco is my idea of the likely winner. I’m playing the Star Spreads 50/30/20/10 index.
The six-year-old arrives here on a four-timer and whilst he had simple tasks in the first two of his recent wins, it was his victory last time out at Ascot that really impressed me. Like today, it came in a competitive handicap hurdle and he travelled really well to beat Unanimite narrowly. He’s up 5lb in the weights but could easily still be on an upward progression.
…… and good luck to Sprinter Sacre in the Shloer Chase at 2.10. Nicky Henderson has been very bullish but realistic at the same time. The confidence seems genuine – not that he’s back to his best – but that he’s showing some of his old sparkle and he would be a popular winner.
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- Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
- Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.
