Willie Mullins, after his magnificent four winners on the first day, only managed one on day two at the Cheltenham Festival. But Don Poli could be a real superstar in the making after galloping to victory in the RSA Chase and is already only a best 7/1 with Betway, Coral, Ladbrokes and Boylesports to win the 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He may not always appear keen but, boy, does he have an engine!
The star of the show among the training ranks on the second afternoon was Paul Nicholls. The champion trainer saddled three winners with the highlight coming in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase with Dodging Bullets. He should arguably have been sent off favourite on his form this season which included victory in the best trial, the Tingle Creek at Sandown. But punters went instead for former champions Sprinter Sacre and Sire De Grugy. The latter could only manage fourth after looking in trouble a long way from home while the former was pulled up with connections fearing a recurrence of the injury which has seen him restricted to only two races in the last 18 months – we may have seen the last of the nine-year-old.
Nicholls’ other winners were Aux Ptits Son in the Coral Cup and Qualando in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and it’s another big day on Thursday for the Ditcheat handler. He has the strongly-fancied Saphir De Rheu (6/1 with Paddy Power and Stan James) and Zarkandar (a general 11/2) in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle. I would prefer the former but Whisper could also run a big race at William Hill‘s 11/1 as he wouldn’t be the first to win this after failing to take to fences. He won the Coral Cup at The Festival last year and improved again to land a Grade 1 at Aintree ahead of the frustrating At Fisher’s Cross (33/1 with Stan James) and Zarkandar, though Saphir De Rheu did give him weight and a beating in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las earlier.
Nicholls would also have a chance with Ptit Zig (9/2 with Paddy Power) in the JLT Novices’ Chase but Mullins’ Vautour (9/4 with 888sport) looks the one to be on here. Course specialist John’s Spirit could be the value bet in the Ryanair Chase at Paddy Power’s 11/1 and three tough handicaps make up the rest of the day three card. Edeymi should go very close off bottom weight in the Pertemps Network Final at the general 9/1 – most bookmakers are paying up to fifth place in each-way betting in this one – while a big run from Attaglance in the Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable Plate at the general 12/1 is expected. Crack amateur Jamie Codd has already ridden one winner this week and will get the best out of the well-treated The Package in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase – he’s a general 14/1.
