Trainer Paul Nicholls has opened the new jumps season with a treble win, yesterday at Cheltenham El Bandit took the opening honour for Nicholls followed closely by Marracudja. This got Nicholls off to a flying start in the Trainers Championship, which he will be hoping to replicate today at Cheltenham where he has four runners today, starting with the 1.50, the Randox Handicap Chase.
Keltus is coming in today off the back of a win last week at Fakenham and not being the bookies favourite give him quite good odds today of 8/1 with William Hill. The distance today is three miles and one furlong, there are fourteen runners and the going at Cheltenham is good. Today’s favourite with the bookies is Harry Fry’s Henryville with odds of 6/1 with Paddy Power.
Other horses to watch out for in this race are Racing Pulse and Bucking the Trend, but Keltus is looking like a progressive so fingers crossed, although with the luck that Nicholls is having that won’t be needed.
Moving on to the 3.00 at Cheltenham, Nicholls’ second horse is running, Adrien du Pont, based on last season’s form, he will be the one to beat today and the odds reflect that, he’s 2/1 with Bet365 this morning. Other horses to watch out for are Alan Kings Gibralfaro with odds of 9/4 with Ladbrokes.
Moving on to the 4.40 at Cheltenham and Nicholls has Qualando, with only six runners in this race, Qualando is not the favourite and has odds of 7/1 with Boylesports this morning. The favourite is Neil Mulholland’s Shantou Village with odds of 10/11 with Skybet. Brother Tedd is the one to watch out for in this race.
Finally on to the 5.15 at Cheltenham and Nicholls last runner is Brahms de Claremont, in a field of seventeen runners, over two miles and eighty five yards. This horse is the second favourite in the field with odds of 3/1 with Bet365 this morning, Nicky Henderson’s River Wylde is the favourite this morning with odds of 13/8 with Paddy Power. Don’t rule out Woodfort in this race with his pedigree in the rules races he could just pip the other two over jumps. Odds for Woodfort are 7/1 with Coral.
Good Luck today.