SMILING Getaway has a bit to find on the official ratings ahead of the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown but she has done nothing wrong to date.
Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies now, she was a point-to-point winner before having well over a year off ahead of her one and only run for Dan Skelton.
She finished fourth in a Southwell bumper and was off for almost another year before moving on to Twiston-Davies.
Unfancied for her hurdling debut at Ludlow in December, she won well and a month later went to Warwick where she was even more impressive under a penalty.
Immediately after that success this Grade Two was nominated as her target, she stays this two-and-a-half-mile trip well and handles cut in the ground, so there are no negatives.
Skelton’s Etalon faced something of a victory lap last time out but we learned more about him on his chasing debut at Newbury.
A useful hurdler, he jumped with aplomb that day, looking anything but a novice and it must have been hard for the handicapper.
He put him up 7lb but last time out he only faced one rival and duly saw him off with ease. Up another 4lb for this tougher test, he could still have plenty in hand.
Gary Moore’s horses seem to go well at Sandown and his Hudson De Grugy is of interest in the Spectra Group Alanbrooke Handicap Chase.
A multiple course winner, he was having his first run since a wind operation when third at the Esher venue last time out.
It was a satisfactory comeback and he is now down to the same mark off which he won a premier handicap at the track last season.
Mount Tempest won the race Hudson De Grugy finished third in recently and he heads to Leicester for a three-runner contest.
Having won at Sandown off 116, he followed up at Wetherby off 121 and ran another good race back at Sandown when upped to 128.
With only two to beat, he should be able to dominate in the Follow racingtv On X Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.
Lucinda Russell had huge hopes for Giovinco at the start of the season and while it began promisingly, the wheels have fallen off somewhat.
He lost little in defeat to Stay Away Fay at Sandown but was taken way out of his comfort zone by the brilliant Il Est Francais on Boxing Day.
He now drops in class significantly for the Quinnbet Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase and if he is to take up any of his Cheltenham entries, he needs to be winning even if he is giving lumps of weight away.
