Negra looks Champion bet against Chacun Pour Soi
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DESPITE training over 70 Cheltenham Festival winners, Willie Mullins has yet to win the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.05pm) but has a serious chance of rectifying that with Chacun Pour Soi.
The nine-year-old was favourite for the race 12 months ago before being ruled out on the day of the race itself.
He has looked superb so far this season winning all three starts including the two big Grade Ones at Leopardstown over Christmas and then at the Dublin Racing Festival.
If there is a negative it is that he has never run at Cheltenham before, but there was nothing in his latest performance to suggest that the track will cause him any problems.
In fact, he ran on strongly away from the last dispelling any doubts that the famous Cheltenham hill might prove to be his nemesis.
After Appreciate It and Shishkin landed the spoils for favourite backers in the first two races on Tuesday, all the odds-against disappeared about Chacun Pour Soi and he is only 4/5 with Fitzdares.
It would be a surprise if he doesn’t win, but I’m going to take a chance on Dan Skelton’s NUBE NEGRA who could just be the value each-way against the market leader.
He’s a young horse from a stable in red-hot form who toyed with late absentee Altior at Kempton over Christmas.
This will require more on a very different track, but he just could be the value call in a fascinating contest.
I had been really keen to put up the likes of Rouge Vif and Sceau Royal, but Sunday’s heavy rain has spoilt their chances as they are seen at their best on good ground.
If Nube Negra does win and you back him with Fitzdares, that will trigger their second day offer which is you get a free bet if you back a British-trained winner.
Details can be found with terms and conditions by visiting www.fitzdares.com/offers.
All eyes will be on Tiger Roll as he bids to join Golden Miller (five wins in the Gold Cup) and Quevega (six wins in the Mares’ Hurdle) as only the third horse to win five times at the Cheltenham Festival.
He will attempt to win a third Glenfarclas Chase (3.40pm), which he won in both 2018 and 2019. He also won the JCB Triumph Hurdle in 2014 and the National Hunt Chase in 2017.
However, in last year’s conqueror EASYSLAND he meets a younger opponent with softer conditions now ideal. Fitzdares 5/6 market leader looks hard to oppose having prepped for this when trying to give lumps of weight away here in November.
This race looks to have been the plan all the way along and Tiger Roll will have to be right back to his best to beat this French raider. At much bigger prices I could see the likes of Out Sam and Hogan’s Height running better than the market suggests.
POINTERS
Nube Negra e/w 3.05pm Cheltenham (Wednesday)
Easysland 3.40pm Cheltenham (Wednesday)