Happygolucky and Buddy One among interesting entries on Cheltenham Trials Day

Nicholls juvenile could be major mover

Trials Day at Cheltenham isn't always quite as informative as the title might suggest and the five-day entries are admittedly a little thin this year, but it's coming hot on the heels of a largely successful Berkshire Winter Million meeting and all seven races this Saturday contain at least one horse with reasonable prospects of going close back here in the middle of March.

East India Dock is already second-favourite behind Lulamba for the Festival and looks to cement his credentials in the opening JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, though the one to watch looks to be Sauvignon, who swerved the opportunity to clash with Lulamba at Ascot last weekend and comes to Prestbury Park for his UK debut instead.

Paul Nicholls was only on Sunday stressing how he believes the future at Ditcheat remains as bright as ever and it’s horses like French import Sauvignon that are presumably filling him with most optimism.

Nicholls is no stranger to sourcing quality youngsters from across the Channel and this one has already been given a BHA mark of 138 based on his Listed win at Auteuil last summer. Consequently, the Fred Winter is probably out of the question for the son of Inns Of Court, who is a general 33/1 for the Triumph at the time of writing and could be the next big Festival springer.

The Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase has had a massive impact on the principal meeting in seven weeks’ time down the years, Mister Whitaker, Simply The Betts and Stage Star all recent winners who went on to double up in one race or another at the Festival.

Experience can be key, in which case Imperial Saint and Guard Your Dreams must be taken seriously, although the relatively lightly-raced Pic Roc looks a potential improver and might be starting out over fences on a workable mark. That’s certainly the impression I got from his chasing debut second at Exeter and it will be interesting if trainer Ben Pauling opts to turn him out again just 12 days on from that.

Masaccio has his sights lowered a little but returns to handicap company with an inflated mark on account of his Graded-race form, while the Nicholls-trained Inthewaterside is a fine stamp but will need to get into a good rhythm early if he’s to defy a 6lb rise and back up his Newbury success.

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero have entered up both Jagwar and Billytherealbigred, the latter of the pair looking on a real upward curve and sure to appreciate the forecast rain at the back end of the week. He's two from two over fences and has only just turned five.

WATCH: Billytherealbigred wins well at Exeter on December 6

That one’s stablemate Iroko and Nicholls’ course regular Ginny’s Destiny are the ratings-toppers in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase over the extended two and a half miles.

Rowland Meyrick winner Some Scope remains of considerable interest having gone up just 4lb in the weights but I’m not convinced he’s in love with the Cheltenham undulations.

Torn And Frayed and Il Ridoto won this event in 2022 and 2023 respectively and are back for another crack, but course winner Happygolucky is the most eyecatching entry, having not been sighted since finishing ninth in Corach Rambler’s Ultima of 2023.

He’s been eased to his last successful mark (149) and is set to start out for trainer Mel Rowley having left Kim Bailey (still in same ownership).

Three miles to unlock Star potential?

The Betfair Cotswold Chase looks far removed from a genuine Gold Cup trial but it’s not without interest and presumably King George third L’Homme Presse will run either here or head back for the Ascot Chase next month before connections finalise a Festival target with him.

Nicholls' Stage Star is a horse I’ve been dead keen to see over three miles since his novice days and it’s quite surprising it has taken this long to step him up but he probably falls somewhere between Grade 1 horse and top-class handicapper so hopefully it might offer a realistic opportunity in which to get back to winning ways as his Paddy Power success at the start of last season is starting to feel a long time ago.

The Unibet Hurdle looks potentially problematic for Cheltenham but it was a big relief to see Lossiemouth entered up against Constitution Hill as two of the others (Brentford Hope and Spirits Bay) only ran at Windsor and Haydock over the weekend and look far more likely to wait for the William Hill Newbury Handicap Hurdle, for which they are both entered on February 8.

Which leaves just the 10-year-old Fils d’Oudairies, who was pulled-up in a handicap chase at Fairyhouse on January 11, and Joyeux Machin, who debuted for Dan Skelton with a 40/1 no-show in a competitive handicap hurdle at the last Cheltenham meeting.

So, to say that the race really does need Lossiemouth is an understatement but she also has the option of the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, so it’s no guarantee she’ll be coming to defend her title in this weekend’s race.

Buddy could be punters' pal once more

The Betfair Cleeve Hurdle appears ripe for a shock as neither Crambo nor Strong Leader can be considered rock-solid based on their overall profiles.

Buddy One, second to Strong Leader at Aintree last spring having been fourth in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle prior to that, is back hurdling for the first time this season and has often come to life at this course in the past.

You’re going much further back to 2020 for the last time Ga Law competed over the smaller obstacles so he’d be an intriguing runner for Jamie Snowden as he just looks in the grip of the handicapper over fences, while Gowel Road would still have a bit to find with the pick of these but continues to run his heart out and will no doubt be on every Placepot slip going if lining up on Saturday.

It’s not a great edition of the Grade 2 race, in short.

The unbeaten Potters Charm stands out among the entries for the AIS Novices’ Hurdle but the Twiston-Davies camp are seemingly looking to go straight to the Turners instead and, in his absence, a lot of the attention is likely to fall on Bill Joyce, Good And Clever and Quebecois.

Personally, I’m interested to see what the Pauling-trained Jig’s Forge might be capable of, given the horse he beat six lengths in a Ffos Las maiden in November has since bolted up by 26 lengths in a mares’ maiden herself.

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