Timeform rate Frodon 165 after Cheltenham win

Timeform pick out the best performances from Cheltenham's Showcase Meeting and both Frodon and Rouge Vif saw their ratings increase to 165.

Frodon – Timeform rating 165 (from 163)

Saturday’s Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Chase was a lop-sided affair, with Frodon being asked to concede 17 lb or more to his rivals from a BHA mark of 164. It looked a difficult task on paper, but Paul Nicholls’ charge proved equal to it, burning off his rivals one by one as he jumped with his usual accuracy and enthusiasm in front. West Approach was still in contention at the last, but Frodon was never going to be headed up the Cheltenham hill that he knows so well, confirming himself a top-class chaser with a career-best performance to come home a length and a half to the good. He’s so genuine and jumps so well that he’ll be hard to discount wherever he goes next, though it’s worth sounding a note of caution with regards to his prospects in the best staying chases around. Indeed, the task of conceding weight to inferior rivals was an ideal scenario for him to produce his best effort yet, whether he’ll be able to run to the same level in the deeper waters of a Gold Cup, for example, still being open to question.

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Rouge Vif – Timeform rating 165 (from 155)

Taken at face value, Rouge Vif’s success in the Bentley Flying Spur Handicap Chase on Friday could go down as another of the better handicap performances this decade, defying a BHA mark of 156 with stunning dominance in a well-run race. Soon jumping and travelling well, he hit the front five out and barely came out of second gear on the run-in, already around 11 lengths clear by the time he was eased down. He was talked about as a potential Champion Chase contender immediately afterwards, and it’s true that his handicap days are almost certainly behind him, likely to have little option but to test the waters in open graded company. Like Frodon, however, it’s worth pointing out that races against the very best around will present him with an altogether different challenge to what he faced here, a race in which the 139-rated runner-up Western Miller seemed to excel himself up markedly in grade. And, whilst Frodon has already won a Ryanair, Rouge Vif still needs to prove himself in Grade 1 company after coming up short against the best two-mile novice chasers in 2019/20. It’s not hard to envisage a similar scenario developing this season.

Galvin tracking Doctor Duffy at Cheltenham

Galvin – Timeform rating 153p (from 151p)

There was lots of interest in the Matchbook Better Way To Bet Novices’ Chase on Friday. Three smart novices with plenty of experience over fences were giving weight to three chasing newcomers, all of whom appealed as likely to do better over fences than hurdles. Galvin, who had finished runner-up in the Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, came out on top to make it four in a row over fences. There wasn’t much substance to his previous three wins, but this represented another step forward as he won by seven lengths in decisive fashion, showing he'll be a force to be reckoned with at a high level. The National Hunt Chase at the Festival is reportedly his target, and he shares plenty of similarities with his stable’s 2017 winner of that race, Tiger Roll, unprepossessing to look at but with a good attitude and bundles of ability. He remains open to more improvement over fences, too.

Fusil Raffles impresses at Cheltenham

Fusil Raffles – Timeform rating 149p (from 147p)

Friday’s Two Farmers Crisps Novices’ Chase has featured some smart novice chasers over the years, including Al Dancer 12 months ago, and the latest winner Fusil Raffles looks likely to fall into that category himself. He reached that level over hurdles as a four-year-old, notably winning a Grade 1 at Punchestown, but the wheels rather came off after his winning reappearance last season, finishing well held on both subsequent starts. There was more encouragement to be taken from his chasing debut at Uttoxeter, though, and he built on that performance to extend his unbeaten record over fences to two on Friday, giving weight and a comprehensive beating to the chasing debutant Sir Valentine (fairly useful over hurdles). The race may have fallen apart somewhat – the two remaining runners were both well below the pick of their efforts over fences – but Fusil Raffles looks sure to go on improving and has earned a crack at better company, with the Grade 2 over this trip at the November meeting appealing as a suitable target.