Our form expert has three selections for Saturday's ITV action from day two of Cheltenham's November Meeting.
The Verdict: Saturday November 14
1pt win Karnaval Point in the 12:35 Cheltenham at 9/1 (bet365, 8/1 General)
1pt win July Flower in the 14:20 Cheltenham at 15/2 (William Hill, 7/1 General)
1pt win Wonderful Eagle in the 14:55 Cheltenham at 16/1 (William Hill, Ladbrokes)
Flower to bloom in Paddy Power Gold Cup
It’s a cracking renewal of the Paddy Power Gold Cup (14:20) at Cheltenham on Saturday with many potential graded-level performers towards the top of the weights and the top of the betting.
Meetmebythesea, Blueking D’Oroux and Quebecois head the market and they are all respected, with all three expected to race prominently, and this could turn into a private battle if they all jump well on the front end.
That’s not a given, and it will be interesting to see if Dan Skelton’s intensive schooling has improved Blueking d’Oroux’s jumping, as he still looked novicey when last seen at Aintree last spring.
His fencing puts me off him at the prices, while Meetmebythesea has a tough task off this mark and Quebecois finds winning hard, so I’d rather take the front three on with Henry de Bromhead’s JULY FLOWER on her seasonal reappearance.
Her price has contracted all week, but you can see why as she looks well handicapped off 142 and she has a great record fresh, winning off the two biggest breaks of her career (169 and 225 days off) in the past.
She ran much better than her finishing position when travelling into the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase smoothly at Punchestown in April, before she tired into fourth late on over 3m1f, proving herself on good ground in the process.
That form looks strong with Fleur In The Park and Western Fold winning subsequently and July Flower had them all at it between the last two fences, so this drop in trip to an intermediate distance looks ideal.
She jumps well, as you would expect for a De Bromhead horse, while she showed she liked Cheltenham when winning the Arkle trial at this meeting last year.
That ability to jump and travel and handle the Old Course should stand her in good stead and she looks a great spare for someone (Sean Flanagan?) after Darragh O’Keeffe’s unfortunate and untimely injury.
Irish horses don’t have a great record in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, but that’s only because the top yards tend to swerve it. De Bromhead has recognised that, he targets the early Cheltenham meetings more and more with great success these days and this year he looks to have aimed at the big one with a mare firmly on the up.
The Verdict: Back JULY FLOWER in the 14:20 Cheltenham
On Point with Pipe and Murphy
The names Martin Pipe and Timmy Murphy used to strike the fear of God into bookmakers at this meeting and their sons, David and Lucas respectively, team up with KARNAVAL POINT in the opening Citipost Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase over 3m1f.
Lucas Murphy has only had 22 rides but he’s started really well and he has already had a big Saturday winner with Viroflay at Ascot, so he looks well up to the task in this amateur jockeys’ race where he gets to claim 5lb.
Karnaval Point has been on the go all summer but we know he’s hard fit and he’s unexposed over this sort of trip having raced in excess of three miles for the first time when third over the course and distance last time out.
He kept on well that day after being headed only late on in a better race than this one and the combination of the trip, tongue-tie and blinkers conspired to bring about arguably a career-best run for which he went up just 2lb.
His running style suggests he’ll be ridden close up, on the second circuit at least, which is often where you want to be in this type of race and with the ground ideal there is plenty to recommend him at around 9/1.
The Verdict: Back KARNAVAL POINT in the 12:35 Cheltenham
Eagle to soar for Hobbs & White
The From The Horses Mouth Podcast Handicap Hurdle over three miles looks a competitive race but I can’t resist Philip Hobbs & Johnson White’s WONDERFUL EAGLE at a big price.
He has been off for 624 days but he has an excellent record fresh, winning off breaks of 77, 104, 119 and 268 days, while Hobbs has plenty of previous when it comes to bringing this type of horse back off a significant absence.
He’s got form on good ground and at Cheltenham, as well, his last run at this track in December 2024 behind Long Draw particularly noteworthy as he rallied for third after they crawled around and he made an error at the last.
That shows he’s capable if they go steady, as they often do over this trip, but in a big field it’s with hope they go a good gallop as that would help draw out his stamina which he proved was a strong suit of his at Newbury.
The Verdict: Back WONDERFUL EAGLE in the 14:55 Cheltenham
Preview posted at 16:00 GMT on 13/11/26
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