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Simon Holt's Saturday selections
1pt win Haddex Des Obeaux in 1.15 Cheltenham
1pt win Lord Accord in 2.25 Cheltenham
1pt each-way Espoir De Romay in 3.00 Cheltenham
ITV selections: HADDEX DES OBEAUX 1.15 Cheltenham Palmar Bay 1.35 Doncaster, Blueking D’Oroux, 1.50 Cheltenham, Ancient Wisdom 2.10 Doncaster, LORD ACCORD 2.25 Cheltenham, Esquire 2.45 Doncaster, ESPOIR DE ROMAY 3.00 Cheltenham, Call Me Ginger 3.20 Doncaster
Conditions at Doncaster on Saturday look likely to be very testing and, of the races covered by ITV, it might prove best to concentrate on some good jumping at Cheltenham where the drier surface should suit LORD ACCORD in his bid to follow-up last year's win in the Epic Jumps Season At William Hill Handicap Chase.
Providing the ground doesn't go deeper than good to soft, Neil Mulholland's lightly-weighted gelding should be fine, and he is certainly handicapped to go very close off just a 1lb higher mark than 12 months ago when beating The Wolf (4lb better) by over four lengths.
As then, Lord Accord warmed up for this renewal with a run over hurdles (at Warwick) earlier in the month and this has obviously been the plan. Subsequent to last year's victory, he ran a mighty second to Frodon in the Badger Ales Handicap Chase at Wincanton and always shows his best form in October or November.
Mulholland has sent out a couple of winners in recent days so all is set for a stoic defence.
In the opening Epic Value At William Hill Handicap Chase, HADDEX DES OBEAUX is fancied to make a winning return having looked an exciting prospect last season.
The French import unseated on his first outing at Newton Abbot but then was highly impressive at Doncaster and Warwick, jumping boldly from the front and proving impossible to peg back.
Indeed, the performances were similar to another heart-on-sleeve Gary Moore-trained chaser Editeur Du Gite who was one of the best two-milers in the country last term.
A mark of 146 could seriously under-estimate Haddex Des Obeaux who seems best going left-handed and, he is likely to be well suited by Cheltenham's sharper Old Course.
The Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle will showcase various contenders for the Final at the Festival in March, and ESPOIR DE ROMAY can go well at decent odds.
This nine-year-old was rated 160 over fences in March 2022 having looked unlucky (fell two out) not to beat the likes of Chantry House, Shan Blue and Fiddlerontheroof in a Grade One at Aintree just under a year earlier.
In-form Kim Bailey's gelding ran just three times over hurdles last season, finishing a creditable second to the talented Ivaldi at Ascot (2m5f) before lumping a big weight into third behind the progressive Twig at Uttoxeter.
Since then, Espoir De Romay has been given the second wind operation of his career and, on the first occasion, he returned to win two of his first three races.
With a good record fresh, wearing cheek pieces for the first time and running off a mark of just 138 over the smaller obstacles, he looks ready to run a big race in the hands of David Bass.
Published at 1245 BST on 27/10/23
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