15:40 Cheltenham

Friday 15 December 2017

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

Citipost Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:41 | Winning time: 6m 6.60s

1^st

Arthur's Gift

610-11

6/1

T: N & W Twiston-DaviesJ: Tom Humphries (7)

Mid-division, outpaced after 3 out, rallied before last, led inside final 100 yards, stayed on op 5/1 tchd 9/2

2^nd

1 ¾

Sykes

811-2

33/1

T: Nicky MartinJ: Matt Griffiths

Tracked leader, led 9th, 3 lengths clear when hit last, headed inside final 100 yards, kept on

3^rd

Jester Jet

710-10

7/1

T: T LaceyJ: R T Dunne

Held up in mid-division, headway before 2 out, went 2nd approaching last, every chance flat, held inside final 100 yards, kept on op 8/1

4^th

Shantou Bob

911-12

12/1

T: W GreatrexJ: R Johnson

Tracked leaders, outpaced before not much room after 2 out, modest 6th last, stayed on flat, went 4th close home op 10/1 tchd 9/1

5^th

Anteros

910-13

16/1

T: Mrs S LeechJ: P J Brennan

Held up in rear, headway after 2 out, 4th after last, soon hung right, no impression, lost 4th close home op 12/1

6^th

The Dutchman

711-4

7/2f

T: C L TizzardJ: R M Power

Mid-division, headway 7th, went 2nd after 2 out until before last, weakened flat op 9/2

7^th

Taj Badalandabad

711-0

33/1

T: D PipeJ: David Noonan

Held up in rear, headway before 2 out, hanging left and weakened before last tchd 40/1

8^th

4 ½

Champers On Ice

711-9

9/2

T: D PipeJ: T Scudamore

Not always fluent, chased leaders, ridden 9th, weakened after 3 out op 5/1

9^th

Luccombe Down

710-8

10/1

T: F O'BrienJ: N D Fehily

Le,d not fluent 3rd, mistake 8th, headed next, mistake 3 out, awkward 2 out, soon weakened tchd 11/1

10^th

Fly Camp

711-0

12/1

T: N J HendersonJ: Aidan Coleman

Held up in mid-division, headway before 3 out, weakened approaching last tchd 16/1

Also Ran

Rocky's Treasure

611-1

7/1

T: K Bailey & M NichollsJ: David Bass

Held up in mid-division, ridden after 9th, weakened 3 out, pulled up before next op 15/2

Betting Breakdown

Tote Win:£5.10Pl:£2.10, £7.80, £2.30EX:£185.80Trifecta:£1,228.10Tricast:£1,401.45SF:£164.55Swingers:£48.70, £7.80, £22.90

Forecasts

The Dutchman (7/2), Champers On Ice (9/2), Arthur's Gift (6/1), Jester Jet (7/1), Rocky's Treasure (7/1), Luccombe Down (10/1), Shantou Bob (12/1), Fly Camp (12/1), Anteros (16/1), Sykes (33/1), Taj Badalandabad (33/1)

There's a lot to like about JESTER JET's profile and she's a tentative selection in what could hardly be a more competitive contest. Arthur's Gift gets a useful claimer in the saddle and should make a bold hat-trick bid while Champers On Ice is proving to be a better hurdler than chaser and may be capable of more improvement for a shrewd yard.