2:50 albert bartlett

i hate this race. i think it's too much for novice hurdlers to take on at such a young age and it's been a good while since a winner of this race turned out to be a very smart horse down the line and i do think that is somewhat due to how much this race can take out of a horse early in their career. and it's frustrating this year because i think specifically gidleigh park has a very promising chasing career in his future and i'm not certain he can or will realise that potential after what is traditionally a 3m sprint on the stiffer of the two courses at cheltenham. 

readin' tommy wrong has drifted out to a much more likeable price this morning but i don't particularly like his form and less so now having watched how mid ile atlantique is in the baring bingham. i'm not at all convinced he stays 2m4f so readin' tommy wrong outstaying him doesn't seem like much of a feat to me. mullins didn't seem too hot on this horse prior and again after he doesn't seem in love but he will be one of those that does stay a good trip and he likely won't be beat for stamina here. i can't bet this horse as a favourite in a competitive little race.

gidleigh park as mentioned is a horse i love and i think he will be better for three miles. his form doesn't read all that strongly but he looked like he needed further when grinding his way back to the front after being headed the last day at this track. the money is down this morning as he has moved from 7 overnight down to 5.7 at time of typing and that move is enough to keep me away from betting him. if i was getting 11/2 first four i would be betting but 4/1 and even 7/2 in some places, i'm not interested. 

i'm happy to pass over captain teague as well. i do think he's a very nice horse and he's a love big chasing type as well and the way he travelled through the challow was that of a smart horse but i would note that nicholls had stated a few times in the lead up to the festival that this horse would go for the 2m5f if theground was more testing and would only go for this race on drier ground so i think there are some concerns about stamina for this horse and he did get very weary in bottomless ground in the challow. we can only assume that nicholls decided to come here after ballyburn went for the 2m5f and i think he is plenty vulnerable enough based on those decisions and comments.

mullins has another nice horse in here in dancing city and he stayed on strongly to win over 2m6f the last day, confirming the promise of the previous run and building on the positivity that mullins has had about this horse since he arrived in the yard. the form ahead of predators gold is abysmal though despite the figures suggesting it is some of the best form coming in to the race. he will also have had a hard race that day and this is going to be another gruelling test so i'm not at all convinced 40 days between testing runs is going to be helpful in a finish here and i suspect he might find something too strong up the hill, but i wouldn't put anyone off an each way bet if you are so inclined, i think he runs a decent enough race. 

easy enough to pass over the likes of lecky watson, high class hero and chigorin here. although i did like the way johnnywho stayed on in the challow in tough conditions. he's a small enough horse and the run the last day came quick enough after a tough one in the challow so you can forgive him for running a bit below par that day, i think he has had a hard enough season already but i thought he was very promising on seasonal debut and i bet him in the challow so he is a horse i have some time for. i'm just concerned this is one run too many. 

the one i have taken is the jukebox man at 20/1 four places. he ran in the challow behind captain teague and although he wasn't quite good enough that day, he travelled very nicely and stayed on well to the line but he was still very green and juvenile that day. he will have learned a lot and he looks a thorough stayer in the making. he will likely improve for this trip and he's being brought along nice and slowly on purpose. big, strong, chasing type that is improving with every run and i think he can ho on enough to run a big race here.