Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Valgrand to Charm his rivals into submission

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty picks out his best bets on Day One of Cheltenham’s November Meeting.

There’s still no rain on the horizon but they do a good job of watering at Cheltenham so you would like to think the ground should be on the slower side of good come the opening day.

Cheltenham, Friday

The Listed Novices’ Chase (1:45pm) is competitive despite the small field. If Buddy One gets his act together over fences, he could be a real player. The one I like though is SPRINGWELL BAY, who was a good winner on his return, on chase debut at Chepstow. He jumped well there, and I think he’s a horse who still has more potential to come. We perhaps didn’t see the best of him over hurdles, but we may now see that over fences.

JONBON is impossible to take on in the Shloer Chase (2:20pm). Nicky Henderson’s star has only been beaten twice over fences, the first time by El Fabiolo in the Arkle and then by Elixir De Nutz in last season’s Clarence House, when making some terrible jumping errors. He bounced back from that with a good win at Aintree and then at Sandown, where he had Edwardstone and Boothill both well beaten. The first of those rivals may now be a 10-year-old, but if age hasn’t caught up with him over the summer, he still looks the most likely to chase Jonbon home.

Gordon Elliott has a great record over the banks at Cheltenham, and CONFLATED is an interesting runner in the Cross Country Handicap (2:55pm), despite not running over this unique course before. He has some serious Grade 1 form from last season to his name, as he finished third in the Ryanair and then wasn’t beaten far when runner-up to Jonbon at Aintree. He unseated at the first on his reappearance this season at Punchestown, so his next start in the Charlie Hall really counts as his first run of the season. He looked to be in need of that and the handicapper has now dropped him a pound to 166, with one of the best amateurs around in Rob James taking off another seven pounds. With the class he has, if he takes to the course, he could be very hard to beat.

The Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3:30pm) features two horses who were both really impressive when winning at Cheltenham’s October meeting. Potters Charm looks a very smart horse but it was hard not to be impressed with the way VALGRAND pulled clear of a good rival in Gale Mahler. Judging by the way he stayed up the run in that day, this step up in trip shouldn’t be an issue and he has already proved he goes on the ground. Although he does have to give away two pounds to his main market rival, I think the Skelton runner might just have the edge at the finish.