Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Saint to lead a Charmed trial around Cheltenham

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty looks over Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day card and the pick of the action from Doncaster on Saturday.

Cheltenham, Saturday

A competitive novices’ chase (12:40pm) opens Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day. Jagwar looked booked to be a good second to Jingko Blue at Uttoxeter last time before making a bad mistake at the last. He has a big shout, but the horse that I’m drawn to is Jagwar’s stablemate at the foot of the weights, BILLYTHEREALBIGRED. He would have won all of his last six starts had he not fallen when going easily at Ayr last spring. He’s won his first two runs over fences, at Bangor and Exeter, in good style and he just looks a progressive horse. Only a five-year-old, he gets a six-pound weight allowance here and could be worth chancing.

EAST INDIA DOCK is very hard to oppose in the Triumph Trial (1:15pm). It was a brilliant performance from him the last day, when jumping so professionally around Cheltenham. That showed he had stepped up a good deal since winning on his debut at Wincanton the time before. Sauvignon could be a nice horse, but I think he’s going to have to be very nice to trouble East India Dock. Alongside Lulamba, he looks to be at the top of the English juvenile ranks.

Plenty of runners in the two-and-a-half mile handicap chase (1:50pm) have Cheltenham form but the one I’m drawn to is IMPERIAL SAINT. Philip Hobbs and Johnston White are in flying form and this horse put in a good performance when winning at Aintree last time. The second from that race, Richmond Lake, franked the form to some extent when finishing third in the Peter Marsh at Haydock last weekend. This is an open race and you can make cases for many of them, but Imperial Saint could be the one that is on the up.

Next up is the Cotswold Chase (2:25pm), where L’Homme Presse heads the market. He has the strongest form in the race, and is the one to beat getting weight from his main market rival, but there is a slight question mark over the recent form of Venetia’s [Williams] horses at the moment. If there is a horse in here to beat L’Homme Presse it could be GENTLEMANSGAME. The stable didn’t have a clear run with this horse last season, but the vibes are that they have had one this time around. He was a good third behind Galopin Des Champs and Fact To File at Leopardstown last time out and he should have come on for that, so might just offer a bit of value against the favourite.

It’s great that we get another chance to see CONSTITUTION HILL in the Unibet Hurdle (3:00pm) before he heads to the Festival. He’s so well clear of his four rivals on ratings that it would be a monumental shock if he was beaten. It can happen though – I was beaten on 1/14 shot, Zaynar in the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso once – but if you compare 1/14 about Zaynar to win that Morebattle and Constitution Hill at around 1/10 to win this, then I’d say Constitution Hill looks decent value! It’s impossible to make a case for anything else and this is a race to watch and savour.

Strong Leader was only beaten a length-and-a-quarter in the Cleeve Hurdle (3:35pm) last year and that form would give him a chance but it’s hard to forgive him a 75-length beating at Ascot last time when sent off favourite. CRAMBO won the Long Walk at Ascot for the second time on his reappearance last month. Last season he went straight to the Festival after that, but beating Paisley Park might have taken more out of him than winning did this time around. Fergal O’Brien did reference that he is approaching this season slightly differently with him and he might be the one here.

Both on ratings and performances POTTERS CHARM should take a bit of beating in the Grade 2 finale (4:10pm). He’s been very impressive this season, winning all four starts, and two of those came at Cheltenham so he clearly loves the track. He’s second favourite for the Turners at the Festival and if that’s the case he should be beating this opposition.

Doncaster, Saturday

The River Don Novices’ Hurdle (2:05pm) looks a tight race on ratings. There’s crossover in the form of Western Knight and MA SHANTOU in that both beat Excello earlier in the season. There isn’t much between them but I thought Ma Shantou won comfortably at Windsor last time and the step up in trip should bring out more improvement in him. One that could offer a bit of each-way value is YELLOW CAR, who was only three lengths behind Western Knight at Cheltenham last time but is a much bigger price.

There isn’t much between Jetara and KATEIRA in the Grade 2 Mares’ Hurdle (2:40pm). On recent form you’d have to say Kateira’s recent run behind Crambo in the Long Walk stands out, while Jetara was well beaten at Leopardstown last time. The others look to have a bit to find with the top two mares.

SNIPE would be my idea of a good each-way chance in the Great Yorkshire Chase (3:15pm). He’s been ultra-consistent over fences to date, winning twice and finishing second on four occasions from eight starts. He’s filled out that position on both his runs this season, lastly when a good second to Val Dancer at Carlisle, form that was notably franked with the winner going on to land the Welsh National. Snipe has form at Doncaster too, so I think he has a good shout in an open contest.