Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Calico can go back-to-back

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty looks over the opening day from Cheltenham’s William Hill Showcase Meeting.

Cheltenham, Friday

The William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Hurdle (1:15pm) looks a tricky starting point, but the horse for me with the standout form is NAVAJO INDY. He hasn’t been seen since February when he was third to Joyeuse. Prior to that he was only three lengths fourth to Secret Squirrel at Windsor and had won the Gerry Feilden at Newbury. He hasn’t run since February and trainer Tom Symonds hasn’t had many runners recently, but he has won on his last two seasonal reappearances, so that indicates he goes well fresh. I think he brings the strongest form and is the one with the most potential. Any rain that falls will suit him.

King Of Kingsfield has been in good form over fences in Ireland and has to shoulder an eight-pound penalty in the two-mile novices’ chase (1:50pm). I thought that COUNTRY MILE ran like a horse that needed the run badly at Uttoxeter last time. He has a good level of form, finishing second to Roadlesstravelled in a Grade 2 at Haydock last season before going on to win at Cheltenham in December. I think the eight pounds he gets from King Of Kingsfield could be significant.

In the conditional jockeys handicap hurdle (2:25pm), I have respect for Cavern Club but instead am going to side with Paul Nicholls’ ZAOCHEN ENKI at a bigger price. He had a late introduction last season when winning first time up for this yard at Wincanton in March and then followed that up by finishing third in Chepstow under a penalty. He was second on his only run when trained in France, so he qualifies for a handicap mark now. Paul Nicholls’ horses are known for coming on leaps and bounds from their four-year-old to five-year-old seasons and he’s one I would expect improvement from. He looks a horse that could really step up this season.

The Grade 2 novices’ hurdle (3:00pm) doesn’t look the strongest but it’s an interesting contest all the same. Fortune De Mer’s bare form is okay – he was beaten in Uttoxeter last time and well beaten in the Champion Bumper before that. Un Sens A La Vie has done well and is possibly the one to beat, but as an each-way play, I quite like the look of THE LAST CLOUD. He’s won his last three and was a good winner last time. While he has gone up six pounds for that, he has lots of experience after six runs over hurdles which will stand him in good stead. I think he could be capable of getting involved at a fancy price in a race where I don’t think there’s much of a standout.

CALICO won the squareintheair.com Handicap Chase (3:35pm) when beating Matata by a neck last season and comes here only four pounds higher. Matata has progressed a lot from that run and is now nine pounds worse off at the weights with Calico. The pair had Dancing On My Own back in third, so that was strong form, and I think Calico will be primed for this once again. He goes well fresh, having won this on his reappearance last season, and to me he looks the one to beat.