Nick Luck’s William Hill blog: Cheltenham Showcase Friday preview

William Hill ambassador Nick Luck previews Friday’s action at Cheltenham.

Friday, Cheltenham

SAN SALVADOR is the pick in the TV opener at Cheltenham (1.50). Although he stacks up moderately on the figures with Path d’Oroux, he’s improving and may be better suited to the possibility of a tactical race in a small field.

TRIPLE TRADE is my pick in the two mile handicap (2.25). He likes it here, are a cracker at Aintree when we last saw him, and should  get a pretty strongly run race, which will suit ideally. The ground is perfect for him, and this is his time of year.

VALGRAND might be a spot of value to put it up to the admirable Gale Mahler in the novice hurdle (3.00). He’s admittedly just had to potter round to win two weak events of late, but he was pretty promising in a bumper here a year ago despite looking far from the finished article. He’s capable of much better.

ATLANTA BRAVE looks one of the likelier ones in an impossible amateur handicap (3.35). He shaped with loads of promise in tougher races last year, and is very much young enough to improve quite a bit. The yards hasn’t quite got going yet, but I’m happy to take a chance on his fitness at these odds.