Cheltenham Tips: Blueking d’Oroux to win Skeltons more gold

William Hill ambassador Nick Luck previews Saturday’s ITV races from Cheltenham and Windsor.

Cheltenham, Saturday

ADMIRAL WILL BROWN is the selection in the Triumph Trial (1:10pm). There will be horses in here from more fashionable stables that catch the eye more readily, but it was hard not to be impressed with the manner of his Down Royal win. Both the way in which he travelled and the alacrity of his hurdling should stand him in good stead here. With a good rider in Josh Williamson booked, he’s possibly just a fraction overpriced due to hailing from a smaller yard.

The Arkle Trial (1:45pm) has been robbed of so much of its interest with the defections of Kabral Du Mathan and Old Park Star. That’s left Workahead as a very short-priced favourite and while he’s entitled to be, he can be a touch headstrong and he’s not necessarily a horse I’d rely upon at short odds. Instead, I think PASSING DIAMOND represents a bit of value. I liked the way he followed on from his good form this summer when finishing second at Cheltenham last time. He raced with great enthusiasm there, and this Old Course looks tailor-made for him. He can outrun his odds again for Ben Haslam.

BLUEKING D’OROUX is the pick in the Paddy Power Gold Cup (2:20pm). I don’t actually think he’s going to have to improve too much on the best of last season’s form to win here. He signed off in the spring with an excellent effort at Aintree, when behind Koktail Divin. What that confirmed was that on a sound surface he’s not far off being a Grade 1 horse, and with that in mind, a mark in the 140s shouldn’t be problematic for him. We’ve seen how the Skelton yard have been very adept at getting the screws turned when they inherit horses from other yards, and I can see a similar scenario here. For all Meetmebythesea is a formidable opponent and Quebecois has some lovely form around here, I think Blueking d’Oroux has the right blend of pace and stamina, and is at the right place in the weights to give Dan Skelton another big race win.

IFIWEREARICHMAN gets the nod in the three-mile handicap hurdle (2:55pm). I think he has been flying slightly under the radar over inadequate trips of late. The way he stayed on at Listowel last time suggested that this test should suit him. I thought he looked a little bit unlucky that day, when hampered and given an easy time after that. This isn’t the deepest renewal of this race, and I certainly don’t think he’s handicapped out of it. From a very good yard and with a good claimer booked, Ifiwerearichman might well take a hand in this.

In the Intermediate Hurdle (3:30pm), HILLBERRY HILL is quite a confident selection. The handicapper seems not to have taken the form of his bloodless British debut win literally, which is potentially quite dangerous, as a mark of 122 does not look to flatter him by any stretch of the imagination. He was impressive at Southwell and the stable has already done well with a horse by Kingston Hill, when winning at the Cheltenham Festival last season. I suspect Hillberry Hill has a bright future, and it could all begin here.

Windsor, Saturday

THANK YOU MA’AM is an each-way selection in the first of the ITV races from Windsor (1:25pm). He’s a fairly consistent type and comes here off the back of what was close to a career best when fourth in a Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham last month. The key for me is that a lot of the unexposed horses in here are coming back from long absences, so the selection could just have a small race fitness edge.

SECRET SQUIRREL is the one for me in the 3:10pm at Windsor. He limbered up for this with a run on the Flat at Nottingham 10 days ago, finishing third to confirm he was in good heart. Last season was a bit stop-start for him after a return from injury, but there were still glimmers of encouragement. He’s now down in the weights and has shown excellent form at this track before, so this looks a realistic assignment for him. I think he can run a big race.