The fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival is upon us. Kevin Blake has selections online for Friday and will be looking to finish the festival with a flourish.
Blake’s Mares’ Chase Selection
The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase will see Dinoblue attempt to win it for the second time. There wasn’t much to knock about her last two wins, but she is getting older and there has to be a chance that she isn’t quite as good as she was last year. Kevin Blake believes she is one to oppose at her current price.
Blake reckons Gavin Cromwell has a very live contender in ONLY BY NIGHT. The eight-year-old has proven herself to be a very talented lady over fences thus far.
She was a shade unlucky in the Arkle Challenge Trophy at this meeting last year, idling when hitting the front and only just getting nabbed by Jango Baie in the closing stages. She has gone on to run some seriously good races against the boys since, most notably when beating Champ Kiely by a short-head in a Grade 3 chase at Naas in November.
The main unknown when it comes to considering Only By Night’s prospects in this race is her stamina for this longer trip. However, Blake thinks it will suit her. To him, she has been shaping as though ready for this mid-range trip and Keith Donoghue is likely to find her to be a lovely ride over it. She is likely to be ridden with patience and will look to strike late. He thinks she has a far better chance than her current price implies.
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Analysis
The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle is the latest novice hurdle at this meeting that has attracted a huge field. Doctor Steinberg sets a high standard of form, but Blake worries that he might not be the right type for this race and might over-race his chance away.
On the At The Races Cheltenham Preview a couple of weeks ago Blake selected Thedeviluno for this race and he has no reason to put you off him now, but the chessboard changed after the Gavin Cromwell-trained THE PASSING WIFE was supplemented into this race last week.
Like many, Blake thought The Passing Wife has been campaigned beautifully with a view to the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at this meeting. His fifth run over hurdles had landed him on an ideal rating of 143 for it. Blake believed he was set to go off favourite for it and be tough to beat.
However, his connections have instead made the highly-bullish decision to skip the Martin Pipe.
- Kevin Blake tipped winners Johnnywho (12-1) and Il Etait Temps (5-1) plus Zeus Power (80-1 placed) so far.
- Blake has selections online for Friday.
- Live coverage of Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in our live blog from 12.30pm.
Hopefully you have had an enjoyable and profitable Festival so far, but whatever your current position is, there’s still business to be done.