Andoversford trainer Kim Bailey has
saddled just one winner from 29 runners over fences at Cheltenham in
the last five seasons, but A.P. McCoy has a 7-12 (58%) strike rate on
steeplechasers for the yard in the same period, so his booking for Un
Ace in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (4.40)
on Thursday may be significant.
The champion jockey was aboard the
7-year-old gelding when he was beaten 1½ lengths by Champagne West
in a novices’ chase over course and distance in December but,
granted the winner is now rated 152, Un Ace looks well handicapped
off a mark of 144.
Indeed, he may still be open to
improvement after just three completed starts over fences and, while
he’s done all his winning on good to soft going, he ran well enough
on his sole attempt on good going to suggest that faster underfoot
conditions won’t be a problem. He has an absence of 89 days to
overcome, but won on what was effectively his seasonal debut at
Huntingdon in November and clearly goes well fresh.
Obviously, in a field of 24, he’ll
need luck in running, but he appears to have an outstanding chance
and the 10/1 available with William Hill may not last long.
Selection: Cheltenham 4.40 Un
Ace (10/1 with William Hill) to win
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