ITV Racing Tips: Energumene, Protektorat and Paisley Park to pass festival auditions
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Now it’s getting serious. Cheltenham stages its final meeting before the Cheltenham Festival with some important statements to be made on Trials Day.
After so many abandonments a return to quality racing will be welcome, although there is the small matter of an inspection to overcome first. That said if it falls by the wayside there is a chance it will roll over to Sunday.
There are plenty of key races but the ones to focus on are the rescheduled Clarence House Chase, the Cotswold Chase and Cleeve Hurdle which could determine candidacy for the Champion Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Cleeve Hurdle.
Racing from Doncaster, which features the Sky Bet Chase, shares the coverage with Cheltenham on a packed afternoon of racing.
The action kicks off at 13:15 on ITV and we have previewed three of the day’s significant races in our ITV Racing Tips.
Rescheduled from the abandoned meeting at Ascot both Energumene and Edwardstone have stayed their ground with Editeur Du Gite an interesting addition, at a cost of £2,000 to connections. He is probably racing for place money.
Last year’s Arkle winner Edwardstone has already accounted for Shishkin, who beat Energumene in the same race last year, in the Tingle Creek. He is almost certainly underrated but it would take another step forward to defeat Energumene who has looked superb ever since. He will be difficult to beat.
A moment of truth for Protektorat who was very impressive when winning the Betfair Chase. He came of age at Haydock having been well held when third in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, when he didn’t jump very well.
If he can’t win here, he does not deserve to line up in the Gold Cup but he should be a different proposition on his return to the track. On the evidence of two weekends ago, Saturday specialists the Skeltons appear to be right back to form.
He may well give his supporters a scare along the way but it is difficult to oppose Paisley Park here. He is now 11 but has looked right back to his best this season, coming from off the pace to win the Long Walk Hurdle at Kempton last time.
As is now his custom he will hit a flat spot, no matter what the opposition, but he is at his best at Cheltenham so expect him to come roaring up the hill under Aidan Coleman to clinch this prize for the fourth time in a row.
ITV Racing Schedule, Saturday, 28th January
13:20 Cheltenham – Clarence House Chase
13:50 Cheltenham – 2m4f handicap chase
14:05 Doncaster – Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle
14:25 Cheltenham – Cotswold Chase
14.40 Doncaster – River Don Novices’ Hurdle
15:00 Cheltenham – Cleeve Hurdle
15:15 Doncaster – Sky Bet Chase
15:35 Cheltenham – Classic Novices’ Hurdle
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
