Rory Delargy returns with four solid Lay Bets for Day 3 of the Festival.
13:30 – JLT Chase
Sometimes you have to be hard-hearted as a punter.
I love the enthusiasm and the scope of Lostintranslation, and I was lucky enough to be with him when he beat Defi du Seuil here in January, but I can’t be with him here. His win in the Dipper came over further and on the New Course, and the difference in layout and trip will put him at a disadvantage. His desire to take off outside the wings is another thing which makes him admirable, but horses need to learn to fiddle as well at Cheltenham, and if he keeps letting fly, he will not enhance his chances of winning over this track and trip.
He will try to bully his rivals into submission but is really a stayer, and I think he will again be setting it up for the finishing speed of Defi du Seuil, and he could be vulnerable to others with more speed from the last.
Recommended: Lay Lostintranslation @ 5.0 or shorter to win 5 pts [max liability 20pts]
Recommended: Place Lay Lostintranslation @ 2.2 or shorter to win 10 pts [max liability 12pts]
14:10 Pertemps Final
Sire du Berlais caught plenty of eyes when sneaking into sixth in the Leopardstown qualifier won by Cuneo, and there is an obsession in some quarters with finding those that have done the minimum to qualify on the basis that they are under the radar. They couldn’t be beeping any more loudly in fact, and while he was better than the result, so were several in front of him that day, and he has been overbet by the wise-guys here.
He’s hardly a handicap snip on the balance of his form, and I would much rather stick with those who have been winning races this season. Tiger Roll’s win yesterday hardly means that the Gordon Elliott yard is suddenly back in the groove, either.
Recommended: Place Lay Sire du Berlais @ 3.0 or shorter to win 10 pts [max liability 20pts]
14:50 – Ryanair Chase
Dear old Frodon was rerouted from the Gold Cup for this, but he is in his element bossing slower horses and more careful jumpers, and the chances of him being able to dominate a field of this calibre are slim. His style makes him really likeable, but he’s not really the type to keep plugging on for a place, and if he’s taken out of his comfort zone early, he could struggle to retain a competitive pitch, and it should be remembered that he arrived in good form a year ago and flopped badly in this race.
Recommended: Place Lay Frodon @ 2.8 or shorter to win 10 pts [max liability 18pts]
Your host Tom Stanley is joined by Sam Turner, Brendan Powell and Matchbook’s Micheál Deasy to preview Day 3 and 4 of the Festival with the Gold Cup of course leading to lots of different opinions.
