Three solid each-way chances at Cheltenham on Thursday

March 11

February was an even more miserable month than usual for Alan, with many of the Barbury team under a cloud when a bug spread through the yard.

However, there was a noticeable spring back in Alan’s step as he headed off this morning for the first day of the Cheltenham Festival, with Believitanducan having followed up Charisma Cat‘s success at Sandown on Saturday with a gutsy victory in the Juvenile Hurdle at Stratford yesterday.

Upped in trip and down in class, Believitanducan’s stamina brought him into play again, though the evens favourite was being hard driven by Tom Cannon at the third last but kept responding to pressure and came alive in the home straight, powering clear from the final flight to win by eight lengths, much to the delight of the enthusiastic band of Owners Group 140.

Masaccio and Es Perfecto both had similar entries for Cheltenham on Thursday, but they have been kept apart, with Es Perfecto going for the novices handicap chase and Masaccio for the TrustATrader Plate, known to most of us old-timers as the Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase.

Alan said:”Masaccio was very sharp when we schooled him in cheekpieces on Monday, so it made sense to keep him back for this race rather than aim for the Ultima over the longer trip of three miles plus today.

“Masaccio ran a terrific race when finishing third in the novice handicap chase over this course in January, giving plenty of weight to the pair who beat him., so I hope he’ll be competitive in what is always a tough race.”

Cheekpieces have also made a big difference to Es Perfecto in his last two starts, and he won really well at Sandown last time. The form was given a boost when the runner-up went back to the Esher slopes last week and bolted up, so, despite Es Perfecto going up 7lb, we are hoping that he’ll again be in the shake up.

Our other Cheltenham runner on day three is Harbour Lake, who was earmarked for the Pertemps Final last November when he clinched his place in the field by winning a qualifier at Aintree. He was then runner-up at Market Rasen, but Alan stressed that things did not work out as planned that day, and, though there might be one or two in the race better handicapped, he has looked in good form at home recently.

Alan added:”We went there rather than Newbury as we thought we’d get better ground, but that slightly back-fired on us when it rained through the morning.

“Not that Harbour Lake did anything wrong at Market Rasen. He settled well and came to win at the final flight, but he was just run out of it on the run-in and beaten half a length. It was a solid performance and, though he has not raced since due to the fact that he hates that winter ground, he did a strong bit of work last Saturday and schooled well on Monday.”