Cheltenham Eyecatchers: Three horses you should back later this season

Cheltenham’s November meeting didn’t have the deep fields that many would have wanted, but there were several talented winners who could make their mark at the festival in March.

However, pointing out impressive winners doesn’t help anyone. You wouldn’t have missed Banbridge’s romp in the Arkle trial or Unanswered bolt up in Saturday’s penultimate contest, right? 

The way to make long-term profits is by pinpointing horses who performed better than their form figures suggest and backing them at a decent price in the future. Here are three such runners who entered my tracker after Cheltenham’s three-day fixture.

Weveallbeencaught

3.30 Cheltenham, Friday (third)

Friday’s featured race, the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, was billed as a match between Hermes Allen and the Willie Mullins-trained Hubrisko, who was punted into 6-4 favouritism. However, it turned into a one-horse show.

Harry Cobden bounced Hermes Allen out to an early two-length lead and the expensive £350,000 purchase quickly found his rhythm. He fairly bounced off the ground, jumped impeccably throughout and had all bar Hubrisko off the bridle coming down the hill with five furlongs to run. The market leader weakened quickly once asked for maximum effort, and Hermes Allen cruised clear in the style of a potential future champion. 

The best horse on the day won, but the eyecatcher was undoubtedly Weveallbeencaught, who became outpaced with over half a mile left but plugged on stoutly for third place as others waved the white flag. ‘We bought him as a Gold Cup horse and that's what we're going for,’ said Nigel Twiston-Davies after his bumper victory last year. I wouldn’t be giving up on those dreams just yet. 

Connections must have been extremely encouraged by the way this five-year-old finished up the hill and further progress awaits over longer trips. Don’t expect him to hang about over hurdles for too long, but he definitely has the talent to record a win or two this year before going onto bigger and better things.

Nassalam

2.20 Cheltenham, Saturday (sixth)

Gary Moore’s five-year-old ran to a good level on his first two starts last year before being beaten in a couple of small-field, tactical battles at Plumpton. He began this season with a below-par effort on good ground at Ascot, and was comfortably beaten in Saturday’s featured chase.

However, not only was the ground too quick for him (I’m very surprised that he was left in the race!), but Nassalam also suffered a less-than-ideal journey through the contest. He was in tight between runners early before being hampered at the second fence. And, as he found the pace a little hot as the field quickened down the hill, he was almost brought to a complete standstill by the stricken Stolen Silver at the third-last.

Jamie Moore looked to admit defeat after sidestepping his departing rival, but Nassalam continued to run on powerfully under minimal urgings and was only beaten 11-and-a-quarter-lengths at the line. A fine effort given the amount of factors that played against him.

When Nassalam runs on soft ground - his seven best efforts going into Saturday’s race came with soft in the going description - on a left-handed track (this is crucial), I will be backing him. A mark in the low 140s underestimates his talent.

Katate Dori

4.00 Cheltenham, Sunday (fourth)

Sunday’s closing Listed 2m½f bumper saw a minor shock as the Milton Harris-trained Gentle Slopes quickened clear of his rivals to score at 12/1 under Harry Cobden. School Days Over and Cape Vidal, both of whom were extremely weak in the market, filled the places.

Perhaps that trio drifted in the market due to the strength behind fourth-placed Katate Dori, who opened 11/2 on course before being punted into 11/4 favouritism. Money for Sam Thomas trainees doesn’t often miss, but this time it did. 

However, Katate Dori’s ability didn’t go unnoticed. The four-year-old gelding, who is a half-brother to two-time French winner Tjongejonge, was given an extremely patient ride by Tom Scudamore and only had four rivals behind him as they turned into the straight. Ultimately, giving the leaders such an advantage after slow early fractions proved his downfall, but the way he finished his race gives hope that he will have a decent future.

Katate Dori looked like a horse in desperate need of a longer trip and he has the size and scope to be successful over hurdles and, later in his career, fences. I will be interested to see where he ends up next and, although he didn’t enter the winner’s enclosure, he definitely made his way into my notebook.