Friday Cheltenham Tips: Tom Collins pinpoints two horses worth following

I believe the jumps season really begins in earnest at Cheltenham’s fantastic three-day November meeting, despite the fact that we have already witnessed a dozen Graded races this autumn.

A total of 19 races across three days at the home of the jumps will be music to the ears of tweed-wearers. More importantly, we will get plenty of early Cheltenham festival pointers with trials for the Supreme, Ballymore, Arkle and Triumph Hurdle, as well as the Greatwood Hurdle and Shloer Chase, on the programme.

Fergal O’Brien, Paul Nicholls, Dan Skelton and Nigel Twiston-Davies have excelled at this meeting in recent years - they tend to have their horses ready to roll come November unlike many other trainers - and they are all well represented over the next few days.

O’Brien’s best chance of a Friday winner may come in the form of Pull Again Green, who will make just his second start over fences in the SSS Super Alloys Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (2.20).

This six-year-old son of Kalanisi was purchased for £35,000 after winning an Irish bumper back in March 2021, and he’s almost earned that back in total prize-money to repay his owner’s faith. Pull Again Green won four of his six starts last term, including two novice hurdles at Newbury and a similar event over 2m4½f here in April. It’s fair to say that he was a pretty smart sort over timber.

Pull Again Green returned after a long summer break at Cheltenham’s October meeting, and he was sent off 2-1 favourite to make a winning start to life over fences. However, he only finished 15 lengths back in third behind Found On, who was completing a five-timer. The winner has subsequently disappointed, albeit the ground wouldn’t have suited her that day, but Hang In There, who was pulled up, has franked the form by winning next time.

Pull Again Green jumped really well for the majority of that race and provided enough hope for future targets. However, he looked a little awkward going over the road crossing and missed the second-last, so he will have to negotiate both better this time if he’s to make amends. The good-to-soft ground will be perfect, and this doesn’t look like the most competitive heat. 

Irish challengers Hereditary Rule and Railway Hurricane are weak finishers over this trip, albeit the former might rack up a decent lead turning for home given his fluent jumping and keen-going nature. While Unanswered Prayers tends to take a fair bit of rousting along when the pace quickens in his races. Back Pull Again Green to come out on top.

Friday’s feature is the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (3.30), which has been won by the talented Coneygree (2012), Thyme Hill (2019) and Blazing Khal (2021) in recent years. This edition looks well up to scratch and Irish challengers Hubrisko and Music Drive, who hail from the Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott yards, have to be respected.

However, I prefer the homefield challenge. Hermes Allen joined Paul Nicholls with a huge reputation and couldn’t have made a better start to life under rules than his Stratford romp last month. He didn’t face much, though, so he looks a little skinny in the market now that he drastically steps up in grade. He can win, but he has something to prove.

Another horse stepping up in grade is Weveallbeencaught, who cost £210,000 after he won his Dromahane point-to-point. Much like the aforementioned Pull Again Green, that could be money well spent as he made a hugely promising start to life under rules when he beat the reopposing Collectors Item in a Newbury bumper in March. 

Post-race, Nigel Twiston-Davies was quoted as saying: ‘We bought him as a Gold Cup horse and that's what we're going for. He's very similar to Imperial Commander. That's big talk, but that's the idea we've got.’ Interesting words, right?

Perhaps he will need three miles to show his best, and we don’t know how well he jumps a hurdle at the moment. But I’m willing to take a chance that Weveallbeencaught can transfer his bumper promise to hurdling at the first time of asking.

Cheltenham Friday Tips

Pull Again Green (2.20 Cheltenham) @ 4.7
Weveallbeencaught (3.30 Cheltenham) @ 5.2