Charlie McCann's Horse Racing Tips Friday, 23 October - Cheltenham
Charlie heads to Cheltenham on Friday for the Showcase meeting
It's a busy day of racing action in the UK and Ireland, and Charlie McCann is here with his exclusive free horse racing tips - only at FreeBets.
After a long dry summer the rain has arrived and there is the possibility of up to 20mm of rain at Cheltenham on Thursday night into Friday morning.
The ground was described as a mix of good and good to soft on Thursday morning, but that will ease and good ground horses are likely to not get their conditions after all for the opening Showcase meeting.
1:15pm Cheltenham - Sunny South West & Crooked Path
The hope is that the virgin ground will not be too testing for the opener as few in the field are proven over the trip on soft ground.
My two against the field, however, are recent Fontwell winner CROOKED PATH and Irish raider SUNNY SOUTH WEST and I have supported the pair.
The James Owen trained Crooked Path ran out a facile winner of a conditional jockey’s event last week and escapes a penalty for that success. He will relish every drop of rain, but that Fontwell success was over 2m3f and his stamina for this trip must be taken on trust.
He won a maiden hurdle in Ireland for Denis Hogan, and ran well on the flat this summer for Owen, often on unsuitable ground. He was not stopping when beating two inform Henrietta Knight horses last week and carries just 10st 2lbs.
Sunny South West won a 2m Thurles maiden on the level last time out to add to his Bumper and maiden hurdle success. He will relish every drop of rain overnight, although he must also prove his stamina for this two-and-a-half miles, having faded from the last when second at Thurles back in February.
Recommendations: Sunny South West at 9/2 and Crooked Path at 9/1
2:25pm Cheltenham - Wondering Why (Nap)
The Hardest Geezer can be a tad keen and I wonder if first time out will be the time to catch him although he did run well in defeat when runner up first time out last term. He will take plenty of beating if he settles over the first couple of flights, and Jack Stenhouse can take off a valuable 8lbs.
The vote, however, goes to the Ben Pauling trained WONDERING WHY who goes on all ground but, importantly, copes with plenty of cut in the ground. He was beaten first time out last term- which is a slight concern- but he improved throughout the campaign winning on soft ground at Lingfield before beating this week’s Plumpton winner Nap Hand at Warwick back in May.
Nap Hand will be rated in the early 120s when re-evaluated on Tuesday morning and was receiving 3lbs from Wondering Why at Warwick. The selection can race from 119 today with Elliot England taking off 8lbs which suggests the 6-y-old is well treated and he gets the vote.
Stablemate Mojito Des Mottes will be ridden by Beau Morgan, who is arguably the stable conditional, but I wonder if he will appreciate the ground as much as Wondering Why.
Recommendation: Wondering Why (Nap) at 13/2
This is Charlie's Nap of the Day selection - see how it stacks up against Alan Kelly's pick too.
4:45pm Cheltenham - Unanswered Prayers
Little Ledgend is unbeaten in two starts over fences and the one to beat for Olly Murphy and James King. He has been raised 17lbs for those two victories, however, and the hope is that Chris Gordon has UNANSWERED PRAYERS back to something like his best.
The each way recommendation finished fifth - but was beaten less than 3l - in the corresponding race twelve months ago under today’s talented amateur and is 14lbs lower in the weights this afternoon.
The 10-y-old was campaigned largely over marathon trips last term and the hope is that this 3m1f+ trip on ground likely to be no better than good to soft is a sufficient test. He was well held in the 2024 renewal of the race, but has won at the track and he will be a threat to all if within hailing distance going to two out.
Recommendation: Unanswered Prayers each way at 12/1
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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