Greatwood Handicap Hurdle - Cheltenham, Sunday

[The Brigadier]

This Sunday’s Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham is always a race worth following and this year’s renewal, run over 2M 1/2F of the old course has attracted twenty at the six day declaration stage this lunchtime and is no exception. One horse who has been on my radar for the race for a while is James Owen’s Burdett Road who looks worth a decent each way bet.

 

This will be his handicap debut over hurdles following two victories at Huntingdon and over course and distance at this meeting a year ago with a ten length second to the top class Sir Gino last January another top effort on his third and final start asa three-year-old hurdler.

He has some excellent flat form when in the care of Michael Bell which including winning the Golden Gates Handicap at Royal Ascot on fast ground in June of 2023. The four-year-old appears to have taken his form to another level since joining Owen making all to win the listed 1M 4F Al Basti Equiworld , Dubai Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket in the mud by 8 1/2L from the progressive Military Academy who’s won a handicap since. His only outing since has come in the Group 2 Qipco Long Distnace Cup at Ascot on Champions Day when he was slowly away and could never get to the front trailing in sixth of the 9 runners beaten only 7 3/4L by champion stayer Kyprios. Despite the race not falling right for him that was a fair effort and he has an official handicap mark of 109 which in comparison to his rating over hurdles means he could be very well treated back over hurdles.

I would love to see him get out in front in the manner he did at Newmarket when so impressive and with the drying ground unlikely to worry him looks excellent each way value.

 

Current favourite Dysart Enos is unbeaten under rules in six races and looks the biggest danger although a close eye should be kept on the Emmet Mullins duo of Jacovec Cavern (last seen running ninth when favourite in the Cesarewitch) and Toll Stone. Mullins won this race in 2020 with The Shunter.

Burdett Road has a lenient looking initial handicap mark and he looks worth a good each way bet.

 

BURDETT ROAD 2 points each way @ 5/1 (general, 1/4 1234)

[richard-westwood]

Go Dante  1013 12/1

Black poppy. 1003 33/1 

Burdeett road 994 5/1 

Fiercely proud. 987 20/1 

Lots of value in top 2 especially black poppy the overall value bet ....I'll try 5pt Ew both