Matt Chapman tips: ALL my picks for the big races at

Cheltenham Festival plus my Saturday NAP

thesun.co.uk/sport/horseracing/17922320/matt-chapman-tips-cheltenham-festival-saturday-march-12

11 March 2022

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Horse Racing

CHATTY CHAPPERS
Matt Chapman

18:45, 11 Mar 2022

Updated: 18:46, 11 Mar 2022

AFTER months of gossip, we can nearly let the horses do the talking!

Yes people by the time you read this Cheltenham 2022 will be just three sleeps away.

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Chappers is happy to take on Honeysuckle with Appreciate ItCredit: Reuters

Rest well between now and Tuesday, because the following four days are sure to be a
roller-coaster.

You won't find any better coverage of the Cheltenham Festival than right here in this
paper, and I have to give a huge shout out to the team - led by my chief Dave Cook and the
superb Zoe Crabtree - who for weeks have been planning away on our famous pullouts.

Enjoy all the news, features, tips and opinions.

Chappers' Saturday tips

1.31 Wolverhampton

Above

1.50 Sandown

Mumbo Jumbo (each way NAP)

2.05 Wolverhampton

Baldomero (each way)

2.25 Sandown

Mr Grey Sky (each way)

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2.40 Wolverhampton

Happy Power (each way)

3.00 Sandown

Maridadi

3.35 Sandown

Frenchy Du Large

But as I have said, now the horses take centre stage at the meeting where legends are
made and dreams are often shattered.

Tuesday's highlight is, of course, the Unibet Champion Hurdle, and the betting tells the
story here.

Honeysuckle, ridden by the excellent Rachael Blackmore, is a short-priced favourite, the

defending champion and unbeaten in 14 starts.

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There's not a lot not to like!

That said, I don't think she's beaten much in her sequence, without taking anything away
from her feat of banging in so many successes.

The likes of Benie des Dieux - should have beaten Honeysuckle - and Sharjah and
Epatante, who was below her best, have been seen off.

But they are hardly worldies.

For that reason I will take her on with the Willie Mullins-trained Appreciate It, even
though he obviously faces a very hard task on seasonal debut.

THIS HORSE IS SUPER COOL

I can't even argue that his Supreme Novice win is good on paper, as the form has many a
crack in it.

But Appreciate It looked super cool as a bumper horse and dwarfed his Supreme rivals.

It's his presence as much as anything that gets me excited.

It's impossible to say what he can do first time out, but Cyborgo won the Stayers' Hurdle
on his first run of a campaign and most of the big guns aren't out much anyway!

Wednesday is all about the rematch between Shishkin and Energumene in the Betway
Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The former, trained by Nicky Henderson - out to claim a record seventh Queen Mother -
denied the Mullins-handled Energumene in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot when the
latter appeared to have everything go his way.

I think he will confirm that form and make it a Featival hat-trick following successes in
the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Arkle Chase.

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With Energumene having recently suffered from a stone bruise, perhaps the joker in the
pack might be the high class Chacun Pour Soi, who was sent off at odds of 8-13 in the race
last year but flopped badly.

The Rich Ricci-owned gelding also failed to produce in the Tingle Creek, prompting most
to believe he hates travelling.

That might be the case, but an on song Chacun Pour Soi will be a danger to all. In Ireland
he's a class act.

On Thursday the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle is wide open and a right old conundrum
for most punters.

The 2021 winner Flooring Porter is back for more, and there's no doubt he has the ability
to go in again.

That's said he's a quirky old so-and-so, and while we saw the best of him last year who
knows if the real Flooring Porter appears again this time.

I've never been convinced the former Supreme winner Klassical Dream is a strong stayer,
while old boy Paisley Park - a previous victor in this and back to his best last time - will
probably need loads of rain.

That means I'm left with Thyme Hill for the master trainer Philip Hobbs and Tom
O'Brien, who of course took over on the horse after the retirement of Richard Johnson.

THYME IS RIGHT
The latter had a bit of a nightmare on Thyme Hill when he was fourth behind Monkfish in
the 2020 Albert Bartlett. He probably should have won that race.

O’Brien was excellent on Thyme Hill at Aintree in April, and he has every chance of
putting the horse's Cheltenham record straight. Hobbs has laid him out for this after a
return second to Champ in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

Friday is Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase day, and your guess is as good as mine
over how we will all be feeling by then!

I've always favoured plodding power over class in the Gold Cup, although some top
notchers have landed the showpiece race.

For that reason I will take on A Plus Tard, who was fantastic in the Betfair Chase at
Haydock but not so good at Leopardstown last time.

Maybe Henry de Bromhead's horses were not quite right then.

Last year's runner-up once again takes on stable companion and 2021 hero Minella Indo,
who was desperate this season until a second to Conflated when last seen. That was a step
in the right direction, and Robbie Power's mount comes alive at Cheltenham.

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My two against the field will be Galvin and former dual winner Al Boum Photo.

Galvin is a National Hint Chase winner but picked up A Plus Tard last time and seems to
have really come of age. Davy Russell is a huge plus.

Al Boum Photo was meant to run plenty this term but hasn't, being seen just once in a
virtual walk-over.

Never rule out Mullins to pull off a stroke of genius.

Those are just the main events. I'll be picking out my best bets in every race in my daily
column during the week so fingers crossed the Yeeehaaas are flowing thick and fast.
Whatever the case enjoy what promises to be an awesome televisual feast on ITV.

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