Monetaire Looks For Festival Plate Success

Numerous familiar faces will take to the Cheltenham course in their quest to pick up the Grade Three Festival Plate. After the early withdrawal of Bobcatbilly, 23 runners will go to post to tackle the 2m,5f class one steeplechase. Connections of the winner will scoop a massive £50,000 in prize money.

Monetaire is the current favourite for this handicap for David Pipe and Tom Scudamore, the pair hoping to team up on their second Festival winner of the week. Available at 7/1 with most bookmakers, the nine-year-old is taking a step up in trip after securing a third in Gloucestershire in the November paddy Power Handicap Chase (16f) and achieving success in Newbury`s 17f bet365 Handicap Chase. Whilst he does have previous form over the longer distance he will be tackling today, the favourite does look worth taking on especially with his only two wins coming on his preferred soft ground.

Could Buywise be the winner then? The Evan Williams-trained mount is much more experienced at this distance and is coming back from a hurdle success at Ffos Las. What`s more, prior to this hurdling departure, the eight-year-old put up a valiant effort when finishing fifth in the paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham and looks good to improve on going that he has already picked up two wins on. Contrarily, the horse`s last two victories have been at class four level and will need to take a mighty step up to reign supreme here.

Having said this, Buywise was also a strong finisher in last season`s Festival`s listed handicap chase and can be backed at odds of 9/1 (Numerous) to be the first past the finishing post this afternoon.

Also at 9/1 (betway, sportingbet) in the market is Un Ace for Kim Bailey and AP McCoy. This former Supreme Novices` Hurdle entrant was only a length-and-a-half behind former RSA Chase fancy Champagne West last time out at this course back in December and this 144 rated chaser looks liable to further improvement in what will be only his second run at this distance.

Un Ace had preceded this Cheltenham run with a win at 20f at Huntingdon and an emphatic 29 length success in a class four 19f race at Doncaster. The Bailey charge should be there or thereabouts should he be able to re-find his best form on good ground today.

Attaglance will be looking for his first win since 2012 though is a classy type and should be considered at a price of 12/1 (william hill). This season the nine-year-old son of Passing Glance wasn`t too far wrong when fifth in a listed 2m,6f chase at Market Rasen before recording a finish in Cheltenham`s Grade Three Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.

The Malcolm Jefferson-trained fancy will be benefitted by being better weighted this time round and may well find further improvement against an aging field of runners. Cheltenham is a course he gets on well with, second in the listed Novices` Handicap Chase here last season.

Betvictor and betway have both also installed Radjhani Express at odds of 12/1 for Nicky Henderson and Sam Waley-Cohen. The former Ryanair placed horse is at the top of the weights but will be suited by being ridden by the 3lb claimer he gets on so well with. Owned by the jockey`s father, Robert Waley-Cohen, the horse will need to show improvement on his seventh place finish in this year`s Grade Three Betbright Chase at Kempton (24f) but will be better suited by the step down in trip.

Available at bigger prices are Burn And Turn (22/1 - betway, Skybet) and Hunt Ball (28/1 - Betvictor, Stan James).

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12/03/2015     © Frixo 2026