Cheltenham Placepot perm: Tom Segal with his picks for a cracking card

With only six runners in the opening novice chase (1.10) and doubts about a few at the top of the market, it might be worth putting two of the Irish runners in the Cheltenham Placepot perm.

I've never been a great fan of Mister Coffey's jumping and Haute Estime might want softer ground, so the Albert Bartlett third Bardenstown Lad goes in along with Indigo Breeze, who should improve a good bit for the step up to 3m for the first time.

Nube Negra will be perfectly suited by conditions and is always best fresh, so he is preferred to Edwardstone in the Shloer Chase (1.45), while the other banker is the Fennor Cross in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle (3.30).

Fennor Cross was impressive over course and distance last month and there should be more to come from him.

The other three races need at least two selections given how competitive they are and there are loads that can be fancied in the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (2.55). Dads Lad might be the most solid of those at the top of the market but Gary Moore is a dab hand at these valuable 2m handicaps and I can see Mark Of Gold stepping up markedly on what he's done so far.

The other choice is A Different Kind but he should be suited by a strongly run 2m and was just touched off in a good race at Aintree recently.

There are question marks about everything in the Jewson Handicap Chase (2.20), but The Mighty Don was second in the race last year off a 7lb higher mark and can go well.

Finally, my two against the field in a competitive bumper (4.00) are Cape Vidal, who was well backed when winning easily at Ffos Las, and Crambo, who comes from a yard that has a good record in Cheltenham bumpers.

Cheltenham Placepot perm

1.10
1 Bardenstown Lad
2 Indigo Breeze

1.45
1 Nube Negra

2.20
11 The Mighty Don

2.55
4 A Different Kind
15 Mark Of Gold

3.30
5 Fennor Cross

4.00
2 Cape Vidal
3 Crambo

2x1x1x2x1x2 = 8 lines

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