Brian Ellison in for a big weekend after NBC provides Breeders' Cup masterclass

Coole Cody
2.15 Cheltenham, Saturday
1pt each-way at 14-1 generally

Nietzsche
2.15 Cheltenham, Saturday
1pt each-way at 33-1 generally

Cormier
2.55 Cheltenham, Sunday
1pt each-way at 16-1 with bet365

Well that worked out well, didn’t it? I am of course talking about last week’s tentative ante-post wager on Coconut Splash, who was taken out of Saturday’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham and instead declared to run at Exeter on Wednesday.

I can just about forgive Evan Williams because I think he still has an excellent chance with last year’s winner Coole Cody. He is only 4lb higher now, and it pays to follow returning heroes and prominent racers at this course, of which he is both.

As I mentioned last week, Buywise was a regular in the race for Williams and Coole Cody looked as good as ever on his return to action over hurdles last month, finishing a strong second to Guard Your Dreams.

The fact Cheltenham is set to be largely dry will only help his cause as in theory it will make it even more difficult for others to get involved from behind. I’d much rather side with him at 14-1 than those towards the top of the market.

One who could be capable of picking up a few pieces is Nietzsche, who in some ways has a similar profile to Coole Cody.

He loves decent ground and was an eyecatcher in last season’s Ultima before ultimately coming unstuck over the 3m1f distance.

He is now only 1lb higher than when winning at Ayr (idling, value for more than the neck margin) a month later, while he shaped well on his return when a big-priced fifth at Catterick on the Flat last month.

Like Coole Cody, he saves his best for Cheltenham. He was third in the Fred Winter as a four-year-old (good to soft), won the 2018 Greatwood when beating Silver Streak, Old Guard and Verdana Blue (good), while he chased home Sky Pirate and Ibleo over fences last December. That pair are now rated 25lb and 19lb higher respectively.

The favourite hasn’t won the Paddy Power Gold Cup since Tranquil Sea in 2009 so there is no shame in trying to find one outside the box, and this strong-travelling eight-year-old fits the bill at 33-1.

Nietzsche’s trainer Brian Ellison and Dan Gilbert, one of his owners, often target this meeting and they also have a strong chance in Sunday’s Unibet Greatwood Hurdle (2.55) in the shape of Cormier.

Last week’s fancy West Cork is now as short as 11-2 after I tipped him at 25-1, but it’s always worth having more than one dart in these competitive, big-field handicaps.

A case could be made for four or five in the race and the handicapper has given last year’s second Ballyandy a serious chance of 146. The race will also really suit Galice Macalo, while Gary Moore has a handful of interesting entries.

However, the eye is mostly drawn to the Gilbert-owned Cormier, who was seventh in this race as a four-year-old last year.

That was a big ask on ground which was probably too testing (he also lost a shoe), and he returns this year off a 4lb lower mark despite running really well in the Welsh Champion Hurdle last month.

Don’t forget Cormier was second in the Swinton Hurdle in May off just 2lb lower, a race in which he was two lengths ahead of subsequent Persian War and Cheltenham winner Camprond, with whom he is now 4lb better off.

He is quite a buzzy type, but his reappearance should have taken the freshness out of him and I have no doubt there are more races to be won with him over hurdles off 132.

Nietzsche was sixth the year before he won the Greatwood and I wouldn’t be surprised if Cormier is capable of something similar.

NBC coverage a breath of fresh air

I really enjoyed watching the Breeders' Cup coverage on Friday and Saturday, the majority of which was shown on Sky Sports Racing and ITV via NBC.

As I referenced on Twitter, one of the things the Americans excel at is explaining the basics without alienating their more knowledgeable audience.

Hopefully I count as one of the latter at this point, but I still found the piece on inferred probability interesting and the analysis into how the favourites performed in each Breeders' Cup race was particularly informative.

By hopping from podium to paddock to track, the broadcast achieved great input from a variety of contributors and because it was managed so expertly by lead presenter Ahmed Fareed it had a great pace and flow to it.

There was no shying away from talking about Bob Baffert and his string of failed drugs tests, while the features told the stories of the runners perfectly and dialled into the emotions associated with competing at such a prestigious event.

Britney Eurton's interview with Letruska's trainer Fausto Gutierrez was a particular favourite.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most though was the absence of any gimmicks and that so much of the build up focused on the horses themselves.

Racing TV's Nick Luck was typically brilliant at engaging with connections in the paddock, and being able to spend so much time with the runners before and after they were saddled was a real luxury, giving welcome insight into the dispositions and characters of the foreign horses.

When it comes to showcasing sport of the highest quality, I'm a believer in less is more. NBC pulled off a polished programme because its beauty was in its simplicity.

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