A Cheltenham Festival runner-up, a handicap 'loophole' and a master at work - your cheat sheet for day one of the November meeting

The November meeting at Cheltenham gets under way on Friday with big names and future stars alike heading to Prestbury Park for a highly informative fixture. Catherine Macrae and Keith Melrose serve up your five-minute primer for the card, which features four races on ITV4.

Race in focus: 3.30 Cheltenham

By Catherine Macrae

The Hyde Novices' Hurdle has proved a stepping stone to bigger and better things in recent years and there are several promising candidates vying to use this race as a springboard to Grade 1 glory later this season.

Two of the last three winners have triumphed at the top level on their next start, with Hermes Allen (2022) following up in the Challow and 2024 winner Potters Charm striking in the Formby last December.

The market suggests Heads Up could be the name to take out of this Grade 2 as the five-year-old bids to become the third Irish-trained winner this decade but the first since Blazing Khal four years ago.

He has finished in the top two on his last five starts, and steps up to two miles five furlongs for the first time against nine rivals in what will be the race's biggest field this decade – provided they all line up following the expected overnight rain.

Heads Up: aims to climb the ladder at Cheltenham on FridayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Easing conditions should not be an issue for the favourite, who powered home 24-lengths clear of his rivals this time last year in soft conditions at Punchestown, and he looks poised to land a first Graded contest.

"He seems well and he's done plenty of schooling since Listowel, we're very happy with him," said trainer John McConnell. "It's a big step up and there's plenty of depth in it, so it will be interesting. I think the step up in trip will be fine, I don't see it being an issue."

Three key horses for punters

By Keith Melrose

Leave Of Absence (2.20)

Anthony Honeyball normally campaigns handicap chasers with the assuredness of a chess master playing their favourite opening. A couple of recent instances have therefore left me wondering what he is up to, and Leave Of Absence is one of them.

Before he won at the Showcase meeting, Leave Of Absence was rated 132 by the BHA. I cannot be the only one left thinking what might have been, had he not beaten Pied Piper that day and seen his mark go up by a stone to 146.

Leave Of Absence (left): beats Pied Piper at Cheltenham last monthCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Such is his trainer's skill that you still fancy there is a plan in progress. This Listed race will be the last one Leave Of Absence can run in as a novice, unless they fancy squeezing in something like the John Francome at Newbury in a couple of weeks. It is also a race won by top handicappers more often than Grade 1 horses, and with £23,000 on the table it is a contest worth winning in its own right.

Despite what the early betting might say, Leave Of Absence has a clear form jump on favourite Wade Out. Granted, that rival is not the only threat here. If you think, like I do, that we could easily see Leave Of Absence go off favourite for the relatively weak premier handicap at the December meeting back here in four weeks' time, then he ought to be a good bet here.

Recommendation: back win-only

Welonlyhavedone (3.30)

You could only really get away with a Graded 2m5f novice hurdle this early by running it at Cheltenham. Even with the dourest staying prospects, trainers would rather take their time working up in distance. The lure of a Cheltenham win makes this race an exception, which shows up in both its previous winners and the deep field here.

The Champion Bumper second (Heads Up) and ninth (No Drama This End) have both turned up, with the former having fitness and hurdling experience on his side. Great Fleet is firmly up and running now, and is seemingly another Dan Skelton autumn project who may have big-handicap ambitions in the spring.

Welonlyhavedone is another serious prospect who might sneak in under the radar. He won his completed point-to-point by 15 lengths and his hurdling debut by 12. He was also upsides I'll Sort That, who is odds-on for a Grade 3 at Navan on Saturday, when falling at the last 19 days ago.

He has been rated as level with the winner on Racing Post Ratings. RPR handicapper Jonny Pearson explained his reasoning by saying: 'His winning time at Galway was fair and I thought he was going slightly better than I'll Sort That when he fell last time. I've been pretty impressed with him.' 

You and me both, Jonny.

Recommendation: back win-only

Alphonse Le Grande (4.00)

It is the sort of handicapping loophole that you are surprised the BHA has not legislated against. Not that there is anything shady going on with how Alphonse Le Grande has been campaigned. When he last ran over hurdles, he was comfortably held at Ludlow off the same mark of 98 he runs off here.

The twist is that run was nearly two years ago, and since then he has won a Chester Plate, Northumberland Vase and a Cesarewitch on the Flat. His most recent published BHA Flat rating (93) is nearly as high as his jumps figure, when you would expect a gap of around 35lb.

Alphonse Le Grande: last year's Cesarewitch winner reverts to hurdlesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

You might recall Tony Martin pulling a similar trick at this meeting last year with Hamsiyann, who won easily under Daniel King. He was rated 87 on the Flat and 111 over hurdles, so in theory Alphonse Le Grande has a much bigger handicapping edge, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the market.

At the time of writing, his odds are far from prohibitive. If he gets shorter than about 6-4, we are entering the realm of diminishing returns in what is a warm race for the grade. Equally, a marked drift would signal a lack of confidence. Anywhere in between and Alphonse Le Grande should be on your side.

Recommendation: back win-only at prices between 6-4 and 4-1

Four of the best quotes

Anthony Honeyball, trainer of Leave Of Absence (2.20)
I don't think the rain will be an issue, in fact I'm hopeful it'll give him an even stronger chance. That experience around Cheltenham should stand him in good stead and fingers crossed he jumps well again. He's got that bit of age about him as well, because he's been off a bit in the past, but touch wood he hasn't missed a beat since he came here. He's looking strong and sound and seems well, so we think he's got a very good chance.

Neil Mulholland, trainer of Double Powerful (2.20)
He had a busy last season but he's come back from his summer holidays stronger, and he came out of his race at Cheltenham really well. We're hoping he can improve a bit from that first run. He's got form on a bit of everything with regards to the ground, so I think we'll be happy enough with conditions despite not knowing fully at this stage what we're going to get. He should stay the trip, and that bit of experience last month won't have done him any harm.

Double Powerful: winner at Cheltenham 12 months agoCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Dan Skelton, trainer of Great Fleet and Moneygarrow (3.30)
There's not a lot to separate them. We were most impressed with Great Fleet last time at Cheltenham over three miles; he was a little keen but he still managed to find, and I thought it was a great run. Moneygarrow should not be discounted, though. He was third in a Grade 2 first time out, so he's got every right to improve a lot. Harry [Skelton] is on Great Fleet because he ran well there last time.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of No Drama This End (3.30)
He's one we like. He had nice bumper form and won a point-to-point, so we put him in the Champion Bumper as you're not going to achieve anything else keeping him in easier races at that point. The whole experience of Cheltenham would have suited him, which it did, but he was never a bumper horse, so we've come back and chucked him in the deep end for his debut over hurdles. We'll know a lot more after this.
Reporting by Catherine Macrae

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