Cheltenham New Year's Day preview

The Dipper Novices’ Chase has often been an informative race and proved so again last year when Seeyouatmidnight and subsequent RSA winner Blaklion pulled some 20 lengths clear of the rest of the seven-runner field. We are down in numbers in this year’s renewal but not necessarily down in quality as the field of five include former Grade 1 winning hurdler Whisper, who looked much more like his old self when getting off the mark over fences at Cheltenham in December, as well as the impressive Berkshire Novices’ Chase winner Clan des Obeaux. The field also includes O O Seven, who disappointed at short odds in a muddling race at Doncaster last time but had looked destined for big things when winning at Cheltenham’s Open meeting, and Briery Belle, who won a mares’ listed chase at Warwick in early-December. A case can be made for all five runners, including even Never Equalled, though he will have to brush up on his jumping now upped to this level.

The other graded race on the card on Sunday is the Relkeel Hurdle, and its field of nine features several horses on some sort of comeback trail. These include Cole Harden, who made an underwhelming chasing debut at Wetherby in early-December and now reverts to hurdles, L’Ami Serge, a Grade 1 winner over timber who is also back over the smaller obstacles following a poor round of jumping in a graduation chase at Exeter last time, and Old Guard, who won the International Hurdle last season but has yet to match that sort of level in either sphere this term. Last year’s winner Camping Ground is yet another to revert from chasing (was going well when falling over fences at Newbury last time) while the likable Lil Rockerfeller is the in-form horse after running good seconds in both the Coral Hurdle (behind Yanworth) and the Long Walk Hurdle (behind Unowhatimeanharry), both at Ascot. This could be a good opportunity for him to get back to winning ways now down in grade.

There are plenty of interesting handicaps on the card, too, and Arpege d’Alene catches the eye in the three-and-a-quarter-mile handicap chase. The handicapper has seemingly been very lenient given that he defied this mark over hurdles at Chepstow last season, and with the slight step up in trip set to suit him (doing good late work in a novice behind Singlefarmpayment in early-December) he is very interesting despite the big field.

Village Vic won the Grade 3 handicap chase over two and a half miles last season from 14 lb lower in the weights, but his new mark does not look completely beyond him after he finished third in the December Gold Cup last time. Though the winner Frodon was below form at Kempton next time, runner-up Aso has won since, and from an unaltered mark, Village Vic should be considered at a track he clearly relishes.