Cheltenham November Meeting: Four to watch

Thyme Hill (Timeform rating h140P) – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, Saturday

As discussed in our Trainers To Follow article, Philip Hobbs has saddled more winners at the Cheltenham November meeting than any other trainer since 2014, and he is likely to have high hopes of adding to his tally when Thyme Hill lines up in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle on Saturday, one of two races to have been saved from Friday’s abandoned card.

A smart performer in bumpers last season (third to Envoi Allen at the Cheltenham Festival), Thyme Hill looks primed to scale similar heights over hurdles if the evidence of his debut win in the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow is anything to go by. The five-year-old was conceding hurdling experience to several of his rivals that day, but he ultimately passed the test with flying colours, doing his best work at the finish as he pulled two lengths clear of Fiddlerontheroof after the last.

That form sets the standard in this line-up, even with his Grade 2 penalty taken into account, and the large ‘P’ attached to his rating denotes that he is open to significant improvement. Very much one to follow, he is fancied to take this on his way to bigger and better things.

Placed in the Champion Bumper, Thyme Hill produces a classy performance on his hurdling debut under @dickyjohnson77 for @PJHobbs1 to land the @UnibetRacing Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at @Chepstow_Racing... pic.twitter.com/xosbUcTocF

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 11, 2019

Getaway Trump (Timeform rating c139P) – Arkle Trophy Trial Novices' Chase, Sunday

There are several more established names at Paul Nicholls’ Ditcheat base than Getaway Trump – Clan des Obeaux, Cyrname and Frodon to name but three – but it would be no surprise if he joined that trio as a Grade 1-winning chaser between now and the end of the season.

Even his trainer has expressed surprise at the giant strides that Getaway Trump made over timber last term, but there was plenty of substance to his form, and his Timeform rating of 153p (achieved when winning a Sandown handicap on his final start) was surpassed by only Klassical Dream amongst the 2018/19 crop of novice hurdlers, which perhaps explains why many people were disappointed that he was unable to make a winning chase debut at the Showcase meeting here last month.

Nicholls was not one of them, however, with the 11-times champion trainer being adamant that Getaway Trump would improve markedly for the run. He certainly shaped as if lack of fitness was the issue – he traded as short as 1.12 in-running before getting tired – and confidence is seemingly high at Ditcheat that he can reverse the placings with Al Dancer in Sunday’s Arkle Trial, a race that Nicholls has dominated over the years.

It's a winning chase debut for Al Dancer, who is an authoritative winner of the https://t.co/sHH6onIVS9 Novices' Chase as he goes clear up the Cheltenham hill for the Twiston-Davies team 👏🙌 @samtwiston @NigelTwistonDav pic.twitter.com/nNfpTBW15y

— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) October 25, 2019

Politologue (Timeform rating c166) – Shloer Chase, Sunday

Another of the more established names at Ditcheat is Politologue, who possibly hasn’t got the credit that he deserves over the years for a career that already includes wins in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown and Melling Chase at Aintree. The eight-year-old produced an even better effort in defeat on Timeform ratings when second in the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, keeping on well on the run-in to be beaten just a length and three quarters by Altior.

With that rival set to step up in trip this season, the opportunity is there for someone to stamp their authority in this division, and Politologue is arguably in as good a position as any to do just that. He is currently as big as 20/1 to go one better in this season’s Champion Chase, but you can expect those odds to come down significantly if winning Sunday’s Shloer Chase, in which he is set to clash with the up-and-comer in this division, Defi du Seuil, as well as last year’s winner Sceau Royal, who was one place behind Politologue at the Festival.

Admittedly, there isn’t much between the trio on ratings with Defi du Seuil getting 3 lb, but Politologue’s excellent record when fresh – he has won on his seasonal reappearance in each of the last three seasons – could just tilt the balance in his favour in conditions he will relish.

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The career figures of an all-time great - Altior wins a second @Betway Champion Chase#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/ZHSOPMTQfj

— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 13, 2019

Pacify (Timeform rating h140) – Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle, Sunday

The Duchess of Cornwall will be hoping to enjoy Cheltenham glory at the first attempt when Pacify lines up in Sunday’s Supreme Trial, a race won by greats of the game such as Cue Card, Dodging Bullets and Altior since the turn of the century.

A useful performer on the Flat when trained by Ralph Beckett, Pacify has made an excellent start since joining Jamie Snowden for a career over obstacles. Indeed, he is unbeaten in five starts to date and didn’t need to improve to record his latest success in a listed novices’ hurdle at Kempton last month, typically jumping well in front and ultimately winning with far more in hand than the official winning margin would suggest (eased close home).

The seven-year-old has already performed to a level good enough to win an average renewal of this race, and, while the 5 lb penalty he has to carry makes life tougher, he appeals as very much the type who can raise his level again when the circumstances demand it. Whether the Duchess will be donning her wellies to cheer him home is another matter altogether, however…

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What a cracker - Pacify was smart on the Flat but has proved a revelation over hurdles, still unbeaten and making all for Listed honours at @kemptonparkrace 👏 @jamiesnowden @gavsheehan92 pic.twitter.com/paM4mKoUQ3

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 20, 2019