Sunday racing tips: Best bets and odds for Cheltenham and Navan

It’s day three of the Paddy Power meeting at Cheltenham. Horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge brings us tips for Sunday’s action both there and at Navan.

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Sunday’s Racing Tips

• Kim Roque (Cheltenham, 13.45) – 0.5pts each-way @ 7/1 (bet365)
• Torneo (Cheltenham, 14.20) – 0.5pts each-way @ 10/1 (William Hill)
• Tanganyika (Cheltenham, 14.55) – 1pt win @ 7/2 (Betfred)
• Knickerbockerglory (Cheltenham, 15.30) – 0.5pts each-way @ 14/1 (Ladbrokes)
• Yeah Man (Navan, 14.32) – 0.5pts each-way @ 14/1 (William Hill)

It’s the final day of the November Meeting at Cheltenham and I’ve got four to follow on betting sites at Prestbury Park, alongside a selection for the Troytown Chase at Navan.

Bottlegreen Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (13.45, Cheltenham)

This looks a good starting point for us on Sunday’s third and final day of the Paddy Power meeting and I like the look of Irish raider KIM ROQUE.

I say Irish raider because Joseph O’Brien now trains this five-year-old gelding, but he’s a French-bred runner who has done all his racing to date in his native land, for trainer Daniela Mele.

He’s already got three chases under his belt, winning one of them over an extended 2m3f (soft). He also finished a two-length second in Listed company (2m6f, soft) when last seen in June.

He’s since changed hands and with the Joseph O’Brien string in pretty good form and this gelding’s best days surely still to come, he looks to have got in lightly off an official mark of 123, with just 10st 5lb to carry. He’s 7/1 on horse racing betting sites at the time of writing and looks well worth an each-way play.

Cheltenham tip 1: Kim Roque (Cheltenham, 13.45) – 0.5pts each-way @ 7/1 (bet365)

Hine Solicitors Talking Sense Handicap Chase (14.20, Cheltenham)

This looks wide open with the market leader on betting apps 5-1 at the time of writing and the selection, TORNEO, looks too big to pass up at 10-1.

Jamie Snowden’s five-year-old comes into this on the same mark as when beaten just over four lengths at Wetherby (1m7f, good) on his reappearance last month. Although he did fall at Ayr in the spring, he usually jumps well, which is obviously an essential at Prestbury Park.

This is very much his trip, he acts on soft ground and the way he ran at Wetherby suggested he needed it. He should be spot on for this and after just eight starts over fences, there is still room for some more improvement. He can run a big race at a decent price for us.

Cheltenham tip 2: Torneo (Cheltenham, 14.20) – 0.5pts each-way @ 10/1 (William Hill)

Oddschecker Handicap Chase (14.55, Cheltenham)

I put up the pre-race favourite for this, Protektorat, for the recent Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby but he was taken out of that race on the day by trainer Dan Skelton. Rerouted here to a handicap from that Grade 2 contest, it will be a very good effort if he can carry this big weight to victory over an extended 3m3f, especially if as the forecast suggests, the ground could turn soft.

He's an admirable horse, a Grade 1 winner and has nothing left to prove but I’d like to take him on under these circumstances, with TANGANYIKA. Venetia Williams has not had a winner from her few runners since Djelo won that same Charlie Hall that Protektorat didn’t line up for. That’s got to be a slight concern but the horse doesn’t know that and otherwise he has plenty of potential.

He's only had five starts over fences, winning two of them at around three miles at Market Rasen and Carlisle last winter. He took another step forward when second in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter (4m2f, good to soft), when last seen in March.

He proven on testing ground, should conditions turn in that direction and we know he gets well beyond this trip. A feather weight of just 10st 3lb won’t do any harm over this far and I’d say he’s got claims of landing what is a good prize.

Cheltenham tip 3: Tanganyika (Cheltenham, 14.55) – 1pt win @ 7/2 (Betfred)

Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (15.30, Cheltenham)

The day’s feature remains one of the best two-mile handicap hurdles on the calendar. It’s a graveyard for favourite backers, however, with no market leader having won the race in the past decade.

Without going overboard, it’s been a fairly useful Champion Hurdle trial over the years, being over the same C&D as hurdling’s Blue Riband in March and whatever your thoughts on the merits of last season’s championship, the facts are that the winner of this race went on to finish second in the big one.

Seven of the last ten winners had carried no more than 11st to victory in this, which is good news if you’re intent on backing the Dan Skelton-trained favourite Mirabad. He has his first start for the trainer from a mark 9lb higher than when he scored here on the stiffer New Course last December, when in the care of Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole.

He's had wind surgery since his last run in a similar race to this, the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury last February. He’s also won when fresh, in his days being trained in his native France. His chance is respected, as are those of Alexei and Gibbs Island.

However, I think the other Skelton entrant, KNICKERBOCKERGLORY, can also have a big say in the outcome of this £100,000 contest. Freddie Keighley claims a very useful 7lb off this mudlark, who should have conditions to suit.

We have to accept that he’s probably more exposed than quite a lot in this field, having won five of his 17 hurdles starts but that’s factored into his price on horse racing betting apps. The more it rains, the better, as far as I am concerned with regard to his chance and a 1lb drop since his last run, plus that claim could put him right in the mix.

He won a heavy ground Class 2 hurdle at Sandown Park almost 12-months ago when he was fresh and did similar at Ascot a year earlier. He comes into this without a run since April, so I’m hoping it’s a good time to catch him at his best.

Cheltenham tip 4: Knickerbockerglory (Cheltenham, 15.30) – 0.5pts each-way @ 14/1 (Ladbrokes)

Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase (14.32, Navan)

Always a very good handicap in its own right, the Troytown is also often a good pointer to other big staying chases later in the season. Run well in this and you’ve proved you can handle the hustle and bustle.

Gordon Elliott has a tremendous record in it, having saddled six of the last ten winners, four of them at double-figure prices. He is again mob-handed, and it’s a real conundrum trying to figure out which one has the best chance. When I tell you that only one of those six winners was sent off as the favourite, you can see the predicament.

Anyway, I’m going to take him on this time with the Gavin Cromwell-trained YEAH MAN. Admittedly, he is hard to win with but that has mean a gradual slide in the handicap in recent times. He was third in this last year, when 1lb higher and this time he has a 7lb claimer up, to lighten the load.

He’ll doubtless be better for his reappearance in the Munster National at Limerick last month and he handles bottomless ground, so he looks backable each-way at 14-1 at the time of writing.

Navan tip: Yeah Man (Navan, 14.32) – 0.5pts each-way @ 14/1 (William Hill)

Free bet offer for Cheltenham

BoyleSports are running their bet on last, get tomorrow promotion during this year’s November Meeting at Cheltenham with £5 in free bets available to those punters who meet the qualifying requirements.

To be eligible for the free bet, bettors must wager £15 or more at odds of evens or greater on the final race of the day at Cheltenham. On Sunday, the final race of the day is the Three Counties Christmas Open NH Flat Race (16:00).

Whether the selection in the last goes on to win or lose, bettors will be credited a £5 free bet to use the next day.

Responsible gambling

If you’re having a bet on Cheltenham, remember to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive, and it’s important to stay in control of your gambling, whether you’re using the UK betting sites, casino sites, slot sites, bingo sites or any other gambling platform.

Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help you stay in control.

Try not to get carried away by free bets or casino bonuses, which are widely available on gambling apps.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

• NHS Help
• GambleAware
• Gamblers Anonymous

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