Racing Cheltenham preview and newsLatalomne, a faller at the penultimate fence in the last two runnings of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, can land a well-deserved success at Cheltenham today.
He was at the head of affairs and going well two years ago when coming down in the race won by Flagship Uberalles. It was a similar case last March although it is open to debate whether he would have beaten Moscow Flyer. A place would certainly have been his.
Latalomne's last success came in this race two years ago when he gave a tip-top performance to beat Iris Bleu by 18 lengths.
Today's opposition, that includes three from the Paul Nicholls stable, is tougher but Latalomne looks thrown in on his best form with just 10st 1lb.
The Brian Ellison-trained nine-year-old is also fit from a run on the Flat at Redcar last month.
Self Defense, fourth in last season's Smurfit Champion Hurdle, can make a winning reappearance in the Blue Chip Feeds Novices' Hurdle.
Emma Lavelle's six-year-old belied his odds of 100 to 1 when fourth to Rooster Booster at the Festival to prove that his previous ½-length defeat by the same horse at Sandown in February was not a fluke.
Tony Martin's runners in England must always be respected and the Irish trainer has an interesting contender in Royal County Buck in the four-mile Paddy Power Handicap Chase. The eight-year-old won a staying handicap chase at Kilbeggan in September and has last two races have been ruined by horses taking the wrong course.
Hopefully that will not be a problem here and with Paul Carberry in the saddle can take full advantage of his light weight of 10st 3lb.
Whereareyounow looks a useful recruit to the in-form Nigel Twiston-Davies yard as the six-year-old can show by taking the Steel Plate And Sections Novices' Chase.
The Mister Lord gelding could not have had a cosier introduction when beating sole rival Bonus Bridge at Stratford two weeks ago.
French Executive scored on the same Stratford card by seven lengths from Keltic Heritage and can follow up in the Paddy Power Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase.
Meanwhile, Henry Daly yesterday ruled Hand Inn Hand out of tomorrow's Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
After walking the Prestbury Park course Daly discovered the ground was good to firm, leaving him to rely solely on Young Spartacus in the extended two-and-a-half-mile chase.
The Ludlow-based handler will now keep Hand In Hand for the First National Gold Cup at Ascot the following weekend.
Trainer Charlie Mann was fined £5,000 at a hearing of the Jockey Club's disciplinary panel in London yesterday. He was found guilty of sending the wrong horse to the racecourse for the third time in 36 months.
The Upper Lambourn handler mistakenly ran Trump Card, a six-year-old, instead of the year-younger Investment Force in the
Cantor Mobile Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton on September 27th. Trump Card was in the rear when breaking both front legs before the third flight and had to be destroyed.
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