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Another race that the British trainers/horses have done well in over the last few years is the Magners Plate Handicap Chase, which is run over 2m 4f.
This handicap is a 24 runner contest, filled with horses you would have seen run in some tough handicaps all season long. Some horses will have some Graded form lines next to their name, which is never a bad thing. Good luck picking out the winner, it looks tough.
🏇 Boylesports – Paying 6 places instead of 4 in the Plate Handicap. Click here for details
Cheltenham 4:10 – Datsalrighthtgino 11/1 (1pt ew)
This race doesn't tend to go to the favourite, with only three winning it in the last ten years, but whenever Emmet Mullins has a runner it will always be short-priced and has to be respected.
So Scottish is the favourite, and it is not a surprise at all. He is a great trainer, who won this race in 2021 with The Shunter, so he knows what type of horse is required to win this. I thought his run last time out was a good effort, he was well-supported that day, going off favourite. That was over 2m 1f on good ground, but he was staying on strongly behind Boothill, so the return to today's trip will be a positive for him. He was running off 9st 11lbs that day, off a handicap mark of 135, he is running off 143 today and doesn't get the 5lb claiming doing the steering like last time, so is effectively 13lbs worse off today, which will make it harder. You never know with these Emmet Mullins horses, they could be so well-handicapped, but at the price, in a competitive handicap like this he has to be taken on.
Coole Cody won this race last year, leading from start to finish, winning at odds of 22/1. He is now a 12yo, but is still a live each-way chance in this. We saw Global Citizen try and reclaim his crown yesterday at the age of 11 and he ran an almighty race, I can see something similar from this horse.
Midnight River won well last time out over this C&D, with the likes of Stolen Silver, Il Ridoto, Shaken Up'Arry in behind. I think Il Ridoto has a chance of reversing the form with the Skelton horse. He travelled nicely through that race but jumped the last like a snooker table. Wouldn't be surprised if either of those two go close in this.
Frero Banbou is an interesting runner at a price. He has been kept to shorter trips for all of his career but has always looked like a step up in trip would suit him. He will handle the conditions and the track, and his stamina might be good enough to be a threat in this. The stable form is a concern, but couldn't put anyone off from backing him. Thyme White was running a big race today in the Grand Annual before falling, and that horse has close form to this horse.
I've had Datsalrightgino in my mind for this race all season long, so I'm not going to change my mind at the last minute as I did in the previous race preview. This horse has been crying out for 2m 4f, and when they finally gave it to him over today's C&D he ran a belter to finish second to Stage Star. I said that Stage Star had no chance in the first race, and I stand by that, but he is still a good horse, just not comparable to the Irish horses. I think that is good form in this, and the way he stayed up the hill makes him look tailor-made for this race. His jumping can be sketchy at times, but he is a novice and the more experience he gets the better he will be. I think a big field handicap is what he wants, he will be ridden similar to Corach Rambler, maybe not so much from the rear, but he will be ridden cold and will weave through the horses late on, and hopefully have enough to power up the hill. I thought his 2nd in the Grade 2 behind Solo was a big effort. That was right-handed, which doesn't suit him and it will have put him spot-on for this.
