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We have finally have gotten to the end of the festival, it's always a shame when it happens as we have a whole year before we get the best show on turf on our screens. We close the Festival with the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.
Cheltenham 5:30 – Quai De Bourbon 7/2 (1pt)
This is a pretty big guessing game, as you're trying to find out which horse is a potentially graded horse in a handicap and going off what Ruby Walsh has said, Quai De Bourbon is that horse. Ruby came out and said this is NAP of the week, which is a bold statement given the number of horses Willie Mullins has had during the week and those that have gone in at much shorter odds, but there has been a big wave of confidence for this horse for quite a while and connections haven't been hiding it. I could be coming into this race with a very strong hand as I tipped up the runner-up from his last run in the County Hurdle, so if that goes on and wins or even places at the very least, this lad will be shortening. He is 2/2 over hurdles since moving to Willie's yard and has done very little wrong. Michael O'Sullivan is an incredible jockey to have for this conditional race, and when you're looking for the best jockey for this race, Michael is that man and I'm sure he will have had plenty of offers to ride others in this race.
No Ordinary Joe was second in this race last year and returns off a 1lb higher mark, so based on that, and this has likely been the plan since that race, he has to be chucked into the equation with a good jockey in Aidan Kelly being on board. Nicky Henderson had one decent runner on Day 3, and couple on Day 2, so not all of his horses are running terribly…just the majority.
The main hope for JP McManus might be Waterford Whispers who has become the latest favourite for this race, and there's a lot of money coming in for him, and I think that is due to JP having a decent Festival and he ended Day 3 with a handicap blot, so punters will be wanting to find another. It's hard to make a lot of his form as it's been at novice and maiden level for two of his runs, and he was 2nd/9 on handicap debut. He could clearly be well handicapped off his mark of 133, but it is just one big guessing game. I thought JP's horse towards the bottom of the weights had an EW squeak. Thanksforthehelp was the short-priced favourite for the Pertemps Final last year and coming to the last you would have thought he would either win or go very close, but he didn't see the race out. He has had a quiet campaign and David Pipe has mentioned he had a setback and his run at Chepstow last time out was a run for fitness, but he is an interesting contender running off a 3lb lower mark than at the Festival last year and gets the winning jockey of 2022 on board.
Dan Skelton has racked up four winners this week so his runner Jay Jay Reilly deserves a mention. Tristan Durrell gets on board for his boss and he is a good jockey for this race, as he is given plenty of opportunities on big days for Dan Skelton when Harry has gone to a different course or is on a more favoured horse, so that will be an advantage for him in this against inexperienced jockeys on big days. This horse is proven in big field handicaps, shown by winning the Lanzarote under Tristan, but he is now 10lbs higher than that win so he sh0uldn't be good enough, but with the form of the yard he has to be mentioned.
The Betfair hurdle favourite, Ocastle Des Mottes might be able to run a big race. The boys from Ireland clearly fancied his chances on stable debut in the Newbury race, which saw him go off at 7/2F but he finished 8th/21. Interesting runner if money comes in for him again.
