Slade Steel looked in need of the run at Navan, and that is the risk you take when backing horses at this time of the season over the jumps.
As for Magnetude, I didn't think he ran that badly. He made a couple of iffy jumps, but for the most part he was solid in that department. They tried to make the running with him, and it was a solid tactic; he was just outclassed towards the finish. I think he can be a good juvenile handicapper this season based on what I saw.
Crystal Island 5/2 – Cheltenham 1.25
Siding with a favourite at a price of 11/4 in a relatively big field at Cheltenham on a chasing debut doesn't seem the smartest of ideas, but Crystal Island looked like a smart recruit to the Henderson stable last year.
We only saw him run two times last season, with a 123-day break in between the two runs. He was impressive at Ascot on his hurdles debut, and he beat a good horse that day. The runner-up was Off The Jury, who has since franked the form over hurdles and fences, most recently winning a good novice chase handicap at Aintree, and is now rated 135.
Crystal Island has to prove that he is capable of winning first time out, but given he is unbeaten and has won from breaks before, there's no reason to believe that he won't be ready. He is the price that he is because of the jockey and trainer combination, but I do think he could be a very smart prospect over fences.
Highlands Legacy 11/4 – Cheltenham 2.00
It's hard to decipher how much room for improvement Highlands Legacy has got left off his current handicap mark, but I was a big fan of his last season and tipped him up a few times, so I'm in the camp that he can go again this season.
Carrying a big weight in a race like this on his first start of the season isn't the ideal start, but the fact that they are willing to come here for this race shows their intent. He turned up in big handicaps last year and either won or wasn't disgraced in defeat, and if you look at his form behind the likes of Mambonumberfive and Mighty Bandit, it looks solid now. Even the most recent start at Aintree in April, when he was second in a Grade 3 is a good piece of form, and he made a blunder late on in that race and only lost by three lengths.
King Of Answers 4/1 – Cheltenham 2.35
I was very strong on King Of Answers in the spring, and tipped him up in the antepost market for the Ultima, but he went to a different race. He went for the 3m 6f chase, and I think he was given an extremely poor ride that day; with a better ride he might have won.
I then tipped him up for the Scottish National, thinking that the longer trip on testing ground would suit, but he was poor from start to finish. In hindsight, his relatively busy spring campaign might have caught up with him, and he was fatigued, so I am willing to chance him again this season.
He made his return at Perth over a month ago, and he didn't get a real chance to show his talents. He was hampered on two occasions by fallers, and that left him with no chance, especially the second time, when Derek Fox nearly came off. I think this trip is probably the shortest I'd like to see him run over, and as long as Derek Fox doesn't position him in last place for all of the race, I give him a great chance.
GambleAware