JP McManus Boodles hopeful dropped 10lb as weights are revealed for Cheltenham Festival handicaps

Milan Tino will bid to give JP McManus a third win in four years in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham after being dropped 10lb by the handicapper.

The four-year-old, who is trained in France by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, was given a rating of 136 in his native country, where he finished third in Grade 2 company at Auteuil in October.

But he has been reassessed by the British handicapper after finishing third in two similar events at Cheltenham, most recently coming home 11 lengths behind Triumph Hurdle favourite Sir Gino there last month.

That led his connections to decide to target the juvenile handicap, which his owner won with Aramax in 2020 and Brazil in 2022.

"He's a lovely horse and a chaser of the future and I wasn't really that keen on going to Cheltenham," George said.

"But then I asked the handicapper what they were going to reassess him on and he said they were going to drop him 10lb and that was what interested me.

"He was rated 136 because of his French rating but on his runs in Britain he's been rated 126. These horses that run in France tend to have more experience and I'd like to think he should have a good chance," added George, whose impressive Kempton Grade 1 winner Il Est Francais bypasses Cheltenham to be trained for the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris.

BHA handicapper Andrew Mealor said: "His runs in Britain give us a line on him. He ran behind Burdett Road at Cheltenham earlier in the season. He then ran behind Sir Gino so I feel like we’ve got a good line on him. I think we’ve got a bit more of a line on him than we would a horse just coming in from France."

Milan Tino is a best-priced 12-1 for the race.

The Joseph O'Brien-trained Grade 3 winner Nurburgring was unveiled as the Boodles topweight, racing off a BHA rating of 139, on the day that weights for all the Cheltenham Festival handicaps were revealed.

The dubious honour of biggest rise in the weights belonged to Kim Muir hopeful Read To Return, whose mark of 123 is 11lb higher than his Irish rating.

Last year's Pertemps winner Good Time Jonny's chase mark of 132 was bumped up 10lb to 142 by the British handicapper. He is a best-priced 7-1 shot for the Kim Muir Handicap Chase.

Coral Cup and Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle favourite Sa Majeste, trained by Willie Mullins for JP McManus, retained his mark of 140.

Dual winner Corach Rambler heads the field for the Ultima Handicap Chase, although last year's Grand National winner appears more likely to run in the Gold Cup.

Most handicap fields are dominated by Irish runners, who make up seven of the top eight in the weights for the Boodles.

Irish yards are also responsible for nine of the top 12 horses in the Coral Cup, 12 of the top 16 in the TrustATrader Plate and ten of the top 13 in both the Grand Annual and County Hurdle.

Biggest Cheltenham Festival weight hikes for horses trained in Ireland

Read To Return (112) 123 +11 (Kim Muir)
Good Time Jonny (132) 142 +10 (Kim Muir)
Fils D’Oudairies (137) 144 +7 (Grand Annual)
Perceval Legallois (137) 144 +7 (Kim Muir)
Western Fold (133) 140 +7 (Coral Cup, Martin Pipe)
Spinning Web (109) 116 +7 (Boodles)
Popova (125) 132 +7 (Pertemps)
Black Bamboo (121) 128 +7 (Coral Cup, Martin Pipe, County)
Waterford Whispers (127) 133 +6 (Martin Pipe)
Chavez (132) 138 +6 (Ultima, Plate, Kim Muir)
Starzov 119 (125) +6 (Pertemps)

Racecards with full list of weights and betting markets

Ultima Handicap Chase (2.50, March 12)
Bet365: 8 The Goffer, Meetingofthewaters, Chianti Classico, Stumptown, 10 Inothewayurthinkin, Corach Rambler, 11 Monbeg Genius, Crebilly, 12 Theatre Man, Favori De Champdou, Jungle Boogie, 14 bar

Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (4.50, March 12)
Coral: 5 Lark In The Mornin, 6 Batman Girac, 7 Wodhooh, 8 Ndaawi, 10 Milan Tino, Miss Manzor, Nurburgring, 12 Eagle Fang, Liari, 14 Kala Conti, Karia Des Blaises, Nara, 16 ba

Coral Cup (2.10, March 13)
Coral: 6 Sa Majeste, 8 Langer Dan, Quai De Bourbon, 10 Cleatus Poolaw, Doddiethegreat, Lucky Place, 12 Built By Ballymore, 14 Better Days Ahead, Hiddenvalley Lake, Hollow Games, Jigoro, Might I, No Ordinary Joe, Ocastle Des Mottes, 16 bar

Grand Annual Handicap Chase (4.50, March 13)
William Hill: 6 My Mate Mozzie, 7 Saint Roi, 10 Madara, Saint Felicien, Demnaat 12 Libberty Island, Maskada 14 In Excelsis Deo, Sa Fureur, Enniskerry, 16 bar

Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (2.10, March 14)
Paddy Power: 11-2 Cleatus Poolaw, 7 Icare Allen, Gaoth Chuil, 8 Chantry House, Springwell Bay, 10 White Rhino, Gabbys Cross, 12 Cuthbert Dibble, 14 Noble Birth, Hyland, Kyntara, Farouk D’Alene, 16 bar

TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
Betfair: 4 Crebilly, 10 Madara, Letsbeclearaboutit, Theatre Man, Saint Roi, Ash Tree Meadow 12 Ga Law, Saint Felicien, Sa Fureur, Cool Survivor, Firm Footings, 14 bar

Kim Muir Handicap Chase (5.30, March 14)
Ladbrokes: 6 Good Time Jonny, Perceval Legallois, Meetingofthewaters, 8 Inothewayurthinkin, Angels Dawn, 9 Stumptowon, 10 Cool Survivor, Firm Footings, 12 bar

County Handicap Hurdle (2.10, March 15)
Coral: 7 Iberico Lord, 8 Absurde, King Of Kingsfield, Zenta, 10 Lisnagar Fortune, Lump Sum, Quai De Bourbon, 12 Bialystok, Comfort Zone, Impose Toi, Jigoro, Ocastle Des Mottes, Pied Piper, Risk Belle, Under Control, What’s Up Darling, 14 bar

Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle (5.30, March 15)
Coral: 4 Sa Majeste, 6 Quai De Bourbon, 8 No Ordinary Joe, 10 Lisnagar Fortune, 12 Langer Dan, Search For Glory, Waterford Whispers, 14 Better Days Ahead, Built By Ballymore, Cleatus Poolaw, Jigoro, Lucky Place, Stellar Story, 16 bar

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