'He looks to have been overlooked' - analysis and trainer quotes for the Plate

Thursday: 4.10 CheltenhamPlate Handicap Chase | 2m4½f | 5yo+ | ITV/RTV

There is a simple but effective example in the Plate of the sort of trends worth noting and those that are stories, which are of use to the casual viewer but not to punters.

The link has been made from Celebre D'Allen to Salut Flo and Ballynagour, who both won this race in the same colours early in the 2010s. You would have heard less often that four of the seven winners in the meantime have been novices.

Punters, though, must be flexible. Owners can target certain races and Celebre D'Allen, with six chase starts behind him and only one in Britain, should not be disregarded simply because his first chase win came in 2018. But while he is Allan Stennett's only representative here, he is not the only unexposed chaser.

Of the 22 horses in this race, nine are novices and seven besides Celebre D'Allen have had six runs or fewer over fences. Many of them are near the top of the betting – Imperial Alcazar, The Glancing Queen, Grand Paradis - but not all of them are.

Sometimes with these races that have been subject to ante-post interest, horses that make it in at the bottom of the weights can be overlooked, the expectation being they were never going to get in. If you happen to fancy Chinwag or Guy, do not necessarily be discouraged by a suspiciously big morning price.

There is a novice at a price who looks to have simply been overlooked. Adrimel won last year's Leamington Novices' Hurdle and went off 9-1 for the Albert Bartlett, but pulled up that day and at Aintree.

Fences appear to have revived him. He has been slick when winning at Haydock the last twice, the first time comparing favourably on the clock with a smart handicap over the same 2m½f course and distance. Adrimel was five seconds faster overall and only about a second slower from three out.

The move into big-field handicaps may be cited as a doubt, but he won a 14-runner bumper and there were ten rivals when he won the Leamington. In a race in which novices so often come up trumps, perhaps big-field experience is not all it is cracked up to be.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

King has high hopes for Queen

Having waited seven years for his 16th Cheltenham Festival winner, number 17 could come just 48 hours later.

Edwardstone proved with his decisive Arkle success on Tuesday that Alan King still knows how to come out on top at this meeting.

Now stablemate The Glancing Queen bids to make it three from four in chases on her first run in a handicap.

The Glancing Queen: 'She's always been a grand mare'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Her trainer had been toying with Friday's mares' chase but said: "We finally decided this was her best chance of winning.

"She's in great condition and it was always the plan to come here straight from her second place in the Dipper in January. I was delighted with that run behind L'Homme Presse, who's the only horse to have beaten her over fences.

"The Glancing Queen is proven at Cheltenham and copes with all sorts of ground. She's always been a grand mare and I hope she can be very competitive."

Race specialist aiming for third win

Whether you are a restaurateur or a racehorse owner, you can never have too many Plates.

Retired company director Allan Stennett won this with Salut Flo in 2012 and Ballynagour two years later, both David Pipe-trained chasers who bolted up in contests backed by the Byrne Group.

The sponsor may have changed and so has the trainer, but there is every chance those familiar green and brown checks may come home in front once again.

Tom O'Brien has worn them to victory three times this season on Celebre D'Allen, who is unbeaten since being switched to Philip Hobbs from Louisa Carberry in France.

Celebre D'Allen: 'We hope he's still on an upward trend'Credit: John Grossick

The trainer gave Stennett his first big win with Bouchasson in a Grade 2 novice chase at Ayr in 1999 and is hopeful of further success with a horse who warmed up with a cosy triumph at Warwick last month.

"Celebre D'Allen has won all his three races this season and we hope he's still on an upward trend," Hobbs said.

"He's gone from 120 to 141 but he still won well the other day, so we're hoping there's a bit left."

Spiritofthegames ready for another Plate bid

Third Time Lucki is a promising two-mile chaser with Dan Skelton – third time lucky is what the trainer hopes to be with Spiritofthegames here.

His ten-year-old was beaten just three lengths when finishing third in this race in 2019 and was only five and a half lengths behind when fifth off a higher mark 12 months later.

Spiritofthegames is considerably lower in the weights than he was on either occasion and ran another fine race when third here in January.

"He's a standing dish in these races," Skelton said. "He's yet to win one but he always runs his race.

"He's probably got the least weight he's ever run with in one, but it's not exactly an uncompetitive race."

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Hardline, Grand Paradis and Fancy Foundations
Hardline showed signs of a return to form at Gowran last time, but he's up against it with a big weight. I'm not sure we've seen the best of Grand Paradis this season, but he has some nice chase form to his name already. With a good round of jumping, he could show up very well. I'm hoping Fancy Foundations can get back to the sort of form he showed in the autumn.

Fergal O'Brien, trainer of Imperial Alcazar
He's in great form and goes there on the back of a win. I don't know if he's overly well handicapped, but I hope there's still a bit of mileage in his mark and if there is he should be there or thereabouts.

Mel Rowley, trainer of Wishing And Hoping
It's fiercely competitive but he's probably in the best form of his life. He could be worth an each-way bet if he can run his race – he loves to run from the front – and if the ground dries out.

Micky Hammond, trainer of Schiehallion Munro
We're very happy with him and he's still improving. He's had a trouble-free preparation and there's no reason to think he won't give his running.

Tom Lacey, trainer of Adrimel
I'm pleased to see the rain and this track will suit him better than his previous visits to Cheltenham. He's a hard horse to gauge because he doesn't do a lot at home, but I think he'll run a big race. I still think he's relatively well handicapped. A big field will help him because having horses around him will encourage him along a bit.

Joe Tizzard, son and assistant to Colin Tizzard, trainer of Slate House
He's a former Grade 1 winner, although he's not been running up to that level recently. He sneaked into the race and has no weight on his back. The blinkers should sharpen him up.

Neil Mulholland, trainer of Chinwag
He's been consistent this season. He travels and jumps well and we've had the rain, so everything should be fine. Hopefully, he can make his presence felt.
Reporting by David Carr

Thursday's Cheltenham Festival previews:

1.30 Cheltenham: 'It'll be some spectacle' – key quotes ahead of Bob Olinger v Galopin Des Champs

2.10 Cheltenham: 'A Grade 1 winner carrying 10st, it's up to him' – clues for the Pertemps Final

2.50 Cheltenham: 'Everybody is up against it' – is there any stopping Ryanair banker Allaho?

3.30 Cheltenham: Paisley Park 'likes to have a laugh' but can he produce another miracle?

4.50 Cheltenham: Dinoblue heads seven runners for Willie Mullins in bid to resume normal service

5.30 Cheltenham: 'He's really turned the corner' – key quotes and insight for the Kim Muir

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