Red-hot Relkeel to help decide Golden Ace's Cheltenham Festival target as she bids to stretch perfect course record to three

The market only wanted to know one horse in this Grade 2 in the build-up and that was Salver, who would have been suited by the wet forecast.

However, there was not a significant change to conditions on Wednesday morning, which will suit Golden Ace and Lucky Place.

Nevertheless, Salver has the potential to rate quite a bit higher than his BHA figure of 143, especially now that he is upped four furlongs in trip. He stayed on strongly for third in the Triumph Hurdle last season and did all of his best work late on his reappearance at Newbury.

His form figures on soft or heavy ground read 1113 and if the rain does hit the track closer to the race then it will swing things in his favour. 

Salver: backed into favouritism for the RelkeelCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Any bad weather would be a concern for Golden Ace, who didn’t look like a strong stayer when a weak-finishing fourth behind Lucky Place over a furlong shorter than this at Ascot in November. Golden Ace touched 1.5 in running on Betfair, but lost three places on the run-in.

She almost certainly doesn’t want a slog up the Cheltenham hill on testing going over the stamina-sapping New course, so will need the rain to miss the track. However, she is a course-and-distance winner on good ground and has the speed for the test if it stays away.

Lucky Place has to give Golden Ace 6lb more than he did at Ascot and their places should be reversed given he was only two lengths ahead of her. He has also recorded two of his three highest Racing Post Ratings on good ground, but the other one was achieved on softer.

That came when four and three-quarter lengths behind Langer Dan in last year’s Coral Cup at this course and Lucky Place is 6lb worse off with that winner, who should saunter around here without coming off the bridle to win easily on paper. He is 10lb clear on adjusted RPRs.

However, Langer Dan is notorious for coming to himself in the spring and form figures reading 278P90 in the months of December and January highlight that today isn’t his day.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Golden Ace out to stretch perfect Cheltenham record to three

Jeremy Scott has been watching the festive action with interest as Golden Ace had the option of running in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day before Brighterdaysahead gave her form a mammoth boost at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Golden Ace beat Brighterdaysahead in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season and, like that mare and Lossiemouth, has the option of running in either the Mares' Hurdle or the Champion Hurdle at the meeting this season.

She is a best-priced 14-1 against her own sex and 100-1 for a potential clash with Constitution Hill, and this race will will help inform Scott as to which direction he wants to take. Either way, he is expecting an improvement on her fourth to Lucky Place in November's Ascot Hurdle.

Lucky Place (blue cap) got the better of Golden Ace at AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"I think this is the right race," he said. "I wouldn't want the ground to go too soft when she's over this sort of trip. She's come on massively for Ascot. We knew she wasn't really quite there but we were desperate to get a run into her. I'm hoping she's going to put up a much better performance."

Golden Ace is already a winner over this course and distance courtesy of a Listed mares' novice hurdle win in April, and Scott is looking forward to getting another race under her belt. 

He said: "We want to get this run and then another one and then we'll make a call as to where we go at Cheltenham because we've had a slightly interrupted season so far. The competition is very interesting and I think both divisions are very competitive. 

"I did avail myself of a tiny amount for the Champion Hurdle just because I thought 100-1 was too big, but I might lose my fiver as we may well not run there."

What they say

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Lucky Place
He put in a good performance at Ascot. We're not very well in at the weights with the mare, Golden Ace. He's in very good form and it might be a question of whether he can go up to three miles, but we'll see how we get on.

Dan Skelton, trainer of Langer Dan
He actually did an okay piece of work last week. I always say he gets better through the season but it was a little bit more like it, so maybe he can show a bit more. We're not worried about not seeing his form in the winter as that's just how he is, but hopefully he can be a little bit more competitive this time.

Gary Moore, joint-trainer of Salver
It was a very good run at Newbury and nothing more than we expected. We think he's a nice horse but he's got his work cut out in this. Any rain would help but it's no penalty kick because it's a tough race. I think he'll improve for stepping up in trip. I don't know how they have him as favourite when he's wrong at the weights with some of the others in the race. Golden Ace gets a massive weight allowance. He could make up into a Stayers' Hurdle horse but I'd fancy going chasing before we think about that. The National Spirit would be his main target. I'm not that fussed about going back to Cheltenham.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Gowel Road
He finishes second in every handicap and gets whacked every time, so we thought we'd run here. It's really frustrating because all you do is go up the handicap for finishing second. Apart from Langer Dan, who is well weighted, he's okay with all of the others.

Olly Murphy, trainer of Thunder Rock
You can put a line through his last run as he came home with a fibrillating heart. He seems in good form again. He was 4-1 to beat the same horses at Ascot last time and he’s 16-1 for this race, but I don't see any reason why he wouldn’t have a chance if his health holds up.

Read the rest of Saturday's previews:

1.30 Cheltenham: Broadway Boy out to give excellent Coral Gold Cup another boost in competitive handicap chase 

2.05 Cheltenham: Gemirande bids for another big Cheltenham handicap for hot team of Charlie Deutsch and Venetia Williams 

No sign of the regulars, so who will challenge Gemirande in the New Year's Day feature handicap at Cheltenham? 

2.15 Tramore: Acid test of Gold Cup credentials for returning Monty's Star in Grade 3 at Tramore 

2.20 Musselburgh: Is Corrigeen Rock primed to win a race that punches above its weight? 

2.40 Cheltenham: 'We'd expect him to run really nicely' - can Catch Him Derry bounce back for team Skelton in competitive handicap? 

Golden beginning? New Year Ace who had Brighterdays behind her aims to get 2025 off to a flyer 

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