Talking Horses

Today's TV races

Latest Pipe recruit An Accordion can call tune at 7-1

Vodka Bleu is unbeaten in two races since his trainer, David Pipe, fitted him with blinkers. If the first-time headgear has the same effect on his stable companion An Accordion at Doncaster today, this seven-year-old looks sure to go close in the feature Sky Bet Chase on the card.

Reported to have schooled well in blinkers at home earlier this week, An Accordion (3.00) should benefit from an aid to his concentration as he made a series of jumping errors at Cheltenham last time. He was going well when a bad blunder four out ended his chance in the race won by Irish Raptor.

A former point-to-point winner, An Accordion is lightly raced over regulation fences and he has the potential to exploit a lenient handicap mark. He looks decent value at a best-priced 7-1 today.

Cheltenham 2.10 After three excellent efforts in top handicaps at this track, Patman Du Charmil can enjoy a well-deserved victory. This looks slightly easier, and he has been raised just 2lb for finishing clear second best behind the rejuvenated Vodka Bleu last time.

Cheltenham 2.40 This Grade Two event is invariably won by a chaser with an official rating of at least 160. That narrows it down to Neptune Collonges, Our Vic and State Of Play, and Our Vic is the pick on the strength of his rallying second to Kauto Star in the King George. He finished a tired second to Exotic Dancer here last year, when Neptune Collonges was in third spot before falling two out, but the ground was very testing.

Cheltenham 3.15 Possibly out in front for too long when surprisingly beaten by Harper Valley here last month, Franchoek showed his true colours at Chepstow where he was too good for Tatenen and Serabad. He is capable of better yet and can confirm that form.

Doncaster 3.30 Coe is progressive and should be suited by the step up to three miles, but if this were a handicap he would be getting a stone from Hennessy, whose Cheltenham second to Hills Of Aran represents sound form.

Cheltenham 3.50 Blazing Bailey came home four lengths ahead of Inglis Drever in this race last year, but he was getting 8lb and the tables were turned when Howard Johnson's top stayer won his second World Hurdle at the Festival in March. Provided Inglis Drever performs to his best with Richard Johnson aboard for the first time - he can be a difficult ride - he should win this en route to another World Hurdle bid in March.

Horse sense

Henderson team have taken a shine to Lunaire

Celestial Halo is the top juvenile hurdles prospect in Paul Nicholls' powerful Somerset team, but Tatenen will be out to stake his claim at Cheltenham today and at Ludlow on Monday make a special note of the newcomer Pierrot Lunaire (1.30). This French import jumps well and will be hard to beat in a Ludlow race that provided a useful pointer last year when Nicky Henderson's Punjabi made a winning debut.

Tatenen (3.15) was reckoned in need of the race when beaten by Franchoek at Chepstow. He is expected to give Alan King's runner more to do this afternoon. Celestial Halo, who goes to Huntingdon next month, continues to thrive. We gather he did a good piece of work with Rippling Ring, a recent addition to the Nicholls stable, who had Group class form in South Africa. On the down side, we gather the stable's versatile campaigner Nycteos may be out for the season after picking up an injury.

Despite Howard Johnson's fears that Inglis Drever (3.50) may be short of work after his stable was hit by bad weather, we gather the nine-year-old will be on song for today's Cleeve Hurdle. Inglis Drever worked on the beach at Redcar and is reported in top form.

Marleybow's fact-finding run in the Cheltenham opener will tell how good he is. The Johnson novice will have to be smart if he is to beat Aigle d'Or (1.00), as the Nicky Henderson camp are very keen on this former French Flat winner who made such a striking impression on his debut run at Lingfield. Provided he remains calm in the preliminaries, Boomshakalaka (1.35) will be fancied to extend his winning run.

It is not long odds against a Henderson treble at Doncaster. Khyber Kim (12.20) and Chomba Womba (1.55) are the main reasons for Mick Fitzgerald's appearance at Town Moor, but All Star (2.30) should also go well. The fitting of a tongue strap for the first time should help this eight-year-old get home.

Charlie Mann's Bagan (3.00) is in good order and his chance in the Sky Bet Chase will certainly improve if the ground continues to dry out. On the all-weather at Lingfield, Andy Turnell's Outlandish (4.00), a Godolphin cast-off, has been found a weak looking maiden for his Flat debut.

The Grey Berry (3.25) will be the focus of interest on his hurdles debut for Philip Hobbs at Southwell tomorrow. A useful, though hardly top class, handicapper on the Flat when trained by Tim Walford, he made a staggering 340,000gns at the sales. Watch out for Ben de Haan's Scaramouche on his chasing debut next week. He has shone in his schooling at Lambourn.

Ron Cox's tip of the day

Estate 1.20 Doncaster

This half-brother to Champion Hurdler Sublimity looks well handicapped on this, his first run since joining David Pipe. Estate was out of sorts when last over hurdles, but he subsequently won three times on the Flat when switched to trainer Eoghan O'Neill and was in good form in November. He has slipped to a rating over hurdles just 2lb higher than when beating Crow Wood at Bangor.

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