Today's Racing - New Year's Day

1 pt win Barbatos, 12.30 Cheltenham (9/2 Paddy Power)

A fascinating maiden hurdle to start off 2012 at Cheltenham and one which can see Ian Williams have a new year’s winner with Barbatos, who has bashed heads with unbeaten Challow Hurdle winner Fingal Bay and Simonsig already this season, coming off 19 lengths worse when third in the Winter Novice Hurdle at Sandown. That day he was 11 lengths ahead of Jump City, who finds race conditions asking him to give away 4lbs to his superior on form.

Before that effort at Sandown he was a good second to Fingal Bay over C&D in a Grade 2 which has seen the fifth win impressive in a well contested Newbury handicap since. Today’s task isn’t easy by any means (he has to give a lot of weight away to some good horses at the bottom of the weights) but the strong field should mean a decent price and his likeable attitude will help matters.  

One Term is interesting back on good ground and up in trip (Rebecca Curtis was quoted as saying that he’d be better over a longer trip) and gets 6lbs from the selection, which makes him fascinating given that his conqueror  while Master Of The Game needs a serious market check on his debut, but the pick goes to Barbatos.

1 pt win Oscargo, 2.45 Cheltenham (11/8 Skybet)

From a class perspective all eyes will be on Tidal Bay, one of the most enigmatic horses in training for all his talent, but Oscargo may be able to cope with a 12lbs rise and win his third race in four rules starts.

A good winner when giving weight to the since multiple winner/stablemate Harry The Viking on debut at Chepstow, he travelled well before being beaten only by two good sorts in Pettifour and Dorest Square, arguably blowing up a little late on.

He duly improved on that when winning easily from Kayf Aramis last time and while that was a very weak race for the money it showed he had more to give and with Tidal Bay having two ways of running, Get Me Out Of Here looking to hang badly, and most of the rest seriously out of form, he makes by far the most appeal even at a best price of only 11/8.

1 pt win Arthurian Legend, 1.45 Exeter

Phillip Hobbs’ Arthurian Legend can make a winning debut over fences here, assuming that his jumping comes upto scratch over hurdles. The 5yo son of Alfora readily left some useful types behind when scooting up in a handicap at Chepstow and ran a good race in a similarly competitive race at Haydock next time out, when fourth behind three horses rated 129, 136 and 155.

That form is arguably as good as anything that any runner can claim here and while State Benefit is likely to be popular, he wasn’t a sure thing when taking a crashing fall at Fontwell and his two disappointments over hurdles came on soft ground last season, which is a worrying stat given the state of the ground is currently set to ride soft today.

1 pt win Golden Chieftain, 2.55 Exeter

In what could be called a three way go, Colin Tizzard’s Golden Chieftain gets the vote to follow up his easy win against three rivals last month. Granted, that was a really weak event, but Colin Tzzard’s horse has always had much more about him than that.

An easy winner on soft ground on his hurdling debut last season, he disappointed upped in class at Cheltenham twice but then romped in again here and at Uttoxexeter before coming fifth in the competitive 3 mile handicap hurdle at the Grand National meeting. That form (which sees him rated 140 over hurdles) is arguably the strongest in the field here and even more impressive if you were to believe that he has a preference for soft ground (or ground with cut in it). Of his four wins, two were on good to soft, one was on heavy, and the other on soft.

Colin Tizzard’s horse has a lot of scope for fences and with a big win behind him he should be ready for tougher opposition, which he gets in the shape of Old Wigmore and Penny Max. Old Wigmore mat have won really well here last time but has only run one on ground worse than good ended up in a huge disappointment at Hereford and while this ground should be better one assumes it would still ride pretty testing, which leaves Penny Max, so clean at her fences last time, as the main one to beat.

1 pt win Frisco Depot, 1.25 Fairyhouse

Champion Novice Hurdle fourth Frisco Depot is surely worth a chance to open his account over fences in this contest. In just his third start over hurdles he was behind Graded winners First Lieutenant and Prima Vista (albeit being beaten 10 lengths) and he had previously beaten Shot From The Hip and Cottrelsboooley, both of whom have gone onto win since, while Foildubh too has won.

A chance is taken on his fitness and jumping but if both are upto scratch he’s got to have a cracking chance in a race where his opponents have serious question marks hanging over them based on their recent form.