Tom Scudamore: “He loves the course and has got to have an each-way chance.”

Coral ambassador discusses his rides on Day Two of Cheltenham Festival

Our man Tom Scudamore looks ahead to his runners on Day Two of this year’s Festival, and previews the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Cheltenham 15.05 – Queen Mother Champion Chase

Chacun Pour Soi has obviously looked fantastic in Ireland, but I’m not sure this race will be as straightforward for the hot favourite as the market is saying. He is probably the best horse in the race but he will be having his first run at the course, and in a championship race that isn’t easy.

It’s a shame Altior isn’t running as it would have been fascinating to see how the former champion got on, but there’s still last year’s winner, Politologue; Nube Negra, who beat Altior at Kempton; First Flow, who looked so good at Ascot; and Put The Kettle On, who is three from three at Cheltenham, so it’s a proper Champion Chase.

Which of those might beat the favourite, I don’t know, and he might just prove he is the best horse, but it’s certainly a cracking race and one I’m looking forward to watching.

Cheltenham 15.40 – Kingswell Theatre

Kingswell Theatre is a standing dish in the Cross Country races at the track, he normally does well in the handicap versions and then struggles off level weights in this Festival race, but I’m not sure that will be the case this time around.

There are definitely question marks over the trio at the head of the betting, with Easysland off since his fourth behind my horse in November, Tiger Roll disappointing in his two runs this season, and Potters Corner well beaten in his last two.

They are of course capable of bouncing back, so they have to be respected, but I do think it’s a more open race than the betting might suggest, and given how well Kingswell has run here in the past, he’s got to have an each-way chance.

Cheltenham 16.15 – Glen Forsa

Glen Forsa was a top class novice chaser over two miles a couple of seasons ago, and was a leading fancy for the Arkle in 2019 but things haven’t quite gone right for him since then.

I thought he showed a bit more spark at Wincanton last time, and he’s running off 147 here, so if he can bounce back to something like his best form, he wouldn’t be without a chance, although you are taking a chance on that happening, and this is a typically competitive Grand Annual.

Tom