Cheltenham Tips: Two for Friday of the November Meeting

Cheltenham's three-day November Meeting gets underway on Friday, with a six-race card running from 13:10-16:00.

I've got a couple of Cheltenham tips for you to consider - including a 10/1 each-way proposition in the last.

13:45 - Hyland @ 5/2

Just four go to post for this Listed novices' chase over an extended three miles and it's impossible to rule out any of them.

Irish raider Buddy One boasts the strongest hurdling form and his rating of 154 suggests he's the one to beat, but Paul Gilligan's seven-year-old hasn't looked nearly as useful in his two attempts over the bigger obstacles. He's got something to prove now.

Resplendent Grey achieved the least of these over flights, but was an easy winner on chase debut at Uttoxeter last month. That being said, the runner-up made a bad mistake at the last which exaggerated the winning distance, and for me Olly Murphy's is up against it here.

Current favourite Springwell Bay is hard to knock, especially after his Listed triumph at Chepstow last month was franked by the third-placed Boombawn winning the G2 Rising Stars Novices' Chase at Wincanton last weekend, but marginal preference is for Nicky Henderson's HYLAND.

The seven-year-old was a big improver over hurdles during the early stages of last season, rising from a mark of 123 to 135 after two ready wins at Warwick and Cheltenham in October.

He did nothing more than hold his form throughout the rest of the campaign, but made a highly-encouraging start over fences in a novices' handicap at Southwell this June.

That earned him a seven-pound rise in the handicap, which seemed to limit him when he was fourth of five at Uttoxeter a couple weeks later, over 10 lengths off the pace. However, that was a quick turnaround and came at the end of a very long season, so I'm willing to forget that entirely.

I thought he was very impressive over course and distance at the Showcase Meeting last month, putting 15 lengths between him and the rest of the field. It wasn't the best race, but he was conceding weight to all four finishers and I loved the way he surged clear.

Getting two pounds from O'Neill's Springwell Bay, he's the bet for me.

16:00 - Clap Of Thunder each-way @ 10/1

There's a fair wait for my second and final tip on the opening day of the November Meeting, but hopefully it proves worthwhile.

CLAP OF THUNDER is a horse I've followed very closely this season as his form ties in with one of my antepost tips for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival - Kopek Des Bordes.

Nigel Twiston-Davies' four-year-old was a remote runner-up to Willie Mullins' inmate in a valuable Sales Bumper at Fairyhouse back in March, but I'm hoping time proves that was a very strong contest.

The selection's previous efforts on the level, including defeats to useful duo Bill Joyce and Royal Infantry, were highly-encouraging too, and hopes were high about what he'd go on to achieve this term.

Despite significant support in the betting, he was very disappointing on his hurdling debut at Chepstow last month, but he left that a long way behind when fairly bolting up at Ascot under a fortnight ago to justify another plunge in the market.

That form is better than it looks at first glance, too. The runner-up Illegal d'Ainay, whose seven-pound penalty was almost entirely negated by claiming jockey Freddie Gordon, beat the 103-rated Global Esteem, who has won three of his eight runs in the meantime, by a widening five lengths at Plumpton on his most recent start back in May. The rest of the field were over 14 lengths behind.

Clap Of Thunder hardly needed to be asked a question to do the business in Berkshire and no doubt has a lot more to offer.

It's been reported that connections, who've always held the son of Mount Nelson in high regard, are pleased with his opening mark of 120 and that he's been impressing at home.

At 10/1, he rates cracking each-way value in this Extra Place Race with 5 available instead of 4 at 1/5 the odds - and I couldn't put anyone off a related double with the aforementioned Kopek Des Bordes either.

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