Lucky 15 Tips: Cheltenham’s November meeting is where it’s at on Friday

It's Day 1 of Cheltenham's three-day November meeting, so no prizes for guessing that it's to Prestbury Park we're descending for Friday's Lucky 15 tips.

Majestic setting, great racing, and a fabulous afternoon to be savoured. ITV are covering four races, so again it seems logical that we concentrate upon them for our bet. Have a brilliant afternoon's sport.

Horse Racing Odds

Fast Racing Results

13:45 - Fugitif @ 11/4

The first televised contest is this trappy-looking 2m 4f veterans' chase, and it's likely that whoever you fancy will be a half-decent price as it looks wide-open.

My tentative selection is the ten-year-old gelding Fugitif, a scorer here just over two years ago, and possessor of a five-from-29 career record. This is his seasonal reappearance after a break of some 212 days, and to help offset having joint topweight of 12st Charlie Maggs, on board when last seen back in April, takes off a valuable 5lb.

That win two years ago was against the likes of Il Ridoto and Fakir d'Oudairies, off a mark of 151, and if in anything like such order he'd be very short for this.

Today's mark is 145, and one hopes that he's up to getting somewhere near that in terms of performance today while fresh, and at a place he knows so well, having raced here by my reckoning on an impressive 11 previous occasions.

Gloucestershire trainer Richard Hobson brings his charge from Little Rissington, about 20 miles away, and I'm encouraged that at time of writing he's one of the more fancied horses in the market. A very interesting heat featuring some grand, seasoned campaigners.

14:20 - Double Powerful @ 4/1

A six-year-old gelding in the care of Wiltshire handler Neil Mulholland, and ridden by Conor O'Farrell.

Double Powerful has had the benefit of an excellent 2.5l third of 14 at this very course 20 days ago, on seasonal reappearance. Any profit shown from that chase debut spin can see him bang in the picture today and the run didn't escape the notice of the assessor - he's up 2lb for his sterling effort.

This is a Listed heat though and they're all off 11st 4lb bar Leave Of Absence (11st 7lb), penalised 3lb for winning a chase at a certain level. Our selection is not particularly well treated using official marks for this, but I'm hoping he'll show improvement and there's every chance of that.

This is a talented animal that's a healthy six-from-15 in career wins-to-starts terms, and Conor knows him well. Nice age, prime years imminent, and looks well worth an interest.

3m 1f is the trip, and he stayed it well enough at Aintree in April over hurdles (beaten just 1.5l) in a race worth £42k to the winner.

14:55 - L'Eau du Sud @ 5/2

Jonbon is surely the obvious one here but I can't seem to get it right with Nicky Henderson's brilliant winning machine. If I'm tempted in he produces one of his extremely rare but memorable missteps, and when I don't he dots up with his head in his chest.

I'm opposing him in this fabulous-looking two-miler with L'Eau du Sud, and Team Skelton. He's a couple of years younger than the great Jonbon, at seven, and took part in a terrific race for the Arkle at the Festival in March (beaten 1.5l in a pulsating finish).

He'd also won here easily earlier in the season and steps out of novice company now to mix it with one of the biggest talents at the distance. He's got plenty to find on official figures with Nicky's champ, but this might be a good time to take him on.

The yard are I'm sure determined to give WP Mullins another great run in the Trainers' Championship and this would be an extremely handy £56k to stick in the credit column.

15:30 - Heads Up @ 5/2

Novice hurdlers go 2m 5f in this warm-looking G2 heat.

No surprise to see some raiders from Ireland at this fixture and I'm going for one here in the shape of John McConnell's Heads Up.

The five-year-old gelding has marked himself as a talented prospect and last time 50 days ago in a Listowel maiden hurdle he absolutely sluiced up (the second went on to win next time by 8l at Galway in a similar heat).

I'd like to think that after such a dominant display connections thought immediately of jumping HQ, and seeing how their charge measures up. Today could be very informative, and launch a few fanciful Festival dreams, perhaps?

He was second in the Champion Bumper here in March so evidently likes Gloucestershire - and that's very smart form. Fabulous chance in my book on what's only his second outing over timber - but the engine's evidently a belter.

If all four of our selections won, today's notional 50p win Lucky 15, at the prices indicated (they can of course fluctuate), would return around £288 for a £7.50 total stake.

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Lucky 15 Tips from Betfred Insights.