Paul Nicholls fires two arrows at the first major handicap of the new year, as both the hat-trick-seeking Twinjets and course specialist Il Ridoto take aim at Cheltenham’s Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase.
Twinjets is unbeaten in two starts so far this season and will have the assistance of Harry Cobden as he attempt to back up an impressive display at Newbury in November, while conditional Freddie Keighley is handed a huge opportunity aboard 2024 Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Il Ridoto.
“Twinjets was great at Newbury last time and Il Ridoto seems to have come on a lot for his last run here in the December Gold Cup,” said Nicholls.
“Young Freddie Keighley is going to have a go on Il Ridoto and he’ll only be carrying 10st 4lb with his 7lb claim, which he will like.”
The £100,000 contest gives the Faye Bramley team chance to add further Cheltenham riches to the coffers with surprise December Gold Cup winner Glengouly, while Dan Skelton has been the man to follow in these events this season and will saddle course-and-distance winner Riskintheground.
Also hoping to start 2026 on a high is Sam Thomas, who had to settle for second behind Glengouly with Vincenzo last month but is out to turn the tables with the rapidly-improving Just Over Land.
“If you had said we would have been lining up in this race at the start of the season, I would have struggled to believe you,” said Thomas of the Fontwell and Chepstow winner now out to secure a three-timer.
“He’s really come on for a good break again and it’s just unfortunate Harvey (Barfoot-Saunt) can’t ride him as he’s been getting on great with him.
“He’s 10lb out of the handicap, but with a 7lb conditional on it brings us back to being just 3lb out and hopefully the ground isn’t too quick as that might just help some of the others more than it does us. I would say he is pretty versatile ground wise though.”
Thomas and owner Dai Walters also have leading claims in the preceding Betfair Handicap Chase where Katate Dori has the chance to build on his Coral Gold Cup sixth.
“He’s a really hard horse to get right early on in the season as much as we try,” explained Thomas.
“He wasn’t at his best I don’t think at Newbury and it may be we just have to accept he’s a better horse after Christmas and into the new year, he just takes a lot of racing to come to himself.
“He’s a completely different horse now to what he was before the Coral Gold Cup and we’ll be expecting a big run.”
Elsewhere on the card, Regents Stroll is given the chance to bank further fencing experience – and gain a taste of the undulations of Prestbury Park in what could be an interesting Ellenborough Park Hotel ‘Chasing Excellence’ Novices’ Chase consisting of five useful fencing prospects.
“He likes good ground and there are no races in January for him and I just thought if I give him a run now, he can then have a month off and come back mid-February,” said Nicholls.
“It will do him good to gain some experience at Cheltenham and it will tell us if he can handle the undulating track. He wants to run and we want to get some more experience into him.”