Tanya Stevenson's Ante-Post Previews

The ante-post odds of some of Cheltenham’s races with betting sites creaked and moved during Trials day on Saturday.

It’s always the way, and both Doncaster and the host venue for the Festival provided great amphitheaters of drama.

There’s more to come this weekend with the Dublin Racing Festival. Meanwhile, I have been watching reruns of what transpired across Saturday and Sunday with an eye toward March, and the horse that I keep coming back to is Theatre Man.

Trained by Richard Bandey and ridden by Harry Bannister, he was the notebook horse of the day for me.

You’ll be forgiven for not realising he even ran with all that went on, let alone knowing what race he was in.

He finished runner-up to Ginnys Destiny, an enormously progressive superstar from Paul Nicholls stable. (At least everyone knows why Grey Dawning was beaten in December now!). 

With Ginnys Destiny’s star status in mind, now rewatch that 12.40pm at Cheltenham again and watch Theatre Man and one of the rides of the day, if not the ride of the day by Harry Bannister.

He was 15 lengths down after the fourth last, perhaps more, and after much urging, closed Ginnys Destiny to just under three lengths. 

Richard Bandey is out of form at present as well, which accentuates the run.

Theatre Man has only had nine career runs, three of which were over the chase fences just imagine what he can do when he has a few more. He has never finished out of the first three in his nine career races.

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This is talent yet to be unleashed. It’s hard to decide whether he is better trying over three miles, which hasn’t gone right yet, or like Saturday a fast run 2m4f. I opt for the latter at present. 

It’s pleasing to see he is in the betting for the Trustatrader Plate Handicap Chase on Thursday at the Festival at 4.10pm. He will be very high up on my list for Cheltenham after Saturday.

At present there is barely a murmur of Aintree, let alone the Grand National. Even when Noble Yeats won Saturday’s Cleeve Hurdle it was all about him heading for the Stayers Hurdle.

Hello! There is a world out there other than Cheltenham, honestly, come on! A few sensible souls are declaring to bypass Cheltenham in favour of lucrative prizes in April.

The Mildmay course will be brilliant for the likes of Kerryhill and Ahoy Senor.

The latter ran a blinder in the Cotswold Chase and fair play to Stephen Mulqueen for riding with only one stirrup over the last three fences, in actuality it was a great run on a course that doesn’t suit.

Ahoy Senor derives from the Lucinda Russell stable which saddled last year's Grand National winner Corach Rambler and he will be the one to beat despite the unnecessary tinkering to the National course once more.  

That’s for another time. To my memory, it’s not long before the Grand National weights will be announced and there will be a frenzy and excitement attached with grumbles and content muted silence regarding the allotted burdens, quotes, and NRNBs that may be floating around.

Dan Skelton may have a couple of massive chances in Le Milos and at this stage the horse I like Galia Des Liteaux.  

This year's race will be run on April 13, 2024, and almost two years ago from that date, on April 20, 2022, Galia Des Liteaux secured a third-place finish to Mahler Misson at Perth in a Novices Hurdle over three miles, with Famous Bridge pulling up.

Fast forward and Mahler Mission is your 2024 Grand National favourite with Galia Des Liteaux at a sporting each-way price and Famous Bridge will probably run a mighty race in the Trial at Haydock providing it comes up soft.

Galia Des Liteaux was only the 5/2 second favourite with betting apps for the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices Chase in 2022 but made such a bad blunder early doors in the race that was sensibly pulled up.

Just 15 days later, she won the Grade 2 Hampton Novices Chase, a pointer to staying stars of the future.

She then ran fifth in the Brown Advisory at last year’s Festival, ahead were The Real Whacker, Gerri Colombe and I Am Maximus (another in the Aintree reckoning). 

It was a mighty run but when fifth you are not afforded the recognition. It’s a race that has seen the likes of Garrison Savannah, Esha Ness, Minnesota, Comply Or Die, and Snowy Morning to name a few to win or place. 

On to Aintree and Mildmay Novices Chase on ground quicker than ideal she went clear until making a tired error three out.

Though she gallantly finished fourth just 15 lengths behind Gerri Colombe. 

Close your eyes and imagine her out front at Aintree over the National fences with that sort of form. This season has been building up to a win in a big race. 

I don’t know what happened at Newbury, sent off at 2/5 with horse racing betting sites he was beaten by Pink Legend, but that can soon be deleted by her bouncing back at Warwick in the Classic Chase. 

What a run! She conceded 15lb to the winner, My Silver Lining, and was only beaten by a rapidly diminishing 3/4 length. She was at least 12 lengths ahead of the remaining runners, despite conceding weight to all of them.

The Classic Chase has also been a pointer to Aintree with One For Arthur, Mon Mome, Moorcroft Boy, Milansbar, and Fiddlers Pike either winning or in the frame.

She has only had eight chase races and finished in the first two in five of them, it will either be Harry Skelton or Tristan Durrell aboard, which is perfect.

Before getting ahead of ourselves, she could go to Cheltenham as an ideal preparation, but I'm guessing that Dan may choose to run her at Kempton later this month over three miles.