More fantastic jumps racing in prospect on a busy Saturday afternoon in Britain with Cheltenham's International Meeting and Doncaster taking centre stage.
More fantastic jumps racing in prospect on a busy Saturday afternoon in Britain with Cheltenham's International Meeting and Doncaster taking centre stage.
Host Dave Orton, Racing Post tipster Robbie Wilders and bet365's Pat Cooney give their thoughts on the big races, including the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Grade 2 bet365 December Novices' Chase from Donnie.
Also on this week's What A Shout is special guest Gary Moore, the trainer discussing his season so far, his weekend runners and sharing what he's looking forward to over the busy festive period.
Here's our best bits from this week's What A Shout in association with bet365.
Moore's Goshen gets Long Walk opportunity next
This week's special guest on What A Shout was Sussex-based handler Gary Moore, making his third appearance on the show.
The final Grade 1 pre-Christmas in Britain will come along next weekend at Ascot via the Long Walk Hurdle over three-miles and after a winning return to hurdling at the track last month, Moore admits 8/1 chance Goshen could be a lively contender for that step up in trip if those around him are proved right.
"Everyone keeps telling me that's what he wants," he told Dave Orton of the move to three-miles. "I don't agree with them!
"He definitely looked like he might stay a bit further when he won the other day at Ascot, but I don't think that was the greatest race in the world to be honest.
"It's worth a try – it's very limited what he can do that moment."
Meanwhile Moore's latest smart young hurdler is Authorised Speed, who made it 2-2 over timber when scoring with plenty in hand at Sandown last weekend and has earned a quote of 25/1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in March.
"He's a very talented horse. It was dead old ground [last week] and we probably didn't see him quite at this best there.
"I think the world of him, I'm glad we got him. The [Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in January] is the aim with him."
Doirreann the one for Wilders in Mares' Handicap Hurdle
It's a big day at Doncaster on Saturday, with bet365 sponsoring all seven races on Town Moore and the first of this weekend's What A Shout big-race previews comes from the Yorkshire venue, via the bet365 Mares' Handicap Hurdle (12.25) over three-miles.
A field of nine are set to do battle, with Pat Cooney a fan of Rose Dobbin's Rae Des Champs at 10/3 going up in trip, a view shared by Dave Orton, while Robbie Wilders likes Doirreann at 9/2 for last year's winning trainer and jockey, Stuart Edmunds and Conor Gethings.
"Decent comeback at Fakenham, almost won. First try over a staying trip, there should be a bit more to come," says the Racing Post tipster.
Jet Plane braced for Doncaster take-off
Grade 2 action follows at Doncaster with the bet365 December Novices' Chase (12.55) attracting a super turnout of nine runners.
They include Irish raider Mahler Mission at 10/3 for John McConnell, Venetia Williams' chasing debutante Bellatrixsa at 7/2 and Dan Skelton's 4/1 chance Jet Plane.
The mare Bellatrixsa hasn't been since winning the Chester Plate in May and Pat Cooney is a fan, though he believes the experience and stamina of Jet Plane can be crucial.
"I think it's significant that Venetia sends a five-year-old chase debuting in a race like this over three-miles," he said of Bellatrixsa.
"I ended up looking at Jet Plane's win at Hereford. I wouldn't say I'd have been a Jet Plane fan prior to that win but he was pretty spectacular that day and the improvement came about because he was running over three-miles for the first time.
"He's back at that trip now and I would imagine if that version of Jet Plane turns up again he'll be hard to beat."
Fantastic Lady intrigues Wilders in December Gold Cup At Cheltenham, the big handicap is the December Gold Cup (1.50) where the likes of top-weight 6/1 Stolen Silver (unseated) and 9/2 Il Ridoto (fourth) will be hoping to better last month's efforts at the track in a similar contest.
Joe Tizzard's War Lord (9/1) was fourth in the Arkle in March and joins the likes of Nicky Henderson's Fantastic Lady (8/1) and Venetia Williams' Frero Banbou at 9/1 in the mix.
Robbie Wilders is a fan of Il Ridoto, though not at the current odds, and so he's siding with Fantastic Lady with an honourable mention for War Lord, who he believes 'can get better the further he goes'.
"Fantastic Lady caught me by surprise a bit [at Market Rasen] with what she did to Zambella on seasonal return. Zambella is one of the best mares around. I think she's always a good yardstick.
Wilders added: "Henderson said he was going to stick to mares' company after that, and he's obviously aiming a bit higher now. It's quite unusual he's putting a mare in this race when he could have just nicked some black type in small fields against mares."
Changing of the guard in International Hurdle
Also at Cheltenham is the Grade 2 International Hurdle (2.25) where former Champion Hurdle-winning mare Epatante is 5/4 to bag the prize for Nicky Henderson and Aidan Coleman.
Last month's Greatwood Hurdle hero I Like To Move It is 5/2 in a race Nigel Twiston-Davies boasts a stellar record in, while 4/1 Knappers Hill won the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton impressively last time for Paul Nicholl and Henderson's apparent second string, First Street, is 5/1.
"If you said to me who's the best at the weights, it's Epatante," says Pat Cooney. "She'll split opinion I reckon. Plenty people will feel she was well beaten in the Fighting Fifth but she's ok around here."
Robbie Wilders meanwhile views the International Hurdle as 'wide open' despite the presence of the mare at the top of the betting.
"I just think those first four [in the betting] there's not much between them," he says.
"I think any of the four can win and, because he's by far the biggest price, I think First Street is the one for me.
"I hope one of these young horses ends up being very good."
