Cheltenham November Meeting: Five best bets

Alex Scott shares his five best bets for the action at Cheltenham's November Meeting this week, with all the action and analysis live on Racing TV.

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Chanceawetmorning

Race: Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Novices Chase (1.45 – Friday).

Best odds: 5-2.

Gordon Elliott’s six-year-old has been highly impressive in his two completed chase starts and is taken to land the hat-trick in the Listed Novices’ Chase over 3m1f.

The son of Snow Sky looked like making a winning debut over fences and gained 15 lengths with his jumping at Kilbeggan in Septmeber, only to fall at the last with the race at his mercy. However, he soon put that behind him by winning convincingly at Sligo four weeks later, although most of the obstacles were omitted.

He improved again when winning easily at Punchestown last time in Grade Three company and granted he stays this trip, which looks likely, he can defy a 3lb penalty for his most recent win with conditions to suit.

Gidleigh Park

Race: Shloer Chase (2.20 – Friday).

Best odds: 6-1.

Jonbon bids to land the Shloer Chase for a third time on Friday and looks a warm order to do so, with last year’s emphatic winner L’Eau du Sud ruled out for the season.

However, I’m not sure he totally wants two miles on good ground these days, and he could be done for speed by Gidleigh Park.

Harry Fry’s eight-year-old has plenty of options in the programme book, but this is not the deepest renewal of the Shloer and I think connections will find this year’s £100,000 Grade Two too good an opportunity to pass.

It is true, of course, that Gidleigh Pakr has also been seen over further than this recently, but he is two from two over the minimum trip and was impressive when beating Caldwell Potter over two miles as a novice before going on to finish second in the Manifesto at Aintree on good ground.

He also ran well on his reappearance last season when finishing second to Jango Baie in the 1965 Chase. His yard are operating at a very healthy strike rate so far this season and the 6-1 could look good value should he be declared on Wednesday morning.

Atomic City

Race: JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (1.10 – Saturday).

Best odds: 7-2.

Joseph O’Brien has had a phenomenal year on the Flat and it would be a surprise should he not land some big pots over the winter with his comparatively small string of National Hunt horses.

Atomic City makes plenty of appeal for him in Satruday’s second race, the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle. The three-year-old son of Ghaiyyath was the best of these on the Flat, with a rating of 88, and was deemed good enough by his expert trainer to have a crack at the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He made a promising start to hurdling at Cork last month, jumping well and winning cosily from the rear. He is also likely to have learnt plenty from that run, and appears as a type to keep progressing. His jumping could be a real asset in this race and his best odds of 7-2 seem to underestimate his underlying ability.

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Quebecois

Race: Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase (2.20 – Saturday).

Best odds: 11-2 (already advised at 12-1).

As ever, the Paddy power Gold Cup looks a wide open betting heat, but long term fancy Quebecois remains in contention and I am keen to stick with him for this 2m4f contest.

The seven-year-old goes well at Cheltenham, with form figures of 323 and a solid third in the Ultima on the Old course off just a 2lb lower mark.

Nicholls has won this race in 2024 and 2025, and he is on record as saying how much speed this horse has. Putting a line through his non-finish in an attritional Scottish Grand National, he has a string of consistent performances over fences to his name and his recent second at Newton Abbot should have him spot on for this test.

There are plenty of doubts surrounding others at the head of the market. Meetmebythesea is no bigger than 7-2 and, though Ben Pauling did have a big winner with Taurus Bay at Aintree on Saturday, many from the yard have been needing their first run of the season.

Dan Skelton’s runners also have to be hugely respected, but Madara is a whole 12lb higher this year and Blueking d’Oroux has never really convinced with his jumping.

Over a course and distance which suits front runners, Quebecois could take some pegging back.

Double Powerful

Race: Oddschecker Handicap Chase (2.35 – Sunday).

Best odds: 8-1.

I was really taken with Double Powerful’s performance at Fontwell last month and the seven-year-old can at least hit the frame in a much deeper race here for the in-form Neil Mullholland.

The Ocovango gelding made every yard to win a novice handicap by six and a half lengths when last seen, conceding 24lb to the runner-up, who also had ideal conditions.

Though he was entitled to win comfortably given his superior rating, he was particularly impressive in the jumping department, recording a RaceiQ Jump Index of 8.0 and gaining over 14 and a half lengths in the air.

That was his first victory over the bigger obstacles, but he had been placed three times earlier in the year, and is clearly an improved performer (and jumper) compared to 12 months ago. As a result of that recent win being his first success since scoring at this meeting over hurdles two years ago, he has not gone up a lot in the handicap since his chase debut, and he looks capable of defying a 4lb higher mark.

He arrived with race fitness on his side, which cannot be said for most of his rivals, and he looks good value at odds of 8-1 at the time of writing.

Opening a new account to back our selections? Compare the latest free bets first.

Already advised:

3.10 Cheltenham (Sunday) – Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle

Pioneer Pete at 16-1

The Mighty Celt at 20-1

READ MORE: Cheltenham November ante-post tips: 20-1 chance on a good mark

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