Five horses to follow at Cheltenham races after Storm Bram turns the ground soft
Storm Bram brought 12mm of rain to Cheltenham overnight on Monday into Tuesday and turned the going soft all round on the New Course.
Here we pick out five mud lovers who can make their mark at the newly-named Christmas Meeting...
Kim Roque - Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup Handicap Chase (1.50), Saturday
Joseph O'Brien's charge has lots of form on easy ground in France for Daniela Mele. Now running in the Ronnie Bartlett silks, the five-year-old started out for the season in a Novices' Limited Handicap Chase on the Old Course. With Richie Deegan riding, the gelding impressed with the way he travelled on soggy terrain. A final fence mistake did not help and he went down by three lengths to Kdeux Saint Fray. Kim Roque should have learned plenty and is an unexposed horse for the shortlist.
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Our Boy Stan -
A backward type last year, the son of Kapgarde went into a few notebooks when claiming the runner-up spot in a track bumper on New Year's Day. He then brushed aside Moneygarrow with the minimum of fuss at Kempton. Ridden by Ben Jones, Our Boy Stan showed he can handle on soft ground when beating Bobby's Nelson on jumps debut at Ffos Las.
That horse was well clear of the rest when chasing home highly-regarded Baron Noir at Uttoxeter on Tuesday and it will be interesting if Ben Pauling comes here, as he gave his trainee a couple of easier options at the five-day stage.
King Turgeon - Turners Handicap Chase (1.50), Friday
David Pipe opted to miss last Saturday's Becher Chase to head to Prestbury Park instead. The grey chaser landed the 2024 edition of this by three lengths from Our Power, with Chianti Classico in third. King Turgeon found the Grand Sefton distance of 2m 5f too short on his seasonal return and this heavy ground winner from March 2023 creeps in off a featherweight with Grade One performer L'Homme Presse in the field.
French Emperor
Extended Nicky Martin's 100 per cent record for the new campaign when charging up the Cheltenham hill in the gloom. The five-year-old does not do much in front, but found enough to thwart the well-supported Jack Hyde and Fergal O'Brien-trained stablemate Frontier Prince. James Bowen was on-board but his brother Sean is booked in advance of this 2m 1f race, which suggests this is the preferred target over Doncaster the following day. Up 7lb, the Clovis Du Berlais gelding is down to carry 10st 10lb in this stronger event and looks capable of pulling out more.
One Horse Town
Unbeaten in four National Hunt appearances for Harry Derham having looked tricky to place on the Flat. Out of a Galileo mare Almost Always, One Horse Town sluiced through the heavy ground when Storm Celia had a big impact on the going at the November Meeting. Although the runner-up Precious Man was given a lot to do and was found to have lost both front shoes post-race, the winner was going away again at the line. And that was probably not his limit, as he picked up again after hitting the last obstacle.