Nigel knows he can complete a double

14 April 2012

It's a case of horses for courses at Cheltenham tomorrow when Whereareyounow bids to land the £40,000 Unicoin Homes Chase for the second year running.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained eight-year-old is on a mark only 4lb higher than when trouncing recent Windsor winner Spring Grove by seven lengths in last year's chase and, despite lacking a recent run, should make a bold bid on his favoured soft ground.

Whereareyounow's previous efforts at Cheltenham are certainly worth noting. He finished third to the useful Joss Taylor and Tarxien in 2003 and seven weeks prior to last year's success won an extended three mile novice chase over the course.

Normally a sound jumper, he can see off the opposition which includes likely dangers Tikram, Joly Bey and Thisthatandtother.

Tikram took the Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March and, more recently, finished a creditable fifth to Monkerhostin over the Prestbury Park course. Withdrawn from an intended outing at the recent Windsor meeting due to the heavy ground, Gary Moore's eight-year-old is capable of picking up a decent chase when conditions are right.

Findon-based trainer Nick Gifford was frustrated by the setback which meant Joly Bey missing the Hennessy in November but was pleased with his eight-year-old's fifth to Therealbandit over Cheltenham's extended three-mile course early this month and is confident that Joly Bey will find tomorrow's two miles five furlongs to his liking.

Success for Thisthatandtother would certainly not be overdue either.

He has finished runner-up in two big handicap chases at Cheltenham already this season and, although he would have taken only third spot behind Monkerhostin in the Bonussprint.com Gold Cup had Our Vic not fallen at the last, holds Tikram on that running.

The Philip Hobbs-trained Supreme Prince, who narrowly outpointed Claymore over 12 furlongs at Newbury has claims, while Mondial Jack and It Takes Time look the pick of Martin Pipe's multiple entries.

The Dipper Novices' Chase earlier on the card can provide the Twiston-Davies stable with another success in the shape of Fundamentalist. An impressive winner at Perth and also over tomorrow's course, he looked an unlucky loser when going under to Vodka Bleu at Newbury after a final fence blunder put paid to his chance.

The Totesport Handicap Hurdle appears another opportunity for trainer Lucy Wadham and The Dark Lord. After going through a purple patch, The Dark Lord could only finish fifth to Quick, trained by Pipe, over tomorrow's course but did not have everything going his way that day and a form reversal is quite feasible. At Fontwell Park the highlight of the meeting is the Betfred Southern National in which Joe Tizzard, who so often has to play second fiddle to Ruby Walsh at the Paul Nicholls stable, can prevail on dual course winner Brave Spirit.

Tizzard, whose father, Dorset trainer Colin, has brought this stout stayer along patiently, is a fine jockey in his own right and the three and a half mile trip around the West Sussex figure-of-eight track should

play to Brave Spirit's strengths.

Earlier this month the seven-yearold bay gelding scored by no less than 21 lengths from Mr Barker over the course.

Tomorrow's TV selections

Cheltenham: 1.35 Monkerhostin;

2.10 Fundamentalist; 2.45 The Dark Lord; 3.20 Whereareyounow (nap); Fontwell: 2.25 Brave Spirit (nb);

3.00 Delaware Bay.

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Nigel knows he can complete a double

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