Take a chance with Browjoshy

13 April 2012

Britain's most upwardly mobile meeting returns in a new guise tomorrow, as the Open 2000.

Cheltenham's classy three-day affair signals the start of uninterrupted National Hunt racing from now until the big one, the Festival here in March.

With early-season racing this good, you'd be right to wonder why previous sponsors pulled the plug. More fool them. Cheltenham, of course, has come out fighting with a raft of new supporters, including internationally renowned shirtmakers Thomas Pink, and initiatives to attract a young audience led by HRH Zara Phillips.

The racing itself is compellingly competitive, with the Sporting Index Chase over a spectacular 3m 7f of cross-country fences the highlight of tomorrow's strong opening card.

Linden's Lotto defends the title he won in a thrilling finish last year, getting up with his very last stride from a seemingly hopeless position.

That was his third win over this unique course and his first over this extended trip, but that unbeaten record was lost over the shorter, 3m1f version in January by eight lengths to Courlis Pontet.

This time, Irish handler Tony Martin has given him a warm-up over hurdles and a further sharpener on the Flat last month, but he's likely to be too short a price for his supremacy here to go unquestioned. He could be vulnerable to a talented contender with the scope to adapt to these tricky fences.

Browjoshy fits that bill. You're taking a chance that this quirky customer will take to these fences, but he impressed as an extreme-distance chaser for the future as a novice last term. The soft ground will pose no problems and he won first time out in 1999.

His fifth to Lord Noelie in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase is classier stuff than any of tomorrow's rivals can muster and that came on unsuitably fastish ground. His Ayr Gold Cup effort on his final start on was disappointing, but he lacked the services of Timmy Murphy that day. His attacking style suits Browjoshy.

Paul Nicholls trains both Courlis Pontet and Linton Rocks, runner-up in this event last year, so his representatives this time merit respect, with Extra Jack just preferred over Torduff Express.

The supporting Capel Cure Sharp Novices' Hurdle has attracted plenty of promising youngsters, with Cardiff Arms and Green Card two very useful recruits from the Flat. The former gets the nod, despite his lesser experience. He strung out his field on his Aintree debut last month, jumping well bar for flattening the second last.

The Mitsubishi Shogun Trophy is a fascinating affair, but Wave Rock can use a light weight to his advantage. He took a nasty tumble on the New course at the Festival when in the process of running an excellent fourth against more seasoned opponents in the Grand Annual and then went off too fast at Aintree.

But he bounced back with an excellent win at Punchestown in May and had a hurdles pipe-opener at Fontwell last month. Lord York is the danger, with good form against better rivals, and can reverse his Warwick placings with Hurricane Lamp.

In the opening Thomas Pink Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase, Tom Scudamore aims to repeat his win of last year on Star Traveller with Moondigua. The fact this top-weight is a tricky ride poses no problem, but Twisted Logic from Robert Alner's yard looks the better value.

Cheltenham selections: 1.15, Twisted Logic; 1.50, Wave Rock (nap); 2.25, Cardiff Arms; 3.00, Browjoshy (nb); 3.35, You're Agoodun; 4.05, Lanmire Tower.

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