King’s Odyssey to reign supreme at Cheltenham

Eight-year-old could offer some great Golf Cup value

KING’S ODYSSEY could go well at decent odds in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

The Evan Williams-trained eight-year-old shaped with abundant promise when third over an inadequate trip on his seasonal reappearance at Carlisle and that should leave him cherry-ripe for his big race assignment.

His mark has dropped to 140, which is only 1lb higher than when scoring handsomely over this course and distance on soft terrain back in January of last year.

While that was a while ago, he has been lightly raced since, is still only an eight-year-old and he has less than 11st on his back, so he ticks plenty of boxes.

Irish challenger MELON can see off the older brigade to land the Unibet International Hurdle.

Willie Mullins’ new kid on the block has a bit to find with The New One and My Tent Or Yours, but he is open to significant improvement, having run just four times over hurdles.

He was far from disgraced in finishing second in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle here in March and while his comeback victory at Down Royal was more solid than spectacular, he is likely to strip much fitter for the outing.

ROCKLANDER was impressive on his debut over fences for Tom George and merits the step up in class in the bet365 December Novices’ Chase at Doncaster.

The other Grade Two on a quality Town Moor card is the Summit Juvenile Hurdle and having made a big impression on his British introduction at Warwick, Nicky Henderson’s We Have A Dream gets the nod.

FLYING TIGER has been third on his last two outings at Newcastle and Wincanton, but looks to be the pick of the bunch in the Bet365 Handicap Hurdle.

With Bryan Hughes booked, the Nick Williams-trained four-year-old can land the prize.

SELECTIONS: CHELTENHAM: 12.10 Apple’s Shakira, 12.45 Movewiththetimes, 1.20 Gino Trail, 1.55 King’s Odyssey, 2.30 Equus Secretus, 3.05 MELON (NAP), 3.40 Lamanver Odyssey.

DONCASTER: 12.00 One For Billy, 12.30 Clondaw Castle, 1.05 Poker School, 1.40 Flying Tiger, 2.10 Rocklander, 2.45 We Have A Dream, 3.20 Sego Success.

DOUBLE: King’s Odyssey and Melon.