Bank on Bally to strike gold at Cheltenham

Williams’ 10-year-old ticks the right boxes for punters in Betvictor Gold Cup

BALLYALTON has a fine chance in the Betvictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Trainer Ian Williams is already in good spirits after saddling London Prize and Saunter to big-race victories last weekend.

This race is always a difficult handicap from a punting perspective, but Ballyalton ticks a lot of boxes and is logical value in a wide-open renewal.

His trainer’s hot run of form is obviously reassuring, but the 10-yearold also enjoys it at Cheltenham, having won twice in six visits to the track.

He also got to within four and a half lengths of Faugheen in the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle at the 2014 Festival, after which he spent 20 months on the sidelines.

His performance at Cheltenham in March last year perhaps deserves the greatest scrutiny with this race in mind.

The way he kept going to win a twoand-a-half-mile Listed handicap chase for novices was lovely to see and served clear notice that he was an animal going places in a hurry, even in spite of his advancing years.

Ballyalton also runs from just 3lb higher than when he won at the Cheltenham Festival.

There are no problems with the ground, nor with the appointment of Tom O’brien, while a recent spin over hurdles at Aintree will have done him the power of good on what was his first start for 18 months.

Meanwhile, RUSPER looks good in the 32red.com/ebf novice stakes at Lingfield.

SELECTIONS:

CHELTENHAM: 12.40 Apple’s Shakira, 1.15 Black Corton, 1.50 Doing Fine, 2.25 BALLYALTON (NAP), 3.00 Connetable, 3.30 Diable De Sivola, 4.00 Grageelagh Girl.

LINGFIELD: 11.55 Rusper, 12.25 Masaarr, 1.00 Enigmatic, 1.35 Trotter, 2.10 Shady Mccoy, 2.45 Boynton, 3.15 Magical Memory, 3.45 Bergholt.

DOUBLE: Ballyalton and Connetable.