Cheltenham Festival Trials Day 2012

The Trials Day at Cheltenham is always a vital meeting with the Cheltenham Festival itself only a matter of weeks away, this year we will see the trials day take place on 28th January and it is sure to be a day of clues for punters. It is the last day of racing at Prestbury Park before the Festival and there are a number of top class races on the card as connections look to get a run into their Festival hopefuls.

Over the years course experience has often proved to be invaluable when a horse gets to the Festival so any horse that shows he acts around Cheltenham on trials day has to come into serious consideration.

Cheltenham Trials Day Card - 28/01/12

• 12.50pm - JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial
• 13.25pm - Timeform Novices Handicap Chase
• 14.00pm - Murphy Group Chase (Handicap)
• 14.30pm - Argento Chase
• 15.05pm - Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle
• 15.40pm - Cleeve Hurdle
• 16.15pm - Stellar Football Handicap Hurdle

Argento Chase

The Argento Chase is always the highlight of Trials day at Cheltenham and as well as being an important race in its own right can act as a vital trial for a number of Cheltenham Festival races. The Argento Chase is run over 3 miles 1 furlong and with that in mind it is common to see a number of Gold Cup and RSA Chase hopefuls take their chance in the Argento. In 2000 we saw Looks Like Trouble win the Argento for Noel Chance before he returned in March to win the Gold Cup itself, while more recently Exotic Dancer won the Argento in 2007 before only finding Kauto Star too good in the Gold Cup.

Cleeve Hurdle

The Cleeve Hurdle is the main support race on the card at Cheltenham on Trials day and it is a vital form pointer ahead of the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. The Cleeve Hurdle has been run over three miles since 2005 and as a result has become a key stepping stone for the staying hurdlers. In recent times we have seen the legendary Inglis Drever win the Cleeve and World Hurdles in the same season; he did that in 2008 for Howard Johnson. The double was done once again in 2009 as Big Buck's claimed the Cleeve Hurdle before returning to the Festival to claim his first World Hurdle crown so it really has proven to be the key race for punters to study ahead of the Festival.

JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial

The JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial race is of course a key race for the Juvenile hurdlers on their way to the Cheltenham Festival and there have been some top class winners of this race in the past. It is the first race on the card on Trials Day and it has proven to be a stepping stone on the way to Festival success, this was the case in 2007 when Katchit won this race before going onto claim the JCB Triumph Hurdle itself. Katchit is trained by Alan King and he had the winner of the this one in 2008 as well, Franchoek picked up the win before coming in second in the Triumph Hurdle at the Festival. Course experience is so important when having a bet on the Festival so a good run here has to put a horse right in the frame for Festival success.

Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle

The 2 mile 5 furlong Neptune Investment Novices Hurdle is a key race on trials day at Cheltenham and has been ever since the race it was moved to Prestbury Park from Uttoxeter in 2005. It always attracts some of the best Novice hurdlers of the season and horses can go to a number of Festival races following on from a good run in this one. One of the standout winners of this race in recent years was Wichita Lineman who won here in 2007before going onto claim the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle at the Festival. Massin's Maguire was third in the same race in 2007 before he went onto to claim the Neptune Novices' Hurdle at the Festival itself.