Pantxoa To Outjump Cheltenham Rivals

Racing can be a pernicious business, as Alan King will surely testify. "Kingy" has endured a few frustrating seasons, and with the investment of mega-rich owners concentrating more and more on the Henderson/Nicholls axis, the pressure of competing at the top table with limited resources must be tough to cope with. That pressure has shown at times, but King is looking a more relaxed character of late, and he's seen an upturn in the fortunes of his Barbury Castle yard in recent months, with the promise of a more lucrative season ahead.

He can underline the rude health of his team by posting a victory on the opening day of Cheltenham's Showcase Meeting in the shape of the slick-jumping Pantxoa, who lines up in the Ryman Stationery Cheltenham Business Club Novices' Chase at 15:50. The fortunes of the son of Daliapour are something of a microcosm for the yard as a whole. He seemed to be treading water after a successful start for the stable in 2010, going fifteen runs without another win. Even a switch to fences didn't initially revive him, for all he ran respectably on his first few starts over the larger obstacles.

A switch to more positive tactics saw Pantxoa back in the winners' enclosure at Stratford in August, though, and that positivity has seen him transformed in 2 subsequent starts, showing plenty of dash to beat Twirling Magnet at Ffos Las, and taking another step forward when making all at Chepstow last time, racing with rare zest and jumping superbly on the whole. He's not the only one from the yard showing a new lease of life, and King has been operating at a conspicuously-healthy strike rate of 42% in recent months.

The reopposing Twirling Magnet has every chance on form, and his subsequent defeats have come against battle-hardened handicappers, with a poor run at Market Rasen last month easy enough to forgive, but the main danger may well be According To Trev, a winner at this meeting last year who has won a couple of modest events at Southwell this summer, but promises to do much better as he's fully tested.

The opening race at 14:10 is a fitting start to the season, with a sextet of talented runners on show. With the exception of the exposed Man of Leisure, all are open to improvement, and this is a contest with more strength in depth than recent renewals, notwithstanding the victory of The New One a year ago.

Pick of the bunch at present is Rum And Butter, and while I expect a couple of these to improve past him over the winter, he can take advantage of his superior experience to post a third win of the season. He has won twice at Newton Abbot since tried in cheekpieces, looking much more straightforward in the process, and improved again in defeat behind Kangaroo Court there last time. With that rival boosting the form by scoring again since, it's hard to argue that Rum And Butter shouldn't be a warm order back in novice company.

One of the reasons why Jonjo O'Neill's charge will be a bigger price than he should be today, is the fact that Newton Abbot is unable to escape its reputation as a "gaff track", but the management of that venue deserve huge credit for improving the quality of racing there in recent seasons, as well as other initiatives, such as the successful trial of the "one fit" padded hurdles which have looked nothing short of an absolute triumph this summer. So dish out the praise to Patrick Masterson and the BHA, and dish out the readies for Rum And Butter!

Recommendations:

Both at Cheltenham

Back Rum And Butter @ [3.95] in the 14:10 (NB)

Back Pantxoa @ [4.4] in the 15:50 (NAP)