With less than 2 weeks until this year’s Cheltenham Festival begins, there are many races that are providing us with indications as to who to look out for at the highlight of the jump season which takes place between 14th and 17th March.
In addition to a great day at Newbury on Saturday and the forthcoming Greatwood Raceday on 4th March, there are an increasing number of events where some of the great and the good of racing will provide you with their top tips. On Monday 6th March you can attend The Cheltenham Festival Preview at The Costwold Club with a fantastic panel of experts including Chairman Richard Phillips, the legendary John Francome, Simon Clare of Corals, and BHA senior handicapper Phil Smith, Gordon Clarkson of SIS and Rick ‘Statto’ Allen. The Wine Tipster will be in action on Friday 10th March at Chadlington Memorial Hall near Chipping Norton at 7.30pm for an evening of wine tasting and horse racing tips as well as the latest news on the chances of local trainers, Charlie Longsdon and Ben Pauling. Wines included in the tasting are Tim Adams, Zalze, Esk Valley and Prosecco Zonin. For more information about, “Whose Wine is it Anyway”, and to book tickets, visit the website.

The Wine Tipster has a few horses and jockeys that he is keeping an eye on. Following an excellent win in the Sky Bet Dovecote Novices Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday, River Wylde is really improving. Despite looking a little green and inexperienced, he was won 3 times over hurdles in 3 outings and under the watchful eye of Nicky Henderson will no doubt put in a great performance if he runs at Cheltenham. He looks possible for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on day 1, and as long as he can cope with the big crowds at The Festival, he is definitely worth an each way bet.

Pilgrims Bay also won at Kempton on Saturday in the BetBright Handicap Chase ridden by James Best, a relatively unknown jockey, who had the race of his career almost kidding his ride into winning, and I can only hope that he gets a look in at Cheltenham.

Another of Nicky Henderson’s horses, Top Notch is one of many horses with multiple entries but looks possible for The Arkle Trophy. He’s not a big horse but is a very good hurdler who takes the fences well providing a very good each way bet at the moment.

In the feature race, The Gold Cup, it is hard to ignore Champagne West who has always had class and his last performance was excellent winning in Ireland in the Thyestes Chase. He is a high price at present but based on his recent performance, it would be worth taking the price now and is hard to keep out of the frame.

There are a few more horses to keep an eye on including Cole Harden in the Sun Bets Stayers Hurdle on Thursday which provides him with a good chance to regain his crown from the 2015 race as long as the ground softens over the week following a great performance at Festival Trials Day at the end of January. In terms of one of the handicaps, Singlefarmpayment who is an excellent jumper and has proven form at Cheltenham has a tremendous chance of scoring another success in Prestbury in the Ultima Handicap Chase on March 14th.

In the build up to The Cheltenham Festival, you can follow Neil’s top racing tips in his Racing Plus column and daily during Festival week.

Each year we leave our drinks shopping later and later so here are my Ten to Follow win bets for Christmas and the New Year.

Champagne Fever is top of many tipsters lists for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham in March and this horse’s name sums up the Yuletide period for fizz sales so here is my combination exacta with the Tote (first three in any order) for bubbles: Pommery Brut Royal NV £29.99, down from £38.99, Sainsbury’s  is dry, delicious and creamy, whilst the award winning Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV has made its mark as a consistently high quality performer, Majestic £42.00 buy two bottles save 1/3 to £27.98.  If you are looking for a well-bred, Group 1 quality champagne  from a great vintage year then Dom Pérignon 2004 Gift Box, £120.00- £135.00 Majestic, Selfridges has class and elegance in abundance with a memorable finish.

There have been some famous New Zealand racehorses including Playschool, ridden by Paul Nicholls,  then jockey and now seven times champion jumps trainer, who won the Hennessy and Welsh Grand National in 1987. It was around that time that many people were discovering that a chilled  New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was the wine for them and the fan club has only carried on increasing over the years so if you are a member or haven’t yet  signed up the try this delicious, zingy, fresh, peppery, spicy, Peter Yealands Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012 £10.85, Co-op with your smoked salmon  – some NZ Sauvignon Blanc is just too full on for this kind of matching – but this is spot on.  You may also want to snap up the  ante-post 11/4 on the Nicholls’ trained Big Buck’s for the World Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival.

From the list of runners with drink related names at The 2013 Cheltenham Festival I tried to include Vino Griego (successfully backed at 25-1 to win at their January meeting)  in my group for this year’s Cheltenham Festival Racecourse Radio piece, however I was given a yellow card for this one as Vino Griego didn’t quite match up to Champagne Fever, John’s Spirit and The Liquidator! (hugely impressive on his last run). Despite my reprimand, I’m a big fan of Vino Griego and I’ll be backing him for his next run, which will hopefully be the Argento Chase. In vino terms, Oldenburg Vineyards Chenin Blanc 2012,  Stellenbosch, South Africa, £16.99 – £17.95, Berry Brothers & Rudd, www.sawinesonline.co.uk is a classy, premium, subtlety-oaked and complex white which is ideal with fish dishes in a creamy sauce. Alternatively if you are having the full roast turkey with all the trimmings then mark your card with Château Cissac 2009 Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois, Bordeaux, France, £17.95. Stockists: Tanners www.tanners-wines.co.uk, The Sampler. 2009 is one of the great well-bred Bordeaux vintages with winners at all grades and this intensely fruity, well structured red will most definitely bring some Christmas cheer.

As a punter I’m always on the look out for a bit of value and with Yuletide it is no different with Torres Vina Sol 2012, Catalunya, Spain, £6.69, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, down to £5 in Asda and Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2011,  Viña  Concha y Toro, Valle Central, Chile £7.99-£5.99, Sainsbury’s, a couple of runners I would definitely back. These are perfect wines to enjoy whilst taking in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on 28th December.

We invariably don’t spend enough time on the cheese course or the wines to match, however make it different this year. Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 2007, Alsace, France, £33.00, The Wine Society, vintagemarque.com is a brilliant, top class, off dry wine with complex flavours of citrus, honey and pear, with a truly memorable finish. This is a great match with blue cheese and worth every penny of your pre-Christmas winnings. Alternatively, your tipple might be port, so check out Sandeman’s Late-Bottled Vintage Port 2008, £15.99, Waitrose, which is definitely well-handicapped.

Cheers!