DAN SKELTON’s Madara has been named as one of the best-handicapped horses heading to next week’s Cheltenham Festival by Timeform.
The ratings experts have the seven-year-old, who is due to run in Tuesday’s Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase, six pounds clear of his official BHA mark of 140.
The Rebecca Curtis-trained Ben Solo – seven pounds in advance of his BHA mark – is judged by Timeform to be even better-handicapped, but is unlikely to get a run in Thursday’s Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase.
One important consideration in handicaps is the horse’s ability in relation to their weight, and a way of establishing that is by comparing the Timeform rating to the BHA rating. Below are the three Cheltenham Festival handicap contenders who have the biggest gap between their BHA mark and their higher Timeform rating.
Madara (Timeform rating 146, BHA rating 140)
Entry: Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase
Panic Attack has been a major success story for Dan Skelton and Bryan Drew this season, winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham before following up in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. Madara, who also carries Drew’s familiar orange silks, looks another big handicap contender for Skelton in the Plate.
Madara is able to run off the same mark as when an excellent second in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham last season.
He caught the eye of Timeform’s reporter when keeping on into the runner-up spot at Kempton recently on only his second start of the season, and that outing should have helped him reach concert pitch for Cheltenham.
Tony McFadden, deputy racing editor at Timeform and Sporting Life, said: “Madara has been well backed for the Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase since finishing an eye-catching second at Kempton last month, and it’s easy to see why.
“In addition to shaping well at Kempton, Madara has good form at Cheltenham, notably his runner-up effort in the December Gold Cup last season. In Timeform’s view, the form he showed that day places him six pounds ahead of his BHA mark.
“He’s been aimed at this race by Dan Skelton, one of the best target trainers in the business, so deserves his place at the head of the betting.”
Ben Solo (Timeform rating 134, BHA rating 127)
Entry: Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase
Ben Solo is an unlikely runner at the Festival as he is only 35th on the list for the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase, and his BHA rating of 127 is seven pounds below the mark required to get a run in last year’s race. He’s one to watch out for wherever he next turns up, however, as his Timeform rating of 134 suggests he could be a fair way ahead of his current BHA mark.
Raced exclusively at Chepstow this season, he impressed with his jumping when getting off the mark on his second start over fences and then showed even better form on Timeform’s figures when runner-up on his next outing. He held a narrow lead and looked the likely winner until unseating rider two out when last seen, but that was late enough in the day for Timeform’s handicapper to take the view he was in the process of showing improved form.
In the unlikely event he gets a run at Cheltenham, he would be two pounds out of the weights if topweight Jacob’s Ladder stands his ground but would still look fairly treated.
Koktail Divin (Timeform rating 155p, BHA rating 150)
Entries: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, Jack Richard Novices’ Handicap Chase
Koktail Divin is entered in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – a race in which his owner, Barry Maloney, has gone close with Monalee, Minella Indo and Monty’s Star – but connections also have the option of the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Koktail Divin shaped with encouragement when runner-up on his first couple of starts over fences but appeared to show much-improved form when slamming his rivals by 21 lengths in a beginners’ chase at Leopardstown.
Timeform’s handicapper has taken a higher view than the BHA assessor of Koktail Divin’s wide-margin win, and he looks to have been handed a lenient mark.
