Cheltenham Handicap Watch: Thursday’s best-treated beasts

Wins for well-found blots on the handicap Diego Du Charmil and Diamond King on Wednesday offer refreshed hopes for punters ahead of Thursday’s action.

A perusal of the third day’s weight-for ratings affairs suggests there’s plenty more with the potential to leave doubters scratching heads and wondering how they’d failed to spot their claims…

Pertemps Network Final – 2:10

+ Missed Approach, Arpege D’Alene, Our Kaempfer, Rolling Maul

Warren Greatrex blamed himself when Missed Approach suffered the sole defeat of his four-race career to date earlier this term.

Hit by a rise of more than 20lbs for his most recent victory, there is a sense that he may have more up his sleeve yet.

Arpege D’Alene beat the then-153-rated Tea For Two over hurdles off level weights last February and gets in on 146, while Rolling Maul is on the same mark as when scoring over course and distance in handicap company a month earlier.

Finally, Our Kaempfer could be thrown in with 139, having got within 14l of Thistlecrack last spring – that one now commands an assessment of 168.

Brown Advisory and Meribelle Stable Plate – 4:10

+ Fingal Bay, Salubrious, Kings Lad

Two Festivals ago Fingal Bay (141) struck off 148 in the Pertemps over hurdles, and finished fourth in the Hennessey of the same mark over fences last November.

Smad Place and Theatre Guide, first and second that day, have both won again since, while First Lieutenant, third, finished within half-a-length of Don Poli over Christmas.

Salubrious (140) has finished in the first two at the Festival over both hurdles and was rated 148 over fences as recently as November of last year.

Kings Lad (140) is an enormous price considering he finished third behind Smad Place and Fingal Bay the same month

Even more so when his January 2015 win over Traffic Fluide and Village Vic are considered – he gave them 13 and 16lbs and a beating respectively and they’re now rated 166 and 157.

Fulke Walwyn and Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase – 5:30

+ Upswing, The Giant Bolster

Crack amateur Derek O’Connor and Jonjo O’Neill are aiming for their second winner of the Festival together with Upswing.

His close second to Sausalito Sunrise (in receipt of 8lb) off 136 in November is flattered by the winner’s efforts since.

Rated 144 at the time, the second named is now considered a 163 horse by the official ratings bods.

Last but by no means least, unless in the sense of how well his mark (139) reflects his still recent pomp, is veteran the Giant Bolster.

Rated 164 for his last completed spin at Cheltenham and 157 even afterward, he has tumbled 25lbs down the handicap since January 2015.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.