Harry Cobden’s Planet Sport Bet blog: Stage set for a Star performance

I’m really looking forward to working with Planet Sport Bet for the upcoming season. I’m very lucky to be riding some of the best horses around and I’m really looking forward to offering my thoughts on them over the next few months.

The November Meeting at Cheltenham is one of the early season highlights, and I’ve got a great set of rides, so hopefully I can grab a winner or two.

Cheltenham, Friday

I kick off with Gold Des Bois (1.45pm). His form tailed off a bit at the back end of last season, but he isn’t badly handicapped if he can return to his best. I don’t know too much about him, but I don’t think he’s a back marker by any means, and I’d hope he can outrun his odds.

I’m then on Captain Teague (3.00pm), who we are, of course, very excited about. I was very impressed with him when he won the Persian War at Chepstow on his seasonal debut and he’s been in great form since. I schooled him during the week, he felt and looks great, so I’m really looking forward to getting back on him.

I could see him running over three miles, but he’s not short of speed so 2m5f looks right for him at the moment. Any horse that runs well in the Champion Bumper often needs three miles in time, so it certainly would be the Ballymore or Albert Bartlett in March as opposed to the Supreme.

He’s always been a very straightforward horse and everything he does comes easy to him. Those are attributes that always serve a horse well, and he’s one to be excited about moving forwards.

Cheltenham, Saturday

My first ride on Saturday is Burdett Road (12.35pm). He was very impressive at Huntingdon first time out – he did plenty wrong that day as he was pretty keen and he was a little bit rushy towards his obstacles. He’s a horse that was highly-rated on the Flat, and clearly has plenty of ability. It’s just a case of whether I can contain it on the way round!

I’ve then got Stage Star in the Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.20pm). He’s in terrific form at home and schooled really well in the week, so I can’t wait to ride him. Paul [Nicholls] has managed to get him really fit and we know he goes well fresh, so I’d like to think he’ll be bang there. 

I think he can definitely win off his handicap mark. He looks like a Graded horse in a handicap and the fact The Real Whacker has stood his ground makes our life easier too. He’s obviously a course and distance winner, and we go there with plenty of hope.

Tiger Jet (3.30pm) is up next. He’s probably got a little bit to do in this race and wouldn’t want the ground to be too testing. He hasn’t got much weight, which is always a positive on that sort of ground, and hopefully he has an each-way chance.

Finally I get the leg up on Larchmont Lass in the closing bumper (4.05pm). We’ve always liked her at home, and we know she’ll like the ground. She was very good at Sandown in testing conditions last season, and now she’s a year older, there should be more to come. She’s certainly going there with a decent chance, although the penalty for winning that race at Sandown doesn’t make things easy.