1:50 Cheltenham Tips

More than capable from this sort of mark in a handicap, even rising 11. Solid record when he has been fresh in the past. Placed in the King George on his first outing of last season.

King Turgeon is an each-way bet to nothing for me here at 11/2 in this 9-runner race with 3 places paid. The horse has won 2 of his 3 races here. The latest of those wins was over C&D when powering clear up the hill to win off a 3 lb lower mark than he races off here. He lost his form last season after that, but the wind-op in the close season looks to have got the horse back, judged on a promising return at Aintree last time out on seasonal debut where he finished 6th of 17. That looks a good prep for this, which would have been the main aim anyway.

Pulled off a couple of wins around this time last year after returning 2nd following a long break. Could repeat the feat here after taking 2nd in a field of sixteen on heavy ground after returning from 196 days off the track. The yard has had seven wins in the last fourteen runs this month and has had a great year.

Good return from a break here last time and weakened late on. Should come on for that and, with conditions to suit, has a good chance of being in the frame.

It’s tempting to find a couple of the featherweights interesting here, but the presence of L’Homme Presse gives this horse a kind weight carry, and the way he toughed it out at Ascot has stuck with me. The Changing Man did plenty for that effort next time up, and a rise of just 3 lbs could underestimate that performance. There’s not a great deal more to this other than he looks like a horse on the up, and he’s improved from his last two seasons, so he could remain well in if he steps forward again.