Snipersfancies

Little Pi has been on the improve this season. He's made the frame in his last four outings, with a credible course-and-distance third last month. He goes again today off that same mark, with a really good claiming jockey, Toby McCain-Mitchell, taking off a valuable 5 lb. He's sure to go close, and 5/1 is nice value.

This mare from Emma Lavelle's in-form yard is yet to find a win under rules. A pretty consistent hurdler who regularly made the frame. If something close to her hurdles form can be found chasing, it gives her a fair chance here. A sole chasing outing at Leicester can be written off due to heavy ground. This ground will suit her, and I think she carries a nice weight to go close. In-form jockey Ben Jones in the saddle adds confidence.

Camaratte is yet to land a win in handicap company but has made the frame on a few occasions. He now runs off a mark of 102, 10 lb lower than his opening handicap mark. This very workable mark makes him a key player and gives him a nice each-way chance.

Fergal O'Brien's mare is dropped down in class today. She's ran in stiffer contests than this one and is always thereabouts. She's made the frame in 4 of her last 5 outings, just missing out on a place at the Dublin Racing Festival on heavy ground where she gave a fair bit of weight away to her rivals that day. Approaching one year without a win to her name, I think today could be the day for her.

Course-and-distance winner The Big Reveal returns to Chepstow today. He was unlucky not to have back-to-back C&D wins to his name, as he fell here in January when clear of the field two out. He's up 6 lb today for his win last time out, but he still receives a fair bit of weight from his rivals here. Joe Anderson is on board, taking another 3 lb off. He's the one to beat for me.

Dan Skelton and Cheltenham handicaps have somewhat of a good relationship. In this race, the focus seems to be on Supremely West, who is favourite at the moment. However, Skelton's second string, Ace of Spades, is my pick of the bunch in this very competitive contest. He was beaten here on New Year's Day by Ma Shantou, who certainly went on to frank that form, winning by seven lengths in a Grade 2. He will certainly stay the trip, and his jumping has improved markedly of late. In his last outing at Huntingdon, he did not lose any ground over any of the 12 flights. He's a nice each-way chance.

The Yellow Clay has run nicely in a few graded races over this distance. At last year's Festival he was beaten three-quarters of a length by The New Lion, and he stayed on well up the Cheltenham Hill. He now steps into handicap company where he would be carrying top weight; however, the claiming jockey on board takes off a handy 5 lb. Conditions should suit and I think he's a nice easy way chance.

The Mags Mullins-trained Blaze The Way has a course win up his sleeve earlier this season. He carried a really low weight that day due to the entry of class act L'homme Presse and stayed on very well up the Cheltenham Hill to win by an eventual 5 lengths. This trainer is known for doing pretty well when she sends her horses over to the UK. I'd take him each way at this nice price in this competitive contest.

Ammes is a horse that's been in my tracker since his first run over hurdles back in September. He blew the competition away in his first two runs and was hardly touched. This was then followed by a three-quarter length second to Minella Study, who has franked that form since with a course win and looks well fancied in the Triumph on Friday. Champion jockey Sean Bowen is on board, seeking a first Festival winner. He's a nice each-way chance.

Last year's Supreme winner Kopek Des Bordes is my strong fancy here. He'd be the first for Mullins since Douvan to win the Supreme followed by the Arkle. He may have had only one run over fences this season, but that doesn't put me off. He put in a nice round of jumping at Navan and won comfortably, although not much can be said for the competition. The people close to this horse seem to be quite bullish on his chances. Lulamba will be no pushover, but doesn't fully convince me. In his chasing starts this season he's occasionally made a strange shape when jumping, and I think he could come unstuck here.

Sound And Fury comes here on the back of a hard-fought win at Carlisle three weeks ago. He did need plenty of encouragement that day but stayed on nicely. He's likely to be up there with the pace, and I think he's a nice each-way bet. He should be right there in the closing stages. Ben Jones in the saddle adds confidence, with a 26% strike rate in the past month.

Galactique ran well on three occasions earlier this season at Fontwell, form which has since been franked. In October he saw off Winston Junior, who looks to be a promising hurdler and is nicely fancied in the Fred Winter next week at Cheltenham. He gave a decent account of himself when beaten by Lord in his first run over hurdles back in August, who has since shown plenty of promise, winning a Listed event at Aintree. He's had a good break since Cheltenham in November, and he's on a nice opening handicap mark of 117 here.

Gaboriot is a winner of this very race two years ago, winning comfortably that day, where he ultimately had too much for the competition. He's two years older now, but he ran a solid race in the Grand Sefton at Aintree, finishing second that day. Amateur jockey Huw Edwards has a pretty impressive strike rate of 18%. There's not much to dislike about him.

Afancy Getaway was a horse I put in my tracker last month after she ran a good 2nd at Ludlow. She bumped into one that day in Diamond Du Berlais, a €160,000 French recruit trained by Willie Mullins, who eventually won by 4 lengths. I don't think this ground should be an issue for her. If she produces anything close to last time, she should be right there.