Ante-Post, Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (11/03/2025)

Cheltenham, Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (11/03/2025)

Puturhandstogether 14/1 (Unibet), 2pts win

We have just 23 days to go until the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and the handicaps is where I will be putting in most of my focus over the next 3 weeks. The graded races don't look appealing as betting options anymore with too many short priced favourites but I suspect there is still value to be found if you know where to look. The Fred Winter is one of my favourite punting races of the week and I think this year will be no different. I have focused in on a J P McManus owned 4 year old from last year's winning stable, Joseph O'Brien. Puturhandstogether is by Commonwealth Cup hero Caravaggio but undeniably must get his stamina from his dam sire, Galileo. He put in some decent performances on the flat, most notably winning a 10 furlong handicap at the Curragh in July to put his flat rating up to 84. Puturhandstogether has had 3 runs over hurdles, first up at Punchestown in mid November. He was sent off 2/1 that day but looked like a horse in need of an education and he finished a weakening third of 8 that day. But market confidence was noted and he duly made amends next time out at Cork when he won 20 runner maiden hurdle at Cork by 1 1/4 lengths from Turn And Finish who had finished ahead of him at Punchestown who is now in the care of Harry Derham and won at Catterick recently. Turn And Finish was given a mark of 125 by the British handicapper. Pururhandstogether had his 3rd and most recent hurdles run at Fairyouse on 5th February. It was a small field and a middling affair. Mark Walsh had him in rear and made up good ground approaching the final flight but couldn't get past the consistent and tough Collaborative. It is worthwhile noting that it was heavy ground that day and JP's horse didn't look at home on it at all. He doesn't have much of a knee action for a national hunt horse and I thought it was a decent effort in the circumstances. He still managed to put 4 lengths between himself and the 3rd placed Whimsy who had previously finished 3rd at Cheltenham, just 2 lengths behind the 125 rated Ace Of Spades. If the ground comes up decent in March then I give this lad a real good shout at the prices. His connections know how to win this race and I can see this being Mark Walsh's ride in the race. History tells us that you need to be rated at least 120 to get into the Fred Winter but to be safe you'd want to be about 125. I think Puturhandstogether will get something between 127 and 130. To put this into context of official rating of the last 5 winners going into the race: 2024 Lark In The Mornin (OR 122), 2023 Jazzy Matty (OR 125), 2022 Brazil (OR 137), 2021 Jeff Kidder (OR 125), 2020 Armax (OR 138). Puturhandstogether should get into the race and I hope he will get his ground.