16th Mar 2017 | Cheltenham Festival
Pertemps Final Tip: Arctic Gold
Ran a couple of good races at the start of the season, winning a nicely at Sandown. Been chasing since and looks competitive off a mark of 138.
Arctic Gold was a sectional eye-catcher at Cheltenham back in December (Old Course) and is overpriced on his return, albeit on the New Course. He tracked a strong pace that day and was leading 3 out before mistakes crept into his jumping as he tired.
He was eventually beaten 14 lengths but that was a fair effort considering he was close to an overly strong pace and his Topspeed rating of 125 is good. Stepped up in trip, he won well at Sandown travelling strongly for Tom Humphries who is back on board today.
In the Pertemps he is only 5lbs higher than his Sandown win and his mark has been largely protected by a couple of spins over fences.
Three of the last four winners of this race have been 6-year-olds and Arctic Gold fits the same progressive profile. He should get the trip and is versatile regards ground. At 50/1 (Stan James) he is a lively each-way bet with 1/4 odds for a top-5 finish.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 01:24 16th Mar, 2017 but subject to change
