The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual is rarely a race to overcomplicate. It is a flat-out two-mile handicap chase, usually run at a furious gallop, and it tends to favour a horse who can travel, jump accurately under pressure and still find plenty after the last.This year looks no different.Timeform’s pace forecast points to a very…

The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase at 4.00 Cheltenham looks strong on quality but fairly straightforward at the top of the market. The horse they all have to beat is Majborough.There is no need to overthink the obvious. He comes here off the best recent piece of form in the race, is clear top on…

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase is rarely a race to get cute with. It usually goes to a proven specialist, an Irish-trained runner, or ideally both. This year’s renewal again points firmly in that direction.The market has centred on Favori De Champdou, Stumptown and Desertmore House, and that makes perfect sense. They bring the strongest…

The 2.40 at Cheltenham is the BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle, a proper Festival handicap and the sort of race where you need more than just a sexy profile. You need class, a workable mark, the right pace set-up and a horse that will cope with a big-field scrap up the hill.This year’s renewal looks sure…

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase: Romeo Coolio the one to beatThe Brown Advisory is one of the races at Cheltenham that usually tells the truth. There is nowhere to hide over this trip. You need class, jumping, stamina and the ability to keep finding up the hill. This year’s renewal is deep, but the race still…

The 1.20 at Cheltenham looks deep on paper, but the race does not need dressing up. No Drama This End is the one they all have to beat.He has the right profile for this contest. He is already a Cheltenham winner, he has won over the trip, and his success in the Challow Hurdle reads…

The 8.15 at Southwell is a modest Class 5 sprint on paper, but it does not take much digging to see where the strongest case lies. Jesse Luc brings the best mix of proven course form, workable handicap mark and solid recent evidence, and he looks the most likely winner.This is a 6f handicap that…

The 8.00 at Wolverhampton is a modest Class 6 handicap, but it is still a race where the winner should come from the obvious few. There is not much depth here, and the pace angle looks key.Timeform expects a weak gallop, and that immediately brings Law Supreme right into the picture. He is a dual…

The 7.15 at Southwell is only a six-runner Class 4 handicap, but it is still a race worth taking seriously. Small-field all-weather handicaps often turn into tactical affairs, and that looks likely again here with Timeform calling the pace forecast weak. In races like this, position and timing matter just as much as ability.On balance,…