Fergie hoping for pretty Cheltenham picture What A Friend put a smile back on Sir Alex Ferguson's face at Aintree last week following Manchester United's exit from the Champion's League and the legendary manager could again see one of his 'gee-gees' put his footballing woes on the back-burner, by scoring at Cheltenham today. The animal in question is Picture This and he goes in the 3.55, the Cheltenham Business Club Handicap Hurdle. This chestnut is one from six since joining Paul Nicholls and crucially that success came on this exact day a year back, at Cheltenham, in the novice handicap hurdle. Ruby Walsh was aboard that day and the seven-year-old went into over-drive up the hill to prevail by a length and a quarter. Picture This has only appeared in public twice since. He hung and returned slightly sore at Aintree in October and very easy to back when coming back at Chepstow on March 25th, the ex-Irish gelding couldn't raise his effort in the heavy ground from before two out and ultimately trailed in sixth of the seven. Harry Skelton (2009 Irish Grand National hero) will now, again don the Rock Of Gibraltar silks of Ferguson, who owns Picture This with Ged Mason and Ron Wood. He was bought off Mick Cullen after winning a Navan bumper in March 2008, at the Cheltenham sale the following month. The dam, Below The Wind is closely related to Grand National runner-up, Greasepaint, so staying is most certainly his game. Skelton claims 3Ib off Picture This in this three miler and that leaves the course and distance winner on a handy weight of 10st 3Ib. He is joined in the line-up by his stable companion, Earth Planet, who must shoulder top-weight. Other big contenders here are former top-chaser, Racing Demon, Triggerman, a really likeable staying novice, the Irish-owned, Jonjo O'Neill-trained, Tony McCoy-ridden, Galaxy Rock and Grands Crus, whose form looks strong.
