Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner and punters have got four days of fantastic racing to look forward to.
The action kicks off on Tuesday March 10th with Champions Day; which will feature the highly sought-after Supreme Novices Hurdle and will be headlined by the Champion Hurdle.
Wednesday is Ladies Day, and alongside plenty of race-goers in fancy clobber there’s also the ultra-competitive Champions Chase to enjoy.
Thursday is St Patrick’s Day, and while that will signal a good old-fashioned knees-up there’s plenty of top bumper action too, with the World Hurdle topping off an exciting day on the track.
And last, but by no means least, is Friday; which is home to the biggest prize of the festival – the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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Some Betting Tips:
Champion Hurdle (Tuesday, 3:20pm)
The line-up for this one looks an absolute belter, with the reigning champ taking on another former winner and a much-fancied unbeaten horse from the Willie Mullins stable.
Faugheen (5/4 – get the latest odds with Bet365) is the bookmakers’ favourite and has won nine of nine outings. He’s triumphed over three miles in heavy going so should comfortably have the stamina for this two-mile stretch. And his trainer, Willie Mullins, is the most successful Irish gaffer in Cheltenham’s history.
Jezki won this race priced at 8/1 last season, and is in to a best price of 5/1 this time around. Notably, he has yet to win this campaign so far, but as the reigning champ knows what it takes to get into the winner’s enclosure here. And then there’s The New One (3/1 – get the latest odds with Bet365), who finished third by three lengths in last year’s race, but was badly hampered by a collision over the third flight.
For value, check out Hurricane Fly (8/1). This powerhouse is a two-time Champion Hurdle winner, and while at 11-years-old he might not have the legs to chase down the new breed, he should go well and be in the mix for a placing.
Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday, 3:20pm)
The two big names – and joint favourites – in this two-mile dash are Sprinter Sacre (3/1) and Sire De Grugy (3/1 – get the latest odds with Bet365), although many pundits believe those prices are too short considering some indifferent recent form; neither have looked at the races in their recent outings, if you’ll pardon the pun. Sire De Grugy unseated his rider three out at Newbury, and Sprinter Sacre tasted defeat in his last race at Ascot too.
Perhaps there’s value in Mr Mole (8/1) then. He’s unbeaten in his last four meetings, and was the winner of the race that Sire De Grugy so unceremoniously dumped his mount in.
Ladbrokes World Hurdle (Thursday, 3:20pm)
A lot of money has been heaped on favourite Zarkander, but at 5/1 you can still find a bit of value in him. He finished fourth in this race last year, but has improved steadily since then and is justifying his position as the bookies’ talk of the town.
A stat that will prick many ears up is that in the past 15 World Hurdle’s, eight have been won by a returning horse that finished first or second in the previous year. Hence the whispers surrounding the 2014 runner up Annie Power, who can still be backed from a best price of 8/1 here.
Cheltenham Gold Cup (Friday, 3:20pm)
A field of 25 horses clambering over bumpers in this three-mile pinnacle of the festival makes betting fraught with danger, but sensible each way backers can still find a diamond or two in the rough.
Many observers believe this is the most open Gold Cup field in years, although Silviniaco Conti did his chances no harm by winning the King George VI Chase (a race which has produced nine of the past fifteen Gold Cup winners) and as such will head the market at a stingy 3/1.
There’s plenty of value in Holywell (10/1 – get the latest odds with Bet365), a horse who brings its A Game to the festival having enjoyed two wins out of two here. He is a Grade 1 winner too, and clearly enjoys the longer races where his strong finishing makes him a genuine contender.
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