All good things come to an end, and while it is with sadness we shall say goodbye to the Cheltenham Festival on Friday at least the meeting will end on a high.
With the Gold Cup – the most prestigious race of the meeting, and a handful of Group One specials, there is still plenty of time to enjoy some betting wins.
Triumph Hurdle
This is one of those races where we can oppose the favourite with some confidence. The shortest-priced runner has won only a handful of times in the past decade, with last year’s victor Peace & Co a really special horse. That’s what it takes to win this ultra-competitive Gold Cup Day opener.
Ivanovich Gorbatov (5.50) is a good horse too as evidenced by his career record to date, and after switching from flat racing to the jumps he has pushed on to become a genuine contender for honours here and in future Cheltenham Festivals to come.
Next in the betting comes Zubayr, and it would take an optimistic punter to back this newcomer at 6.00. Impressive in winning on debut in February, little else is known of this horse in his novice season.
That’s what makes Sceau Royal enticing each way value at 8.00. He has bags of experience over the 16f distance, and as recently as December did he pick up a win at Cheltenham. A small stakes punt here will be added to today’s betting tips.
County Hurdle
This race is wide-open you’d fancy, and when you see two favourites priced as long as 9.00 you know there’s big money to be made if you can find a potential winner.
The duel heads of the market are Desoto County and Great Field. The former has a win ratio of just 20% in recent months, and that’s enough to put
Bet Advisor off. The latter, with just a sole run to his name, was an impressive winner on debut and boasts the backing of that man Willie Mullins.
Of the longer-priced contenders it is Superb Story (13.00) who catches the eye. He is one of the most experienced runners in the field, and ran well on this very turf last time out as further confirmation.
Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle
There aren’t many races where this record would be witnessed, but in the last decade only three favourites have won the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle.
This information will be of interest to punters, although it must be noted that this year’s favourite, Barters Hill (3.50), looks a fine prospect over hurdles.
One thing we need to look out for is familiarity with this 24f stretch, and in truth Shantou Village (6.00) should be discounted for lacking in this key area, despite winning well at Cheltenham over a shorter run in the past.
If you’re looking for an each way pick that offers a little more in the way of experience, give Gangster (9.00) a look. Trained by you know who, this is a horse that offers three wins in four and who delivered a powerful showing in heavy ground last time out to triumph.
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is, in many ways, the one race that all punters have been waiting for all week. It is the headline act of the festival, and one of the most prestigious in National Hunt racing.
Here’s the bad news: as you might expect, it is ultra-competitive. There are things that are off putting about each of the main contenders, but lots to promote their chances too.
Don Cossack will surely start as favourite, a position he has held for a number of weeks, at a price somewhere in the region of 4.00. Nine wins from eleven starts in the last couple of years tells its own story, however there is a caveat – well, three of them to be honest. This is a horse that has fallen on a trio of occasions, including in the pressured King George VI Chase in December.
Djakadam (4.50) is fancied but has also fell on two occasions – both at Cheltenham – although a second in the Gold Cup last year suggests we must respect him. And ever since his win in that King George VI Chase, Cue Card (5.00) has been hotly tipped for this race. However, he has two career defeats to Don Cossack, and so all-in-all we can see just how competitive this huge race is likely to be!
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