Come Jalon and back Gordon’s bay in the Champion Bumper March 12, 2024 THIS looks like one of the most open renewals of the Champion Bumper (5.30pm) in recent history. It was 7/1 the field in 2013 and it won’t be much shorter than that this year, with Jasmin De Vaux and JALON D’OUDAIRIES currently flip-flopping at the head of the betting at around 6/1. My eye has [...]
Take Delta to land Glenfarclas Chase hat-trick at rain-sodden Cheltenham March 12, 2024 THERE is an early morning inspection to see whether this year’s running of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (4.10pm) can take place this afternoon as the track is currently waterlogged. If it is abandoned, as seems more likely than not, the race will be run as the first on Friday’s Gold Cup Day card. Cheltenham [...]
Lord is worthy rival to Willie’s solid State Man March 11, 2024 SORRY to state the obvious, but State Man is going to take a lot of beating in today’s Champion Hurdle (3:30pm). He’s 10lb clear on ratings and is currently in a league of his own, with his main protagonist in the division, Constitution Hill, sidelined through illness. Despite living in the shadows of that rival [...]
JPR the One to down Warrior in open Arkle March 11, 2024 THERE’s definitely an open look to this year’s My Pension Expert Arkle (2.10pm), with the betting 7/2 the field and seven of the 10 runners shorter than 10/1. I put up JPR ONE as an ante-post bet for this race back in January, following his win in the Lightning Novices at Lingfield and am very [...]
Mister could be a Gift of a price for magic Mullins March 11, 2024 GIVEN he trains six of the 12 declared for today’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm), it’s hard to not think Willie Mullins will have a serious impact on who will win the opening race of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival. He’s of course won it a record seven times and it will be heavily odds-on that he [...]
Enjoy the Ultima with a nice drop of Chianti March 11, 2024 IT HASN’T been a season to remember for Kim Bailey and David Bass. The yard has had its share of struggles with bugs and ailments, but Does He Know was a good winner of the Grimthorpe Chase earlier this month and Bailey has two big bullets to fire in the Ultima Handicap Chase (2.50pm). Novices [...]
Bradstock’s Vango a huge price in the National Hunt Chase March 11, 2024 THEY say that you should always bet with your head and not your heart. Well, I’d say there is a bit of both when it comes to my selection in the Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase (5.30pm). Less than two weeks have passed since Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Mark Bradstock lost his long battle with [...]
Marie could give Lossie a Rocky path in the Mares’ Hurdle March 11, 2024 WILLIE Mullins used to have quite the grip on the Mares’ Hurdle (4.10pm), having trained nine winners of the race since it was introduced 16 years ago. Of course it must be noted that Quevega was responsible for the vast majority of these – six victories in total – and, yes, the trainer has saddled [...]
Side with Milan and Karia against the field in the Boodles March 11, 2024 IT COULD be pretty desperate ground come the final few races today and you’re going to need a horse that really stays to have any chance of getting up the famous Cheltenham hill. That described my fancy for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (4.50pm) Pacini perfectly, but rather frustratingly he hasn’t got into the race [...]
Walsh set to be best of the rest in pursuit of dominant Townend March 10, 2024 TRAINER Willie Mullins has what looks a vice-like grip on this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Bookmakers make the Closutton-handler a best-priced 1/10 to finish the week as top trainer and odds-on to end up with 10 or more winners. That seems about right when you consider he is responsible for six of the seven favourites on [...]
