Cheltenham Festival Day 4

The final day of Cheltenham takes place Friday with seven races scheduled highlighted by the Gold Cup. Here is our guide to the best of the bets from day four.

The Racing gets underway at 13:30 with the JCB Triumph Hurdle with someone looking to drive off with the trophy (sorry). Bookmakers are split between Our Conor and Rolling Star as to whom should be favourite with Far West also featuring prominently in the betting. Paul Nicholls has not had a great Cheltenham so far but at big each-way prices I like the look of the French bred horse Sametegal who has clocked some decent top speed figures. At time of writing 40/1 was available.

The next race the 14:05 is the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle and is a race that is dominated by the Irish in recent years winning five of the last six.Willie Mullins has three runners here and his Tennis Cap is the second favourite behind Cotton Mill. This looks a wide open race and one I can not find anything to bet in.

At Fishers Cross and Ballycasey are disputing it out at the head of the market in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle. If the predicted rain does come then this should benefit At Fishers Cross. The Rebecca Curtis runner has won four straight and the last two at this track I fancy this runner to come out on top and recommend a win bet on best morning prices. Others expected to feature are African Gold and Utopie Des Bordes.

Next up is the big race of not just the day but the entire meeting and arguably of the season. Bobs Worth heads the market for the Gold Cup with ten expected to go to post with Bog Warrior no longer a part of the race. I can make claims for all four of the front runners in the betting. The favourite Bobs Worth loves the trip, the course and can stay all day. Sir Des Champs won the Jewsons last year and was a recent winner at Leopardstown on last appearance so commands respect. Long Run is a former champ winning here in 2011 and coming third in 2012. If we learned anything from Kauto Star and Best Mate is that some horses excel in this kind of atmosphere. Those looking for bigger each-way prices to play at might be interested in The Giant Bolster who was second last year while Captain Chris and Cape Tribulation could go well.

If you forced me to pick I would come down on the side of the Nicholls runner Silviniaco Conti who has won the last four and saw off Long Run and The Giant Bolster in recent runs, a lack of a run at the Festival is a worry. Therefore, this will be a race I will be watching rather than betting on.

When the main event finishes some three races are still remaining. The 16:00 race is the Foxhunter Chase with the market headed by the top two finishers last year Salsify and Chapoturgeon. Also expect good runs from Cottage Oak, Tricky Trickster and Backstage. The 16:40 race is the Martin Pipe Conditional and the betting is headed by the David Pipe trained Gevrey Chambertin closely followed by Edeymi and Toner D’Oudaires. It has been a while since Paint the Clouds ran (2011) however the horse does love Cheltenham with two wins and a third from three appearances and as such looks decent each-way value.

The final race is the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase and with 24 runners five of whom are 10/1 or under this looks a very difficult betting race.

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BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: At Fishers Cross, WIN in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle (14:40)
SILVER: Sametegal, EW in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (13:30)
BRONZE: Paint the Clouds, EW in the Martin Pipe Conditional (16:40)

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14/03/2013     © Frixo 2024