The Grand Annual Closes The Cheltenham Festival

This season`s Cheltenham Festival extravaganza concludes with the AP McCoy Grand Annual Handicap Chase. This Grade Three steeplechase sees all 24 declared entrants take on the 2m course and 14 obstacles. The current favourite to follow in the footsteps of last year`s winner Savello is Ned Buntline for JP McManus, Noel Meade and the retiring jockey the race is this year dedicated to - AP McCoy.

Seven-year-old Ned Buntline is no stranger to this event after finishing second here last season. The ridden by Paul Carberry, the horse was just over a length off the eventual winner but comes into this renewal lightly raced in preparation for his second spin around the Cheltenham obstacles.

Indeed his only run of this season came at Leopardstown at 2m back in December and whilst the horse only finished ninth, the horse will have needed that run to ensure that he is at the top of his game for his run this afternoon. It wouldn`t be too critical to say that Ned Buntline is hard to win with after having recorded only three career victories, his last coming in 2013. Then there`s the issue of ground. All of his wins have come on going softer than heavy and he will have to make a concerted effort to improve on more solid ground here.

Despite this, the charge is the most likely of McManus` foursome to finish first past the post thanks to a kind rating of 142.

Blood Cotil is the second favourite for Willie Mullins, Rich Ricci and Ruby Walsh, all of whom will be looking to spoil the McCoy retirement party with a win in the Grand Annual. The six-year-old son of Enrique is currently available for backing at a price of 9/1(Numerous).

The Mullins runner is not the most consistent of charges after only winning once in his last four attempts, being the beaten favourite (at 2m at Naas) on one occasion. These losses did see him come up against a lot of quality opposition, the likes of Gilgamboa and Wounded Warrior, but when Blood Cotil did eventual secure his first victory of the season, he did it in some style.

Again at 16f at Naas at the beginning of February, the Grand Annual second favourite put 11 lengths between himself and his nearest rival Dysios in what was a superb front-running performance. Make no mistake, this novice charge already looks classy and with a lack of big names in this field who`s to say that he won`t make it successive wins this afternoon?

Eastlake is another of the McManus army to be troubling the top of the Grand Annual betting. Trained by Jonjo O`Neill, the course and distance winner can be backed at 14/1 (Numerous) to get the better of his 23 rivals.

This nine-year-old is no stranger to Cheltenham following his four career runs at the course. He was also impressive in last year`s renewal of this race finishing a respectable sixth when a 25/1 shout.

Such a positive Cheltenham record is a positive and he will be sure to get on well with the anticipated ground. What may be against him is the fact that he has been aimed at a number of longer races this season and will have to adapt to switch back to 2m.

This 145 rated mount will be ridden by Paul Carberry.

Other each-way selections that could be well in with a shout include Venetia Williams` Brick Red at odds of 28/1 (Stan James), Dresden who`s also at 28/1 at betway and Stan James for Henry Oliver and Firth of the Clyde, Malcolm Jefferson`s 50/1 outsider (Numerous).

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13/03/2015     © Frixo 2026