Not only is Monkfish unbeaten in three chase starts this term, he is also the reigning Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle champ, earning a hard-fought verdict over… That was his only visit to Cheltenham so he is unbeaten in one both at the track and at the Festival. OK, so that last one, and probably/hopefully the last two, are of no consequence to Cheltenham, mercifully; but the others have each caused some degree of consternation in the weeks and months preceding the Festival. With six days until tapes rise on the Supreme, we can hope that all will hereafter be more serene, barring the perennial raft of late scratches and shock race switcheroos.
Post-Millennium
- Skybet are actually offering prices on winning margins of 2+ lengths (10/11), 4+ lengths (2/1), 6+ lengths (10/3), 8+ lengths (5/1) and 10+ lengths (7/1).
- Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
- Sent off 6/1 joint-third favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last year, he was hampered by a faller as the race was hotting up, but overcame that impediment to hold the late charge of Champion Hurdle fancy, Abacadabras.
- In the months after the fall, Russell faced a gruelling recovery, having bolts drilled into his head and weights hung from his head to realign his spine.
- Put The Kettle On jumped poorly under Sean Flanagan when slammed by CPS and Notebook last time but can be expected to improve both for a return to Cheltenham and the presumed return of Aidan Coleman to the saddle.
That fast finishing effort was six races ago, on a different track and under what is presumed to be a different tempo to today’s race. The bias is less extreme but the linearity remains, with front-runners still well favoured over prominent racers, and the later running styles about even behind those further forward. On firm ground, we see a similar leap from maiden on that terrain to those with one or two wins.
Other Principal races at Ayr racecourse
- They, too, made a loss but nowhere near as severe, at -£50.53 (ROI -4.2%).
- We use a combination of statistical analysis, insider knowledge, and years of experience to provide reliable tips to their followers.
- Losses have been steepest in Grade 1 contests with your £1 bet returning on average 79p (loss of 21p in the £).
- Bound to be a nice bit of pace on, and should be fair to most run styles.
- That said, El Fabiolo did not impress with his jumping at Leopardstown.
“At Doncaster and Sandown he maybe had to run to the level he showed last year to win them, but I think even with defeat in the Lockinge, his run told us he was a Group One horse and today confirmed it. “I’m delighted for my team, everyone works so hard at home. Docklands emerged from the chasing pack to lay down a challenge, but Charyn had enough in the tank to repel the runner-up and had two-and-a-quarter lengths in hand at the line. In accounting for stablemate Haatem in the Irish Guineas he as expected got back on track, and duly lined up against a very deep field in the day one highlight at Royal Ascot.
- In that spirit, I’ll take the Brits to beat the Irish, primarily through Jpr One and Master Chewy.
- Noel Meade has an infamous record at the Festival and, while he’s 0 from 13 in this section of races, his Road To Riches was third in both the 2015 Gold Cup and the 2016 Ryanair Chase.
- Just when I was anticipating diving into the Coral Cup or the Grand Annual, Matt presents me with the Champion Bumper!
- Although horses that either finished 3rd LTO or 5th or worse have made a profit, this is down to big prices skewing the figures.
- A fine fourth of 15 in the Coral Gold Cup (Hennessy as was) in November was his most recent run, though that was 108 days ago.
- These seasoned experts analyse horse form, course record, jockeys and trainer form, and offer a well-rounded view of the race.
- Being late in the flat season, the race can be run on testing but it does usually drum up plenty of interest with good-sized fields.
- I napped him on the latter occasion, so am unlikely to forget it.
Tuesday 14th March’s Racecards for UK & Ireland
The leading trainer in the Futurity Trophy Weekend 6f Handicap over the last 13 renewals is Kevin Ryan who has won the race two times with those two winners coming from Bielsa (2019) and Magical Spirit (2021). There is one trainer who has not had the best of times in the Futurity Trophy Weekend 6f Handicap, Richard Fahey has sent a total of 11 runners to the race without recording any wins. Last year, Put The Kettle On was a 16/1 chance when winning by a length and a half.
Lingfield Tips
Earlier on the programme, CHECKANDCHALLENGE can keep Will Buick’s in-form run going in the Group 3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (2.25). This is the right level for the three-year-old, who still has plenty of potential on the back of his solid effort last time out. MITBAAHY is fancied to win the battle of the fastest horses on Goodwood’s card in the King George Qatar Stakes (3.35). He has plenty of gears and the drop to 5f worked the oracle last time. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was contesting Group 1 contests by the end of the season.
Cheltenham Festival Day 4 Racing Previews & Betting Tips
- Shady Operator could be an apt winner for players of this slightly snide angle.
- “It’s special to be a part of and it’s a very difficult feat to bring her over here at this time of year when it is approaching the Australian winter and prepare her – Henry has done a top job.
- Even at his best, which we’ve not seen for a year, GdC would beat him anyway.
- Hillview Hideaway, GotheringtonA superb, luxury holiday home, Hillview Hideaway is your Cotswold haven for exploring Cheltenham and its history.
- It’s designed to give you an easy guide to today’s racing fixtures.
- This coincides with the rise of mobile betting, and underlying trends in sports betting that have seen football and tennis gain more ground.
Strike rates are below what is the 14/1+ norm for all National Hunt races and losses have been significant. Indeed, Irish runners have outperformed UK runners in terms of win strike rate in the last ten festivals starting from 2013 as the graph below neatly illustrates. These figures are skewed inasmuch as the last five years have seen a big increase in the number of Irish horses travelling across. However, the win strike rate for Irish runners in the five years from 2008 to 2012 was 6.8%, whereas in the past five years (2018 to 2022) it has been 9.7%.
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The first chase of the week is the Arkle Challenge Trophy, a two mile event for novices. If it perhaps lacks a little star quality this year – there can’t be a Shishkin/Altior/Douvan every time – it remains competitive from a betting perspective. The last ten years (from 2013 onwards) have seen Irish runners dominate these events more and more. To spell it out, in the most recent two Cheltenham Festivals, Irish runners have secured 22 wins compared with just six for the UK.
Northfields Handicap Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends (Irish Champions Weekend)
In another life his jockey Nico de Boinville might have been one of those soldiers who is unexceptional in peacetime but extraordinarily cool under fire. After Douvan had crashed out at the last ditch, while leading, there were five horses in with a chance turning in. High quality Saturday with the second day at Wetherby who feature a pair of Grade Two races plus a Listed.
Presenting Percy goes off as favourite in the 2.10
The Williams team have excellent contacts in France and have a long history of recruiting nice hurdlers from across the channel. I’d love him to be up there from the outset as there isn’t much pace elsewhere in the race and that looks the best scenario for Jack Tudor to get a truly run race to suit. It must be a recurring issue they keep having to tinker with. Of course, if a horse keeps running badly you’d be wise to give it a wide berth, but ignoring one or two bad runs can lead you to back winners at decent prices.
Lingfield Horse Racing Trends (ITV)
Five-year-old Marie’s Rock had won a Listed mares race at Taunton, and Love Envoi was a year away from making her debut. The outcome of the race largely depends on Lossiemouth’s ability to stay the 2m 4f distance today. However, her tendency to be keen raises a doubt about her effectiveness over longer distances. Last year’s runner-up, Love Envoi, is a contender for the places once again.
Exhibit A to that end are the two races – both comfortable victories, in Grade 2 and Grade 1 company – in one month, the final month of last year. If that’s the good news, the less good news is that Exhibit B must likely follow this weekend at the (outright excellent) Dublin Racing Festival; and Exhibit C requires him to cross the Irish channel in mid-March sans sicknote. Any horse could come down or have a heart murmur in the heat of combat; Shishkin could get beaten by Energumene; a previously unsighted dark horse could emerge in one of the novice chases (though that feels unlikely). Unlike CPS, EA has been slated to start twice and has started – and finished first – twice. He’s had an incident-free prep thus far and has jumped really well in his three chase races to date.
13 of the last 14 winners had finished top 4 in all completed Chases. All of the last 14 winners were aged 6-8yo (10/13 were 7yo’s). All of the last 14 winners had run in the previous day period. We provide racecards for fixtures on both At The Races and Racing UK, as well as for tomorrow’s racing – for racecards for tomorrow, just click the date selector and check tomorrow’s date.
The business guru turned eco-activist plotting to wreck the Grand National: This is going to be spectacular
More Grade 1 action, you lucky people, as the first foray over fences, the Arkle Challenge Trophy, follows the Supreme. Somewhat downgraded by the absence of a number of high profile horses, most recently and notably Marine Nationale, the reigning Supreme champ, we’re left with a competitive but trappy wagering challenge. Just when I was anticipating diving into the Coral Cup or the Grand Annual, Matt presents me with the Champion Bumper! However, upon closer inspection, it seems more like a handicap in terms of the betting. The last mare to win the RSA was way back in 1981 (all 10 female runners this century have finished unplaced). All 27 horses fitted with headgear have been beaten this century.
Of stable form, it can be seen from the right hand part of the chart that the Henderson hordes have not been firing at their highest rate in recent months. Nor, mind you, has the win percentage been anything other than aspirational for most other yards. The Brown Advisory would have meant a likely clash with Monkfish, the Arkle a ding dong with Shiskin, Energumene and Allmankind. The Marsh feels a bit like the coward’s route for a horse boasting his CV.
- Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Ayr racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Ayr Gold Cup.
- Saint Sam, who had led until the second last, was a further four lengths back while the quietly fancied Haut En Couleurs was an early faller.
- His last chase sighting was when pulling up after only six fences in the Gold Cup a year ago.
- Below are a few more Instant Expert grids, and your challenge is to decide which horses offered playable value, and which races looked too competitive and should have been passed.
- And, of course, that’s absolutely fine because – remember – the number one takeaway from these million words is, Choose Your Battles.
- That allowance was 6lb when he won at Cheltenham two starts back and still 3lb at Leopardstown but has now been eroded entirely.
- This is the odds of the runner at the start of the race, and it will not always be the same as the odds that you see when you look at the site.
- There should be more to come once she learns to take her racing better, for all you’d struggle to say she’s been thrown in here.
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Doncaster racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Futurity Trophy Weekend 6f Handicap. If you are unaware of what trends and statistics are, how they can be used etc then head over to the OLBG Betting School and read this Stats And Trends article which will make everything much clearer. Meanwhile, from soft going to good to firm, it was all but impossible to find a profit via proven going performers. If you’re John (or Thady) Gosden or Charlie Appleby, you take the free hits early doors and then move up in search of the three horses in your yard who can legitimately contest for the Guineas or Derby etc.
However, I lean towards the Henry De Bromhead duo of Telmesomethinggirl and Lantry Lady. While Rachel Blackmore seems to prefer Telmesomethinggirl, Lantry Lady shows more potential for further improvement, making her the more intriguing option. 20 of the 24 winners this century have been aged 7-9yo but there’s been an 11yo winner in 2021, a couple of 10yo winners (2007 & 2010) plus a French-bred 6yo in 2018. The three winners before the turn of the century were all 10 & 11yo’s so I’m not sure age is too much of an issue for this race.
Cheltenham Festival Novice Grade 1’s (excl. Bumper & Triumph Hurdle)
“It was great that they thought of me and to win for them was really great. When I sat on her, they publicised the times and we didn’t go very fast at all, so it was very hard for me to say I would win the King Charles III Stakes beforehand off the back of that. “It’s special to be a part of and it’s a very difficult feat to bring her over here at this time of year when it is approaching the Australian winter and prepare her – Henry has done a top job. “It is sublime and some great names from Australia who have won here have trained over 150 Group One winners and that’s only my third. “It’s a good start to the week and he deserved that, he’s been great all year. He’s a fine horse, very consistent and seems to be thriving.
MT – This is a great betting race, as it’s a different test from most of the races through the season and throws up some big priced winner as a result. Only one winner shorter than 11/1 in the past nine years. Favori de Champdou and Affordale Fury are two of interest, but whatever you like, swing win only rather than each way.
The historic Royal Artillery Gold Cup is restricted to military amateur riders. Hello George is of interest, being potentially well handicapped. He is very lightly raced and is expected to improve from his reappearance effort.
I’d rather take shorter when knowing the ground with him. In the end, I’m swerving The Goffer on the basis of the Irish record, which will of course be the wrong thing to do one of these years; but I definitely want a bit of the The Big Breakaway with the extended places as well. A bit of a wise guy horse on the preview circuit has been Mistergif, another Willie wunner, this Bolts Up Daily one in the double green of Munir and Souede. Rated 75 or so on the flat in France, he failed to win in nine starts before trying hurdling. Under the new code, he was fifth in a Listed race on his debut and then second in a conditions event, both at Auteuil; but the horse that beat him on that final French start is zero from five (fallen three times, third once) since.
We do also display win and place percentages but, in truth, these are the equivalent of answering the question, “What time is it?”, with “Tuesday afternoon”. Next in the lists, at 10/1, is Al Boum Photo, winner of the 2019 and 2020 Gold Cups and third last year. That seemed to signal a changing of the guard, an impression that recently turning ten has done nothing to dispel. The substance of his Punchestown second to Clan Des Obeaux and his annual trot around Tramore on New Year’s Day has corroborated the perception of this brilliant fellow yielding just a touch to the passage of time. For all that iffing and butting, A Plus Tard is the right favourite and almost certain to offer a run for the pennies.
Final day of the festival and the going remains on the good side. A cloudy day is forecast and the south-westerly breeze should see the track slightly drying through the day. We start with the Gold Cup, which has had more headlines recently for the non-runners rather than those taking part. To some extent, the development of online betting has driven unprecedented growth in horse race betting – even if the status of racing has been diminished somewhat, thanks to the explosion of football betting and tennis betting.
Recent form shows how well they’ve been running, Last Run is the number of days since their last outing and the forecast is the forecast decimal odds according to Timeform. As with any form of betting, there are always risks involved. While Free Horse Racing Tips can increase your chances of winning, there is no guarantee of success.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Baron Bolt in 2018, winning for Paul Cole at odds of 28/1 under the guidance of Cameron Noble. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2025 Ayr Gold Cup remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
This includes the Kiplingcotes Derby – the oldest horse race that we can still enjoy today – which was first run in 1519. A complete revelation since turning to point to points, ROCKY’S HOWYA beat Chatham Street Lad by 45 lengths last time out. He has won by a combined 122 lengths in his 5 point to point starts and if the form holds up here, he will be very hard to beat and it’s hard to see him out of the frame.
And welcome to our coverage of day two of the Cheltenham Festival. There are eight races on the card, starting with two Grade Ones, the Novices’ Hurdle at 1.30pm and the Novices’ Chase 40 minutes later. The pick of the day is, of course, the Queen Mother Champion Chase at 3.30pm.
SPECIAL TIARA Bold front runner who capitalised on Douvan’s injury to win this race a year ago. Well beaten by Altior at Sandown later and he looks to have had his day in the sun. ALTIOR Grand chaser who seeks his third consecutive win at the festival.
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