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- The Goffer – Ultima Handicap Chase – 7/1 BetMGM
- Monty’s Star – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – 11/2 William Hill
- Jade De Grugy – Mares Novices’ Hurdle – 9/4 BetMGM
- Inothewayurthinkin – Kim Muir – 4/1 Unibet
- Lucky 15 pays 844/1 with BetUK
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly Cheltenham Festival comes around each March.
When the season begins the festival looms in the distance, but in the blink of an eye we are less than a week away from the pinnacle of National Hunt racing at Prestbury Park.
While I wholeheartedly agree that National Hunt horse racing has major issues that need to be fixed – and that small fields in Cheltenham are not ideal – we can still worry about this while fervently looking forward to next week.
It is going to be a magical four days of racing and I wish each punter the very best of luck.
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Cheltenham Festival Lucky 15
This week seems a good time to pick out four horses for a Cheltenham Festival Lucky 15.
For the uninitiated, a Lucky 15 consists of 15 bets on selections over four events. When placing a Lucky 15 each-way, it is 30 individual bets on four selections. Here is a guide to how much a Lucky 15 bet will cost:
- 10p Lucky 15 = £1.50
- 10p each-way Lucky 15 = £3.00
- 25p Lucky 15 = £3.75
- 25p each-way Lucky 15 = £7.50
- 50p Lucky 15 = £7.50
- 50p each-way Lucky 15 = £15.00
- £1.00 Lucky 15 = £15.00
- £1.00 each-way Lucky 15 = £30.00
Our win-only fourfold comes out at 844/1 with BetUK.
The Goffer – Ultima Handicap Chase (Tuesday)
I really like The Goffer in this year’s Ultima Handicap Chase. He ran a huge race when fourth in 2023 and that is probably the best ever renewal of the Ultima.
The winner, Corach Rambler, went on the win a Grand National thereafter. The second, Fastorslow, has won two Grade Ones since and the third, Monbeg Genius, is a very good horse who just hasn’t found his rhythm yet this season.
The Goffer should have finished closer as well but received somewhat of an unsatisfactory ride on the day when making up a lot of ground to take it up three out and that rather emptied his petrol tank too soon.
His trainer, Gordon Elliott, has said tactics will be different this time around and at 7/1 on betting sites he should go very close in a renewal that just cannot be as strong as it was in 2023.
Monty’s Star – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Wednesday)
I’ve been relentlessly going on about Monty’s Star all season, so I do apologise, but I will bang the drum again.
I believe we will see a serious performance from Henry De Bromhead’s charge, who is going from strength to strength over fences.
After a decent start to life over the bigger obstacles when finishing third, he took a nice race on New Year’s Eve and showed a sublime natural ability to jump a fence.
His trainer is adept at getting a horse to run a career best at the festival and that could be a scary prospect for his rivals.
He comes in with only the two runs, but so did Minella Indo at this juncture and he went very close in this very race back in 2021.
His half-brother Monalee also went close when second in this race, but hopefully Monty’s Star can go one better. I have recommended him at 50/1 in a previous column, but he’s now 11/2 on betting apps, a price I would still take up.
It does appear as if he will be taking on a small field here, but one filled with class. His main rival seems to be Fact To File, who is a beautiful prospect, but we know very little about him at this juncture and his price is very short for one with so much to learn.
Stay Away Fay is another very talented horse, but I am not so sure how much he will love the old course at Cheltenham, and I am also happy to take him on.
Jade De Grugy – Mares Novices’ Hurdle (Thursday)
What an amazing race we have in store here.
Dysart Enos has looked a superstar so far for Fergal O’Brien and comes in here without a penalty. Brighterdaysahead arrives with a penalty, but also a lofty reputation having been spoken about in sublimely glowing terms by Gordon Elliott.
Golden Ace shouldn’t be disregarded either after improving throughout this season and is by no means a back number.
However, despite respecting these three wonderful mares, I am a really big believer in Jade De Grugy.
She was beyond exceptional at Christmas and last time obliterated a good field in the Solerina Hurdle at Fairyhouse in the shape of something quite special.
I think any of these could well improve massively, but at this point in time I feel Jade De Grugy is most suited to this test and will see it out on the day. I think she’s very, very smart.
This is probably the race of the festival with the most depth, but it could be another title heading back to Closutton. Jade De Grugy does look a bet at 9/4 on horse racing betting sites.
Inothewayurthinkin – Kim Muir (Thursday)
Inothewayurthinkin has been gambled relentlessly over the past few days and he could be way ahead of his rivals here.
This race is the lowest grade handicap at the festival and this year’s renewal does look to have a similar feel to it with a plethora of solid, but exposed horses.
Sometimes a horse who is well handicapped can really take advantage and I feel Inothewayurthinkin screams as being exactly that.
I feel that he will really come in to his own when getting a longer trip and he has shaped like that this season. He showed plenty of promise when third behind Gaelic Warrior at Limerick and last time perhaps he found it all a bit much of two miles and five furlongs.
This longer trip should really suit him and in time he could make a mark of 145 look like a gift. The market in recent days certainly feels this way.
4/1 on gambling sites still looks a decent price in my opinion.
Outsider to follow for the week
Often I am asked for one horse to follow at a huge price in the Cheltenham odds and I think Chigorin could be that in the 2024 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
He won last time in the shape of a horse who was still figuring himself out, taking an age to get going before seemingly winning a tad comfortably in the end.
He looks a typical De Bromhead horse who should improve a lot as the season, and indeed as the years go on.
That form is nothing special, but I think he is a good deal better than the bare result there.
This race is insanely open and 40/1 NRNB with bet365 for Chigorin is worth considering.
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
