The greatest week of sport in the UK is upon us, the latest renewal of the Cheltenham Festival starts tomorrow and it is as eagerly anticipated as ever. Britain and Ireland's leading National Hunt horses will go to post over the next four days in a week which contains no less than fourteen group one races with the highlight being the 'Magners Gold Cup' on Friday where last years winner 'Al Boum Photo' goes into the race as the ante-post favourite. I will be watching on with an eager eye (and a slightly hungover one on Friday) throughout the week and this is where I will be saying my main fancies and tips for the week ahead.
Tuesday
Tuesday's headline race is the Champion Hurdle and the favourite for the race with odds of 3/1 is the Nicky Henderson trained Epatante, ridden by Barry Geraghty and is unbeaten this season. Epatante will face stiff opposition from stablemate Pentland Hills who is the mount of Nico De Boinville and the Willie Mullins trained Cilaos Emery who has a perfect record this season bar a fall back at Leopardstown back in early February when it didn't even clear the first fence. Epatante looks good value for its favourite tag even if it was slightly disappointing at last years festival finishing 9th in the Mares Novices Hurdle and I do feel it will be victorious in this race, so that is my tip. Another headline race on the first day of the festival is the 1 mile 7 furlong Arkle Chase which is headed this time out by the much fancied 'Notebook' which will be ridden by the female jockey, Rachael Blackmore, another horse which doesn't have the greatest of records in the festival. My tip for this race is the French trained Fakir D'oudairies who has won round the course and was 4th in the Supreme Novices hurdle last year. Going off at odds at 4/1, I feel it has a great chance for Mark Walsh who's record at the festival last year was pretty strong, winning the Champion Hurdle on Espoir D'Allen. The 4:10 Mares Hurdle could not only be the most exciting race of the day, but it could be the most exciting race of the festival and the narrative that is being built is that the race will be a shoot out between Honeysuckle and Benie des Dieux, the latter of which had the race won last year before falling at the last fence. I feel it will be between the two, this is a race I cannot call.
My 3 Tips - Tuesday
All odds according to skybet.com
1:30 - Abacadabras (5/1)
2:10 - Fakir D'oudairies (4/1)
3:30 - Epatante (3/1)
Wednesday
Wednesday over the last couple of years has been the day of Altior, however this year there are fitness concerns about the reigning Queen Mother Champion Chase winner. If Altior is to be found out this year then that will leave Defi Du Seuil as the leading contender for Wednesday's headline race. The big fancies for Wednesday's races is the favourite for the Ballymore at 1:30, Envoi Allen, the winner of the Champion Bumper last year and the mighty Tiger Roll, winner of the last 2 Grand Nationals as well as the reigning champion in the Cross Country chase. Tiger Roll has been a lot of people's choice for the most likely horse to win over the whole four days and I do believe that to be the case, with the course record it has gained the last few years joined with the relationship jockey Davy Russell has with the horse, it looks a winning formula and one I see continuing this week. As for Envoi Allen, I've liked the look of this horse since watching it cruise up to win the bumper last year and I feel it will continue its winning festival record this time around. I don't see Altior regaining its crown in the main event on Wednesday. I feel like it would take a fully fit and firing Altior to beat Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi and after the reports from the Henderson yard saying he was lame on Sunday afternoon, I feel it will be one race too far for the champion.
My 3 Tips - Wednesday
1:30 - Envoi Allen (5/4)
3:30 - Politologue EW (20/1)
4:10 - Tiger Roll (Evens)
Thursday
Thursday sees the return of Stayers Hurdle winner Paisley Park to the Cheltenham Festival. A horse I fell in love with last year, with its explosive speed when it comes round the corner when it comes to crunch time in the race, it really is a sight to behold. I can't see it being overly troubled this year either, even if it is not looking as explosive as it was last year, a faultless record in the last 2 years round the course and a festival favourite, I can't see there being many more popular winners if Paisley Park was to go back to back, especially with the bond it has with owner, Andrew Gemmell, who looked overjoyed last year when his horse conquered the field. The other feature race on Thursday is the Ryanair Chase, won last year by Frodon, the mount of Bryony Frost who I feel is a fantastic jockey and is a great ambassador for women's sport. Will they repeat their heroics this time round, or will there be a different winner? I feel the winner will be the Willie Mullins trained Min, who won at Aintree last year in a high calibre race and has always been a solid horse and a tough horse to beat. At the present moment there are a few standout names in the first race of the day, with Samcro, Faugheen and Melon all currently in the running for the 1:30 Marsh Novices Chase. None of the 3 formerly mentioned horses are currently the favourite, that tag belongs to Itchy Feet, the mount of Gavin Sheehan, who is unbeaten in its last 2 races. However I feel if all the above were to run, Faugheen will be the horse to beat.
My 3 Tips - Thursday
1:30 - Faugheen (7/1)
2:50 - Min (11/4)
3:30 - Paisley Park (4/7)
Friday
Friday sees the conclusion of the Cheltenham Festival for 2020 and also the biggest race of the week in the Magners Gold Cup which is always such a tricky race to call, with the world's leading 3 mile chasers primed for action. Everything was looking rosy for the Irish trained Kemboy going into this race 6 months ago, winning in numerous conditions and even ended up ante-post favourite at a point, however after a few poor runs in Ireland, Kemboy finds itself out of favour and replaced as favourite by last years winner, Al Boum Photo, who won at 14/1 last year. Do I feel it will replicate last years result? No is the answer simply, it is so tricky to win back to back Gold Cups and I feel the field is stronger this year than last years renewal. I was so impressed by Clan Des Obeaux in the King George, outstaying the hugely impressive Cyrname to victory at Kempton on boxing day and I feel that is the horse to beat, however the impressive Delta Work for Gordon Elliott will be a firm contender, 3 wins this season, including the group 1 Savills Chase back in December beating the afore mentioned Kemboy and other contender Presenting Percy in a strong renewal. The other very interesting race on Friday is the 1:30 Triumph Hurdle which has a battle for favouritism between Goshen, Solo and Allmankind, 3 strong contenders and all worthy of the favourite tag, however Solo is the one that has caught my eye, I feel that is the strongest horse going to post, winning by 13 lengths at Kempton last time out.
My 3 Tips - Friday
1:30 - Solo (3/1)
2:10 - Aramon EW (10/1)
3:30 - Clan Des Obeaux (6/1)
