Cheltenham Day Four - All Over For Another Year

1.20pm – JCB Triumph Hurdle

East India Dock heads the early betting for this year’s Triumph Hurdle and with three wins from three starts over hurdles and some good form on the Flat, I can see why – but I can’t tip every favourite so it may be time to think fractionally outside the box. Nicky Henderson insisted there is very little between Lulamba and Palladium which suggests the bigger priced of the two would have gone close, but a last minute setback means he will not be taking his place in the line-up, but I have opted for a small each way bet one at a much bigger price. J P McManus is nobody’s fool and he paid good money for Larzac after the son of No Risk At All came home a short head second at Auteuil on his one start in France. That was over two furlongs further and on heavy going, but his pedigree suggests he will be much happier on the quicker ground expected here, and at 40/1 with retained jockey Mark Walsh in the saddle, he just looks way to big in the betting to me. 

2.00pm – William Hill County Handicap Hurdle

Willie Mullins has won five of the last 10 renewals of this ultra-competitive handicap and is out for win number six with four runners, and he may well do so again with the classy Absurde, last seen finishing a highly respectable fifth in the Melbourne Cup on the Flat, beaten less than two lengths at the line. He has not been seen in anger since November but they have the facilities to get him spot on for this and if he is at his best, even a mark of 146 may not be too much for him to shoulder. I will be backing him each way with a place getting our money back and a fraction more, while those looking for a bigger priced alternative could do worse than Dan Skelton’s Valgrand who is looking potentially well handicapped if they can get him back to his best.

2.40pm – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase

Nine runners here with six trained in Ireland including the first four in the betting as I write, but dare I say it, not the best field ever assembled at Cheltenham. Dinoblue heads the market after winning for the sixth time over fences at Naas by a neck last time out and possibly looks the likeliest winner, but at 11/10 I leave it up to you whether you see that as any value in a muddle of a race.

3.20pm – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

A big field of 20 runners may see luck in running play its part here, but there are some very good horses involved, with two of them arriving here unbeaten so something has to give. The Big Westerner has won all three of her starts with a point-to-point at Ballycahane followed by a maiden hurdle at Punchestown and a Grade Two at Limerick, and in receipt of 7lb from her male opponents she is an obvious play though I am less convinced the 4/1 is good value. The bookmakers have underestimated French raider Jet Blue at twice the price and if he can brush up his jumping he could be a danger to all at twice the odds for those looking for a bigger priced option.

4.00pm – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase

Oh dear, another odds-on favourite who is difficult to oppose. Galopin Des Champs is yet to get the credit he deserves despite winning this in 2023 and 2024, but after a success in the Irish equivalent last time out, he will be going off at a silly price this afternoon. King George winner Banbridge is next in the betting but he may find his stamina gives out over this trip at the pace it is expected to be run at, though a place still seems likely, while outsiders who are hard to ignore include Ahoy Senor who hasn’t been at his best recently, but arrives here for the in-form Lucinda Russell stable.   

4.40pm – St James’ Place Festival Challenge Cup

A 24 runner Hunter Chase may not be everybody’s cup of tea but having spent some time with pail Nicholls the other week, his enthusiasm for Shearer is catching, and at 11/1 he will do for me – again each way. A four out of four record over fences is not to be sniffed at, winning at Ludlow, Aintree, Ffos Las, and most recently Taunton, and lest we forget, his trainer is also his part owner. This has been the plan for years by all accounts, and with Olive Nicholls in the saddle, I simply cannot resist – can you?

5.20pm – Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle

One last race until we start the countdown to next year, and a tricky one as always as a 24 runner handicap hurdle restricted to Conditional jockeys. Wadhooh arrives with a six out of six record over hurdles for Gordon Elliott and warrants plenty of respect, but plenty of the pre-Festival talk was about the Willie Mullins trained Kopeck De Mee. Bought privately by J P McManus after winning his last three in France for Joel Boisnard culminating in a Listed win at Auteuil, he was originally entered in numerous races here before his handicap mark was revealed, after which connections decided this was his number one pick. It certainly seems connections are pretty happy with his mark for this contest, and punters may end the four days with a winning favourite- unlucky Mr/Mrs bookmaker.