The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30 p.m.) is the highlight of not just the final day of the Cheltenham Festival but this whole glorious week of racing. Yet, again, the Festival has been largely dominated by horses from the other side of the Irish Sea but I hope a British-trained horse will land the £350,00-plus first prize today.
Despite winning twice at the Festival and landing last year’s Randox Grand National, CORACH RAMBLER remains a bit of a mystery in that we still don’t know how good he is at his very best. With his hold-up style, he never wins by more than he has to and he is always best in the spring.
The very soft ground – and hopefully a fast pace – will play to his limitless stamina and we know that he relishes this course and distance from his two wins in the Ultima Handicap Chase over the previous two years.
Scottish handler Lucinda Russell is not simply regarding this as a prep race for the Grand National next month: her ten-year-old gelding will be primed for this contest too. Back him each way at 18-1 with William Hill, BetVictor, Ladbrokes or Coral, all paying three places (there are shorter odds on offer with bookies paying four places).
However, if the ground turned really heavy, Russell might yet pull her horse out of the race: although Corach Rambler handles the conditions, the trainer does not want to give him a really tough race so close to Aintree. In that scenario, all stakes would, of course, be refunded.
I have already put up Bravemansgame each way at 20-1 for this Grade 1 contest and he will go off shorter than that today. However, I fear today’s very soft ground will test his stamina to the limit.
The Irish-trained horses will, of course, be hard to beat. Galopin Des Champs comes here hoping to retain his crown after winning this race last year and he will relish the soft ground. Fastorslow has, however, beaten him in two of their last three races against each other so he comes into the race with a big chance too. Other Irish-trained horses, notably Gerri Colombe and Gentlemansgame, also have a shout.
It’s a case of the more rain, the better for the mudlark Nassalam, the easy winner of this season’s Coral Welsh Grand National in December, while another British-trained hope, L’Homme Presse, is certainly capable of winning this race if returning to his best form of two seasons ago.
In the BetMGM County Hurdle, (2.10 p.m.), Harry Skelton has chosen to ride L’Eau Du Sud over stablemate FAIVOIR but there is no guarantee he is on the right horse if the latter has recovered from his exertions in the Betfair Imperial Cup at Sandown last Saturday, when he was caught on the line after idling in front after the last hurdle.
Faivoir won this race last year off a 2 lbs lower mark and with a good conditional jockey, Tristan Durrell, in the saddle, I want to back him to retain his County Hurdle crown. Faivoir is also 4 lbs ‘well in’ today as he can run off his old mark before being re-handicapped in future for his recent Sandown run.
The suggestion is an each way play at 12-1 with bet365, paying six places. A word of warning though: if Faivoir can’t handle two tough races in just six days – and not that many horses can – he could well feature among the also-rans.
So Scottish is of interest, too, in this race but the combination of his odds halving over the past 24 hours and the fact that the going might be softer than ideal for him means I will stay with just the one bet in the race.
I was tempted to put up Captain Teague and/or Gidleigh Park for the home team against the Irish invaders in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2.50 p.m.) over three miles but I shall pass on both at single-figure prices.
In fact, I am going to put up far fewer bets today – just three in all including my ante-post tip – because it looks by far the trickiest card of the week. I am going nowhere near the last three races on the card as I have no strong fancies in these trappy contests.
Sir Gino’s defection from the Grade 1 JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.30 p.m.) is such a shame for connections – and those who backed him at tasty prices for the race – and this is another race that I will leave alone.
I am pleased to say that yesterday was an even better day than Wednesday on the tipping front with a 20-1 winner (minus the Rule 4 deduction for the Non Runners) and places at 28-1, 25-1 and 20-1 for a handsome profit on the day of 28 points.
Anyway, that’s it from me in terms of my daily Festival blog and I hope a few readers are nicely in profit from the week as a result of it. I would normally have a horse to put up in the bet365 Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter tomorrow (3 p.m.) but it’s going to be a brutal contest. On balance, I will simply watch it to see who is effectively the last man standing after 4 miles 2 furlongs on heavy ground. I will be back next Friday with my usual weekly tipping column.
Pending:
1 point each way Faivoir at 12-1 for the County Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 6 places.
1 point each way Bravemansgame at 20-1 NRNB for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Corach Rambler at 18-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Mahler Mission at 20-1 for the Randox Grand National, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Vanillier at 16-1 for the Randox Grand National, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Panda Boy at 40-1 for the Randox Grand National, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
Settled bets from yesterday:
1 point each way Djelo at 20-1 NRNB for the Turners Novices’ Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. 3rd. + 3 points.
1 point each way Fugitif at 22-1 for the Ryanair Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Home By The Lee at 28-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. 3rd. + 4.6 points.
1 point each way Dysart Enos at 9-2 for the Mares Novices’ Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. NR. Stake returned.
1 point each way Golden Ace at 20-1 for the Mares Novices’ Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. 1st. + 20.4 points (not 24 points due to Rule 4 deduction of 15p in the £).
1 point each way Bowtogreatness at 20-1 NRNB for the Kim Muir, 1/5th odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Git Maker at 25-1 for the Kim Muir, paying 1/5th odds, 6 places. 2nd. + 4 points.
2023-4 jump seasons to date: + 42.01 points.
2023 flat season: – 48.22 points on all tips.
2022-3 jumps season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
My gambling record for the past eight years: I have made a profit in 14 of the past 16 seasons to recommended bets. To a 1 point level stake over this period, the overall profit of has been 475 points. All bets are either 1 point each way or 2 points win (a ‘point’ is your chosen regular stake).
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