There have been plenty of upsets in the Grade 1 contests on the first three days of the Cheltenham Festival but supporters of Galopin Des Champs will be hoping that trend comes to an end today when this talented nine-year-old gelding goes for a rare hat-trick of wins in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (4 p.m.)
The Willie Mullins-trained and Paul Townend-ridden 9-year-old gelding needs to defeat eight rivals in order to land a first prize for connections of £364,000. In truth, he would want the ground to be softer but the chances are that this odd-on shot will still land the spoils.
A convincing victory today would mean that Galopin Des Champs will inevitably be compared with the legendary Arkle, who won three consecutive runnings of the race from 1964 to 1966. The biggest dangers to Galopin Des Champs today are probably Banbridge, if his stamina holds out, and the heavily-backed Inothewayurthinkin, if he handles the drying ground. Don’t rule out Monty’s Star either, who will like the ground.
I put up Ahoy Senor each way at 50-1 for the race more than two months ago but Lucinda Russell’s gelding has been bitterly disappointing this season, pulling up in both his last two runs. He could make the frame if, after a wind operation, he recaptures his best form from last April, but that’s a big if. I am not going to go double-handed in the race.
In the JCB Triumph Hurdle, the bookies expect the British-trained duo of East India Dock and Lulamba to be fighting out the finish. Of the two, I prefer the latter who looked special when hacking up at Ascot two months ago.
However, at the prices, I would rather be on Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell’s improving four-year-old gelding HELLO NEIGHBOUR, who remains unbeaten after two runs over the flat and two more over hurdles. Back him each way at 15-2 with Unibet, paying three places. A bit like Marine Nationale earlier in the week in the Champion Chase, he looks a rock solid each-way bet bar a mishap.
I have already put up a real long shot in the William Hill County Hurdle (2 p.m.) in the form of Chris Gordon’s Our Champ – suggested each way at 66-1. He should have the decent ground he needs to be at his best but I suspect that one or more of the Irish ‘plot horses’ will dominate the finish.
There are two races today in which I will not be betting: the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (2.40 p.m.) and the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase (4.40 p.m.).
Instead, I really like the look of WENDIGO in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2.40 p.m.) for the Jamie Snowden stable. Snowden’s four runners at the meeting yesterday ran poorly but his horses are generally in good form.
The form of Wendigo’s second to The New Lion at Newbury in December was franked in spades by Dan Skelton’s horse earlier this week (winning the Turners Novices’ Hurdle) and I have no doubt that Wendigo will be even better stepped up in trip.
I put Wendigo up for this race at 14-1 just a week ago but, unusually, I am going to double up on him again on the day of the race, with another 1 point each way at 10-1, four places, with William Hill, Ladbrokes or Coral.
Last but not least on the four-day card is the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (5.20 p.m.), a wide-open contest with no less than 26 runners. Irish trainer Henry de Bromhead had two winners yesterday and his six-year-old gelding, TAPONTHEGO, looks to have been laid out for this race. Back him 1 point each way at 7-1 with bet365, paying six places.
Yesterday’s results were disappointing with just one placed horse from six bets. There are sometimes fine margins between winning and losing in this game: Grozni, put up each way at 50-1 with five places, was beaten just a neck into… sixth.
That’s it from me for the week: as usual, there have been some highs and lows on the betting front, but generally more of the former than the latter. More importantly, there has been endless glorious racing to enjoy.
Yesterday: – 10.1 points
1 point each way Hollygrove Cha Cha at 25-1 for the Mares’ Novices Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Djelo at 16-1 for Ryanair Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way The Wallpark at 9-2 for the Stayers’ Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 4 places. 3rd. – 0.1 points.
1 point each way Path D’Oroux at 16-1 NRNB for the TrustATrader Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Walking On Air at 14-1 NRNB for the Kim Muir Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Grozni at 50-1 for the Kim Muir Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
Pending:
1 point each way Hello Neighbour at 15-2 for the Triumph Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Our Champ at 66-1 for the County Hurdle, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Ahoy Senor at 50-1 NRNB for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Wendigo at 14-1 NRNB for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Wendigo at 10-1 for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 4 places.
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