The Cheltenham Festival is rapidly closing in and our ante-post book is only growing. We are back with more selections to try and grab some early value in the National Hunt Chase and Cross Country Chase.
ANTE-POST OUTLOOK
Here I will list all my advised Ante-Post bets for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival:
- 1st November – LUCCIA (Mares’ Hurdle – 16/1 generally)
- 7th November – ALLAHO (Ryanair Chase – 5/1 generally)
- 15th November – FACILE VEGA (Arkle Chase – 9/2 generally) + GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (Gold Cup – 2/1) – Double pays 15/1 generally
- 21st November – FLOORING PORTER (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – 12/1 generally)
- 28th November – MINELLA COCOONER (National Hunt Chase – 16/1 generally)
- 5th December – CHAPEAU DE SOLEIL (Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – 33/1 generally)
- 19th December – BRECHIN CASTLE (Champion Bumper – 33/1 generally)
- 3rd January – IT’S FOR ME (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – 10/1 generally NRNB)
- 10th January – HERMES ALLEN (Turners Novices’ Chase – 14/1 NRMB)
- 16th January – HIGH CLASS HERO (Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – 12/1 generally NRNB)
- 23rd January – JETARA (Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle – 12/1 generally NRNB)
- 31st January – ARGENTO BOY (Champion Bumper – 16/1 generally NRNB)
- 6th February – PREDATORS GOLD (Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle – 20/1 NRNB)
- 13th February – SALVADOR ZIGGY (National Hunt Chase – 8/1 NRNB)
- 13th February – DELTA WORK (Cross Country Chase – 5/1 NRNB)
ANTE-POST SELECTIONS
We are four weeks out from the opening day at The Festival and we’re starting to get the final pieces to the puzzle in terms of confirmed targets and well-being of horses. On that note, it’s important to reference Willie Mullins Stable Tour where he suggests that MINELLA COCOONER may not come to Cheltenham which scuppers our NH Chase wager. I’m going to throw in an alternative selection for that race PLUS a second suggestion this week.
ANTE-POST SELECTION: NATIONAL HUNT CHASE – SALVADOR ZIGGY (8/1 NRNB generally)
“He hasn’t run since the American Grand National as we decided to keep him fresh for the National Hunt Chase. I’ve always thought that race would suit him, especially if he got some decent ground. He was second in the Kerry National off a mark of 150. That’s solid form.” – Gordon Elliott
There’s been support in the last few days for SALVADOR ZIGGY since trainer Gordon Elliott confirmed he’s on course for the race and it’s always been the plan. He clearly underperformed at Far Hills when a well beaten odds-on favourite, but there are mentions of many reasons why he may have underwhelmed so the healthy break since, coupled with positive comments, would suggest he’s going to do himself justice in March.
It has been a few years since Gordon Elliott won the race, but he was close with CHEMICAL ENERGY last season who finished second, as did RUN WILD FRED the year prior and while Ian Ferguson’s name is on the honours board for 2021 winner GALVIN, Gordon had done all the work and left him to run off a break too. He won the race in 2020 with RAVENHILL and it’s not that far back to list TIGER ROLL in 2017 or CAUSE OF CAUSES in 2015.
SALVADOR ZIGGY was a very good second in last season’s Pertemps final, where I made a case against all who ran in the October qualifier. He was potentially a little unlucky when short of room in the race too, but that’s a big handicap at Cheltenham for you, however I will say he showed me he’s a bit better than I previously gave him credit for. This race will cut up, there will be no congestion issues and while Gordon and bettors would prefer some better ground, that run last year came on soft ground and his Killarney Novice Chase win was on yielding to soft.
I feel EMBASSY GARDENS is clearly Willie Mullins’ best chance. However, he did pull up here in the Albert Bartlett when too keen and potentially the occasion got to him. NICK ROCKETT hasn’t even been round here and has just the 3 chase starts to his name (10 of the last 12 winners had at least 4) and CORBETTS CROSS has shown his quirks on many occasions, plus his fall at Fairyhouse this weekend was in a collision and I’m sure that will have left bruising or at least enough doubt that he’ll have to miss work, and this close to Cheltenham, where he ran out last season, might just mean he doesn’t even line up, so now’s the time to get SALVADOR ZIGGY on board.
ANTE-POST SELECTION: CROSS COUNTRY CHASE – DELTA WORK (5/1 NRNB William Hill)
“I was thrilled with him in the Boyne Hurdle. He was lame after his run at Cheltenham in November and we gave him an easy time for a while after that. That run at Navan will leave him cherry ripe for the Cross Country. He’ll take a bit of beating in it again.” – Gordon Elliott
Another Gordon Elliott selection here and another runner in a race the trainer has a brilliant recent record with five of the last seven against his name but again in 2021 he did all the work with TIGER ROLL when he regained his crown. On that note, we’ve had just the one triple winner of the race which was TIGER ROLL and he’s also the only 11yo to have won this race, although three 12yo’s have but while it was still a handicap.
The reason I want to get DELTA WORK in the book is I think his current top price of 5/1 is absurd and many bookmakers agree with him being as short as 3/1 in places. Now I respect GALVIN as for all he was beaten last year and better ground might help him bridge the gap, and COKO BEACH was impressive on his banks debut and has course form from when finishing second in the Fred Winter. However, the form of that race is hard to trust given that main market rival STATTLER was never travelling and for me see him around the same price as two-time winner DELTA WORK is just simply wrong.
MINELLA INDO is the current favourite for the race, and he too is an 11-year-old but has the Gold Cup title on his CV. I will just comment on his Cross Country debut which came here back in December, where he finished a near six-length fourth. The ground was testing enough, but while it was an impressive weight carrying performance in the context of this race being a non-handicap, he wasn’t staying on in the finish, rather he was out on his legs. He looked the same when second in the Gold Cup as reigning champ and even when he won the race, he appeared to get first run. Now I’m being harsh with using Gold Cup winning and second form to suggest a negative to his chance here, but I recall TIGER ROLL bounding up the hill in the same Handicap prior to winning the 2019 Cross Country and he screamed to be the winner after his effort, whereas I don’t think MINELLA INDO did.
Speaking of Gold Cup form, DELTA WORK was a never nearer 5th when behind AL BOUM PHOTO in 2020 and missed the spring targets due to COVID. However, in the 21/22 season he took that scalp of TIGER ROLL over this trip and on heavy ground before a forgotten 3rd in the Grand National behind NOBLE YEATS. Of course, he won this race again last season then unseated in the Grand National where he was travelling well enough. The relevance of this is that I have no stamina concerns with DELTA WORK, and for me he’s the most likely winner, whereas MINELLA INDO I do worry about the trip that bit more, especially so when his better form has come on more testing ground which he got here last time out.
Performances From Last Week
ALLEGORIE DE VASSY is a serious mare, and it was great to see her back to winning ways on Saturday in the listed Opera Hat. I think she’s every chance of going one better in this year’s mares chase as she has no stamina concerns for me and on her day is as good if not better than any chasing mare in training.
ITS ON THE LINE dug deep when it mattered to hold the late challenge of BILLAWAY in the Hunters Chase at Naas and it magnified the assistance that cheekpieces have provided in the past. I’d fully expect those to be re-applied for his spring campaign and for all that he has his quirks, he’s the one to beat in the Hunters’ Chase to my eye.
SHISHKIN got back to winning ways and while it might not have been as pretty as you’d like, he’s a resilient horse and he looked so much more relaxed and professional for the majority of the race than he has so far this season. I believe there’s some 5/1 with William Hill in the without GALOPIN DES CHAMPS market which looks very tempting at this stage. HITMAN ran well for second and I thought PROTEKTORAT also ran well having done all the donkey work so those pair would have chances in the Ryanair where HITMAN has been confirmed, but PROTEKTORAT is still to be decided.
EDWARDSTONE was peerless in the Game Spirit and I’d suggested in the Weekend Watch that they should send him out from the front as he’s just a better horse than this field which they duly did. He won’t have the same luxury back in Grade 1 company but the Celebration Chase at Sandown towards the end of the season would be a realistic target where he could try the new tactics again.
BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD showed much better jumping ability in the Apples Jade Listed Mares’ Novice Hurdle and for me she’s the one to beat in the Mares Novice proper. The market is tight enough between the front three, so I’d happily wait until the day, but she looks a potential superstar for this sphere, and with LOSSIEMOUTH likely to head to the Champion Hurdle next season, there’s a window for her to go onto much bigger things, but it’s one step at a time.
Coming Up This Week
A busy Saturday is in store, and we’ll start off at Haydock, who hold an 8-race card kicked off with the recently cancelled Listed Mares Hurdle where YOU WEAR IT WELL should be hard to beat. Worth mentioning on her that trainer Jamie Snowden suggested a Coral Cup entry will be made so she’s not certain to run in the Mares Hurdle proper. They also hold the Grade 2 Rendlesham hurdle over 3 miles which looks competitive but unlikely to offer Stayers Hurdle clues while the Prestige Novices Hurdle, another Grade 2, also looks competitive but likely to not be full of Festival clues either.
At Ascot we have the Grade 2 Reynoldstown in which APPLE AWAY will take some stopping in a race typically suited to dour stayers and it has provided form leading into The Festival too. The Grade 1 Ascot Chase is a deep renewal with 4 of the 5 runners rated 160+ but it’s L’HOMME PRESSE who is an ods-on favourite and rightly so as he continues his path to The Gold Cup.
At Wincanton it’s the Grade 2 Kingwell hurdle for which RUBAUD is currently favourite and back on a Flatter track he should be seen to better effect. Rivals could include, GOSHEN, NEMEAN LION, GUARD YOUR DREAMS and UNDER CONTROL with the latter a clear standout for a handicap at the festival off her current mark of 138.
Over in Ireland, Gowran Park holds the Red Mills Chase, a Grade 2 over 2m 4f where FERNY HOLLOW holds an entry having not been seen for some 783 days. The stable also have SAINT SAM in contention who hasn’t been since falling last time out.
Staying in Ireland for Sunday, Punchestown has a nice Listed Novice hurdle race where NO FLIES ON HIM will be bidding to back up an impressive hurdle debut. JIGORO, LOMBRON and TULLYHILL could bid to prevent him doing so.
Looking For More Racing Info? Check Out Our Racecards & Top Tips Sections
Make sure you’re following us on all our social media platforms to keep up to date with all the latest horse racing news and the best tips.