The Cheltenham Festival is now over for another 12 months, and last week threw up some performances that will live long in the memory. Our Racing Editor has taken an early look at the 2023 markets, identifying four horses at double-figure prices that he thinks are ante-post value. Check out his thoughts below, alongside an exclusive Virgin Bet offer that provides new customers with £20 in free bets when they bet £10.
JONBON – Arkle Novices’ Chase 12/1
Constitution Hill demolished his rivals in the Supreme last week, and he looks a superstar in the making. His connections are mooting the idea of taking on Honeysuckle at the Punchestown Festival and that suggests that Constitution Hill will be plotting a Champion Hurdle campaign next year.
That opens up the 2m novice chasing division, and at 12/1, Jonbon rates the advised play at this stage.
This half-brother to Douvan chased home his stablemate at Prestbury Park last week, and that performance can be significantly upgraded considering that Jonbon chased the ferocious pace set by Dysart Dynamo. A chase campaign beckons next season, and he has the size and scope to make up into a top-class operator in that discipline.
Although being a former point winner, Jonbon could step up in distance next season, his free nature suggests that he’d be best kept to the minimum trip next year, particularly with Sir Gerhard a potential rival in the 2m4 Turners.
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AMERICAN MIKE – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle 10/1
A partially waterlogged track couldn’t prevent hot favourite Facile Vega from landing the Champion Bumper on Wednesday, yet the performance of the second that day, American Mike caught the eye, with the dual bumper scorer staying on for second having travelled powerfully into his race.
That performance marked American Mike down as a horse who found 2m the bare minimum and stepping up to 2m5f for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle looks his obvious port of call at next year’s Festival.
American Mike is related to a number of winners over intermediate distances and whilst his dam stayed 3m her Grade 3 win came over 2m6f.
Gordon Elliott tends to target his best novices at the Ballymore, with the likes of Envoi Allen and Samcro taking that race for the trainer in recent seasons, and it’s notable that the 135 RPR posted by American Mike for that Bumper second is only 3lb off the rating Sir Gerhard registered for winning the previous year’s race, with Sir Gerhard obviously going on to take the Ballymore last week.
It’s a surprise to see American Mike currently trading at 10/1 for that assignment.
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THREE STRIPE LIFE – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase 14/1
Looking back at the Ballymore and having looked outpaced turning for home it was very promising to see another Gordon Elliott horse, Three Stripe Life stay on to be beaten just three and a half lengths.
That was the previous year’s Champion Bumper fourth’s first run at the trip, and it indicated that even further would see him to best effect.
Whilst his options for next season remain up in the air, given his yard chasing is expected to be on the agenda and whilst Three Stripe Life probably lacks the class to be winning Grade 1s at 2m-2m4f in that sphere, stepping up to 3m in what looks an open division should see this gelding to best effect.
Being related to 3m winners Ballyshannon Rose and Sealous Scout adds further weight to that theory, whilst a 12l point win over the now 146-rated Minella Drama is a serious piece of form and gives the impression that the best is firmly still to come from Three Stripe Life.
He’s available at 14/1 for next year’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, and that price is a little too big to ignore.
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BLAZING KHAL – Stayers’ Hurdle 25/1
Flooring Porter retained his Stayers’ Hurdle crown last week and the amount of black and white scarves that were circulating around Prestbury Park suggests the victory was not unexpected.
Whilst Gavin Cromwell’s charge is a cracking horse, however, there is a niggling suspicion that the staying hurdles scene is simply not that strong at present and having delved into the market for the 2023 renewal, Blazing Khal stands out at his current 25/1 odds.
Charles Byrnes’ gelding was a perfect 3-3 over hurdles and vying for favouritism for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle before injury curtailed his campaign.
Whilst Punchestown was considered, connections have instead decided to keep Blazing Khal fresh for next season, and whilst it seemingly hasn’t yet been decided which avenue he will take (chasing or hurdling) his curtailed hurdles campaign might lead connections to at least starting him off over the smaller obstacles when he makes his belated reappearance.
A perfect 2-2 record at Cheltenham, the latter victory coming over the same course and distance as the Stayers’, it was particularly interesting to see one of the horses that Blazing Khal comfortably saw off last time, Ballygrifincottage, run a fine race to finish fourth in the Albert Bartlett last week. That form suggests that Blazing Khal would have, at a bare minimum, have been fighting out the finish at Cheltenham last week, and that suggests that the 25/1 available for the Stayers’ Hurdle is well worth taking a punt on.
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OTHER NOTABLE MENTIONS
He might be a best priced 5/2 for next year’s Ryanair already, but Allaho still could prove good value at that price considering that his latest Ryanair victory came at odds of 4/11F and with his 2022/23 campaign likely to revolve around a return to Prestbury Park.
Allaho played a part in helping his owners Cheveley Park from claiming Cheltenham’s top owners crown, and a good week for that team could have been even better if Ferny Hollow had been fit to take his chance in the Arkle Novices’ Chase. Willie Mullins’s 2020 Champion Bumper winner has now missed the last two Festivals through injury but his form in the interim marks him down as a major player in the Queen Mother Champion Chase next season. If he wasn’t as fragile odds of 8/1 for that contest would almost certainly be shorter.
It was yet another Henry De Bromhead 1-2 in this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, yet there appears to be a whole host of challengers ready to threaten that in 2023, and at the prices, Ahoy Senor catches the eye at odds of 20/1. Lucinda Russell’s charge has enjoyed a solid novice chase campaign without ever looking 100% fluent at his fences, and if that technique can improve upon between now and next March, he could line up at Prestbury Park a horse far shorter in the market.
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