After a 23-5 demolition in the Prestbury Cup last season, Irish runners are leading many of the Cheltenham Festival antepost markets. However, the following British runners will hope to upset the visitors’ favourites. GG have previewed the top two British hopes in each of the four championship races alongside Betfair’s Grow Your Roar offer, where customers can build up to £30 in Free Bets for the Cheltenham Festival.
BACK EPATANTE AND SECURE A £10 FREE BET FOR CHELTENHAM
EPATANTE (Champion Hurdle, Tuesday 3.30pm) 8/1
Third to Honeysuckle last year, but champion herself in 2020, EPATANTE remains one of the leading contenders to take down the unbeaten defending heroine.
Epatante looked almost untouchable herself when scuttling away to success two seasons ago, but the emergence of Honeysuckle, coupled with potential back issues hindering her otherwise fluent jumping, ensured she won just once last term. A surprise defeat by Silver Streak in the Christmas Hurdle preceded two third places at Cheltenham and Punchestown.
However, this season, a corner has been turned. A pulsating dead-heat with Not So Sleepy in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle was followed by a routine success in the Christmas Hurdle. That form initially looked weak until the runner-up Glory And Fortune won the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.
Nicky Henderson’s mare goes on any ground and she is in better form than last year. She could well give Honeysuckle considerably more to think about.
BACK TOMMY’S OSCAR AND SECURE A £10 FREE BET FOR CHELTENHAM
TOMMY’S OSCAR (Champion Hurdle, Tuesday 3.30pm) 25/1
You’d have got long odds on TOMMY’S OSCAR being in the top two British hopes for the Champion Hurdle at the start of the season.
However, such has been his improvement that he could suddenly be overpriced at 25/1. While he possesses a far less flashy profile than some of the leading hopes, he has found winning delightfully routine in recent months.
He will be chasing a five-timer in the Champion Hurdle if connections decide to declare. Wins at Haydock, Doncaster and Musselburgh came before a facile step up to Grade 2 level in the Champion Hurdle Trial back at Haydock.
A rating of 156 would ordinarily leave him around a stone short of the top level, but this division is far weaker than in previous seasons. His career strike rate (8/14) is superb and he is no forlorn each-way option.
BACK SHISHKIN AND SECURE A £10 FREE BET FOR CHELTENHAM
SHISHKIN (Queen Mother Champion Chase, Wednesday 3.30pm) 4/6
Even British trainers who aren’t Nicky Henderson may rejoice the presence of SHISHKIN in our lives.
The unbeaten chaser is eerily reminiscent of his two great predecessors, Sprinter Sacre and Altior. As glamorous as the former and as plucky as the latter, his ability to win against adversity, as well as his power to pulverise inferiors, is what makes him the ultimate two-mile chaser.
His victory in a classic Clarence House Chase at Ascot was one of the most exhilarating in recent years. Energumene, who may be a superstar himself, was given the perfect opportunity to beat him by Paul Townend and still found himself a length short.
Cheltenham suits Shishkin very well and though his jumping was not razor sharp last month, he will still take all the beating in the Wednesday showpiece.
BACK NUBE NEGRA AND SECURE A £10 FREE BET FOR CHELTENHAM
NUBE NEGRA (Queen Mother Champion Chase, Wednesday 3.30pm) 10/1
The ultimate dark horse of the Festival, NUBE NEGRA holds the full confidence of Dan Skelton ahead of the Champion Chase.
He was an unfortunate runner-up in last year’s renewal, but set out to put that behind him with an excellent start to this season. He won Cheltenahm’s Shloer Chase with consummate ease, but proved he is far better fresh when disappointing in the Tingle Creek next time out.
Unsurprisingly, he has been kept off the track since and given how electric he has been fresh in recent seasons, a big run is likely on the cards.
That said, he has never faced either Shishkin or Energumene, while an on-song Chacun Pour Soi also has superior form. In an ordinary year, he’d be a very strong candidate for victory, but a place may be all he can hope for if the trio above him in the market show for.
BACK CHAMP AND SECURE A £10 FREE BET FOR CHELTENHAM
CHAMP (Stayers’ Hurdle, Thursday 3.30pm) 9/2
Still vying for favouritism despite a damaging defeat in the Cleeve Hurdle last month, CHAMP is running out of time to live up to his name at the Cheltenham Festival.
He did of course win a memorable RSA Chase in 2020, but the remarkable nature of the finish combined with a hopeless run in the Gold Cup last season, have ensured that this year’s Stayers’ Hurdle takes on extra gravity for connections.
Ascot’s Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle proved a turning point in his career, as that cosy success after a layoff rerouted him to the staying hurdle division. However, Paisley Park’s truly phenomenal defeat of him last time out has to raise questions about his suitability.
Nevertheless, there is no immediate standout in this division and a bigger field may well help him settle better within the pack. If enough resources can be reserved for the hill, he retains comfortably enough ability to have a major say.
BACK THYME HILL AND SECURE A £10 FREE BET FOR CHELTENHAM
THYME HILL (Stayers’ Hurdle, Thursday 3.30pm) 9/2
As with Champ, Philip Hobbs’ THYME HILL seeks a redemption at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
The 2020 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle may have been an absurdly strong race in hindsight, but connections must have been ruing the bad luck Thyme Hill suffered on the run-in. His fourth place to Monkfish remains his last Cheltenham start after injury ruled him out of last year’s race.
He did, however, win Aintree’s Stayers Hurdle in April, while he was the only horse to give Champ something to think about at Ascot in December. He goes well after a break and a sounder surface may well suit his blend of speed and stamina.
There is a chance he has the fewest question marks to answer at the top level heading into the race and it seems almost certain that he will play a part in the finish.
BACK PROTEKTORAT AND SECURE A £10 FREE BET FOR CHELTENHAM
PROTEKTORAT (Cheltenham Gold Cup, Friday, 3.30pm) 8/1
The Gold Cup market initially looks bleak for British hopes, but PROTEKTORAT possesses the most potential in the field.
Still only a seven-year-old, he concluded his novice season with victory at Grade 1 level at Aintree. He may well have won the Paddy Power Gold Cup off top weight on his return had he been closer to the pace.
Connections are unlikely to be dwelling on that narrow defeat however. That is because he destroyed the Many Clouds Chase field on his next start back at Aintree, winning hard held by 25 lengths in desperate conditions.
The form of that contest is desperately weak even by recent British standards, but he could hardly have won more impressively. Given how hard he pulled early in the contest, he may well stay the trip on any ground and he is not one to rule out lightly.
BACK CHANTRY HOUSE AND SECURE A £10 FREE BET FOR CHELTENHAM
CHANTRY HOUSE (Cheltenham Gold Cup, Friday, 3.30pm) 16/1
Say what you like about the manner of some of CHANTRY HOUSE’s victories, but his strike rate over fences is superb at this stage of his career.
He has a 75% win rate in eight starts over the larger obstacles, culminating in his hard-fought victory in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January. That may have been a race he was expected to win more comfortably, but Nico De Boinville cajoled him to success nonetheless.
His best efforts are up to the very tough level, but he would not want the ground to be too quick on the day as a quick pace took him totally off his feet in the King George. The absence of Frodon does at least mean a distinct absence of genuine front-runners.
Nevertheless, Chantry House will have to show a different side to his form, but Nicky Henderson has placed his full faith in him as his Gold Cup representative.
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