We head into Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival, with our top tipster, Daryl Carter bringing eight selections across the days card, which features the highly expected clash between Shishkin and Energumene. Check out Daryl’s tips below, alongside a superb Paddy Power offer, which gives new customers a £10 Free Bet Thru The Card, When they bet on the Ballymore Novice Hurdle.#
STAGE STAR – (1.30 Cheltenham – 1pt each-way, 8/1)
Sir Gerhard is undoubtedly the best horse in this race, but he is unproven over this distance and stepping up in trip five furlongs is no gimmie for a horse that clung on for his life when stealing the Champion Bumper from the front. There wasn’t much hope for this trip when beating Three Stripe Life – who also hasn’t run over this trip – at Leopardstown either, given he was all out there, so a surprise could be incoming.
Journey With Me was poor at Naas last time, and his previous win at Leopardstown was 22 lengths slower than Royal Kahala on the same card, and there is a suspicion he wants deep ground and three miles. STAGE STAR looks a fair each-way price here on the figures he has recorded at Newbury in two starts, and the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle winner is firmly on the upgrade with untapped potential. His bare form is not worth a lot, but his time figures suggest he is a useful horse. He has stamina in abundance and is not short of speed either.
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WHATDEAWANT – (1:30pm Cheltenham – 0.5pt each-way, 20/1)
WHATDEAWANT needs to significantly improve on his latest outing to be involved here, but there are whispers that he wasn’t right that day, and given he represents the sponsors of the race – I know poor reason to take a small punt – he could cause a surprise.
There was talk earlier this season that this horse was the Mullins’ camps’ main hope for the Ballymore. He has been reliant on a strong pace in his two starts by being held up at the rear of the field so he could be better than what we have seen thus far, and a small saver is advised.
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MARS HARPER – 2.50 Cheltenham – 1pt each-way, 25/1) (7 places Betfair, Paddy Power, Bet365, 6 places generally)
MARS HARPER has been on my radar all season and has caught the eye plenty of time running with extreme credit in competitive handicaps but it’s interesting that Gordon Elliott sent him over back in October to take on Camprond at Cheltenham to get a sighter of the track. He was outpaced in a three runner race there when it turned into a tactical sprint which wouldn’t have suited and then went over 3m the next twice in which he failed to stay.
It was an excellent performance at Leopardstown at Christmas when pegged back by subsequent winner Good Time Jonny (running in the Albert Bartlett), and then he caught the eye under no more than hand and heels riding at Navan next time. This 2m5f trip looks right up his street, and there is a bigger performance in him.
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CAMPROND – (2:50pm Cheltenham – 1pt each-way, 8/1) (7 places Betfair, Paddy Power, Bet365, 6 places generally)
CAMPROND has been kept fresh for this after running a blinder in the Greatwood Handicap here earlier in the year, and that form has worked out extremely well. Considering that was run over a trip too short for him, he could have plenty more to come off of this handicap mark of 140 now back up in distance, and he is open to further improvement. This mark looks well within reach.
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DROP THE ANCHOR – (2:50pm Cheltenham – 0.5pt each-way, 9/1) (7 places Betfair, Paddy Power, Bet365, 6 places generally)
DROP THE ANCHOR is a horse I have been keen on for quite some time and this step back up in trip looks like a very good move by connections. He was a huge eye-catcher in the County Hurdle last season and again caught the eye shaping as though he was ready to strike at Leopardstown last time out. He is unexposed at this distance and is an improving eight-year-old, and must be hitting the frame in this contest off this mark of 143.
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DANCING ON MY OWN – (4.50 Cheltenham – 0.5pt each-way, 18/1) (6 places Bet365, Skybet, Paddy Power, Betfair)
DANCING ON MY OWN gets the first time tongue-tie, and his latest run on a right-handed track (jumps left) can be easily written off, and his run behind Blue Lord on his penultimate start, which was a mark protecting exercise and nothing more. He is very unexposed and likes to go hard from the front. He has the back class over hurdles to be involved here.
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GUMBALL – (4:50pm Cheltenham – 0.5pt each-way, 33/1) (6 places Bet365, Skybet, Paddy Power, Betfair)
GUMBALL gave the firm impression there was more to come when we last seen at Ludlow, and he has some strong form from Aintree when running in a Grade 1 contest last year behind Shishkin and Funambule Sivola. He also has excellent course form here when falling two out when looking the winner over Eldorado Allen.
He sits on his lowest handicap mark of 140 since November 2019. He gets cheek-pieces for the first time, and he arrives on the back of a career-high RPR of 149 over fences. He is a wild price.
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BEFORE MIDNIGHT – (4:50pm Cheltenham – 0.5pt each-way, 14/1) (6 places Bet365, Skybet, Paddy Power, Betfair)
BEFORE MIDNIGHT has the ideal profile for this race and could defy this career-high handicap mark after a highly progressive season, Sam Thomas has freshened him up since his excellent Doncaster second to Funambule Sivola – a subsequent Grade 2 winner and that form looks rock solid. He has an excellent piece of course and distance form from earlier this season when bolting up in October, and he ticks all the boxes.
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DARYL CARTER BEST BETS
STAGE STAR – (1.30 Cheltenham – 1pt each-way, 8/1)
WHATDEAWANT – (1:30pm Cheltenham – 0.5pt each-way, 20/1)
MARS HARPER – 2.50 Cheltenham – 1pt each-way, 25/1) (7 places Betfair, Paddy Power, Bet365, 6 places generally)
CAMPROND – (2:50pm Cheltenham – 1pt each-way, 8/1) (7 places Betfair, Paddy Power, Bet365, 6 places generally)
DROP THE ANCHOR – (2:50pm Cheltenham – 0.5pt each-way, 9/1) (7 places Betfair, Paddy Power, Bet365, 6 places generally)
DANCING ON MY OWN – (4.50 Cheltenham – 0.5pt each-way, 18/1) (6 places Bet365, Skybet, Paddy Power, Betfair)
GUMBALL – (4:50pm Cheltenham – 0.5pt each-way, 33/1) (6 places Bet365, Skybet, Paddy Power, Betfair)
BEFORE MIDNIGHT – (4:50pm Cheltenham – 0.5pts each-way, 14/1) (6 places Bet365, Skybet, Paddy Power, Betfair)
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