Three weeks remain until the start of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. The time for ante-post betting is almost over.
Matty Sutcliffe’s latest selection for his ante-post portfolio is here, with just a couple more to come. His latest tip could run in the Plate Handicap Chase at a significant price.
TrustATrader Plate Handicap – Jungle Boogie 80/1 (NRNB) 1pt EW 4 places
With the entries for the Cheltenham Festival being released yesterday, I thought I’d cast my eye over some of the races I’ve yet to entertain for the ante-post series and given we had success with Shakem Up’Arry two years ago in the Plate, I’ve spent a long while deliberating a viable selection for the contest.
The contest very rarely seems to attract the higher calibre of contenders with it tending to unfold as an extended version of the multitude of 2m4f handicap chases across at Cheltenham across the season, as demonstrated by three of the last four winners adopting Veteran status and the one entry that caught my eye was the 12-year-old Jungle Boogie. Now, advising to part cash (albeit NRNB should the selection fail to declare) with a twelve year old wouldn’t appear the most logical bet for a festival race with sixty six runners entered, so a long winded thought process (some of which I’ve touched on already) has required to ensure readers my sanity is still well intact.
The Gold Well gelding has had just ten starts under rules in his career, documenting his fragile nature, but with five of those being winning ones his talent is evidently there. He went three from three for Willie Mullins at the start of his career with starting prices of 4/5F, 2/13F and 5/6F, before switched to Henry De Bromhead and making an adequate return to action on yard debut from a 708 day lay-off.
Jungle Boogie then duly came on from that effort to win the Savills Chase on New Year’s Day, before attracting support for the Gold Cup. He was ridden to get the trip in rear there and I thought he ran a huge race to finish sixth beaten twenty lengths. He pulled the arms off Rachel Blackmore throughout, but he caught the eye travelling strongly making ground to latch on to the heels of the prominent racers before all but ending his chances with a mistake three out. I don’t think he would’ve got an awful amount closer had he not made that mistake as it appeared to be a tired one after exerting a terrible amount of energy throughout, nor did he look to see the testing trip out.
He was off for another 281 days prior to proving that run was no fluke when making all in impressive fashion at Ascot jumping impressively albeit left throughout, a performance which can be upgraded given the aforementioned tendency to shift the other way. It’s worth noting that was only three runs ago and while the form figures wouldn’t suggest so, there have been positives and ways to draw a line through those efforts.
The first came in the Ryanair where he began strongly, jumping well from the front, but I thought Danny Mullins, who I generally consider to be an entirely underrated jockey, gave up far too easily on Jungle Boogie once taken on for the lead as the moment he refrained from being aggressive and reined in Jungle Boogie, conceded defeat immediately with his jumping going to pot.
He then returned from another 294-day layoff in the hands of Venetia Williams in January, and given what a torrid three months she’s had with the overwhelming majority of her runners dropping like flies in the closing stages, his performance can be marginally upgraded despite the finishing position. Jungle Boogie initially jumped off in rear under Charlie Deutsch but having jumped with aplomb over the first eight, he found himself towards the head of affairs. Jungle Boogie jumped three out in the lead and alongside the eventual winners Matata he was travelling as well as anything, but he conked out in the same vain as the majority of the yards runner had around that period.
That race has proved a good guide for horses running well in the Plate in recent years with Shakem Up’Arry landing the double in 2024 which bodes well, and it was a similar performance at Ascot last time out for all he once again jumped left throughout, and dropped out markedly late on.
Of course we have to consider whether there’s an element of he’s not the force of old as opposed it merely being down to yard form hence why he’s 80/1, but his Ascot triumph was just four starts ago and the yard have eventually had two winners from their last five runners (12/1 and 5/2), so hopefully they can find form. Venetia Williams has won the Plate Handicap three times and while none of them were Veteran’s, Carrickboy won the race in 2013 after pulling up at Wincanton on his prior start and Idole Boy won it in 2007 after being beaten thirty two lengths on his previous start, so she can bring them back after a dismal display to peak here.
He’s dropped to a mark of 148, 6lbs below his peak an with his peak RPR’s of 163 and 162 coming in two of his last five starts, should this talented horse return to form in March at a track he’s clearly capable of performing well around then this could be one of the bets of the meeting.
FAQs: Cheltenham Festival ante-post tips
When & where is the Plate Handicap Chase run?
The Plate Handicap Chase will take place on Tuesday 10 March 2026 at 4.40pm at the Cheltenham Festival.
When was this Cheltenham ante-post tip published?
This Cheltenham ante-post tip was published at 1.40pm on Wednesday 18 February 2026.
Who is Matty Sutcliffe?
Matty Sutcliffe is one of GG’s newest contributors and is now a regular guest on our flagship Weekend Watch podcast. His angle is value bets, making him a perfect fit for our Cheltenham Festival ante-post series.
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