Cheltenham Tips
- Barlovento (12.05, Cheltenham) – 1pt win @ 3/1 (bet365)
- Minella Yoga (12.40, Cheltenham) – 1pt win @ 9/4 (Betfred)
- Uncle Bert (13.15, Cheltenham) – 1pt each-way @ 11/1 (Ladbrokes)
- Impose Toi (15.35, Cheltenham) – 3pts win @ 10/11 (BetVictor)
- Kripticjim (16.10, Cheltenham) – 0.5pts each-way @ 20/1 (BetVictor)
All eyes are on Cheltenham with bettors hoping to collect a few nuggets of Festival information from the eight-race Trials Day card. Let’s take a look at my Cheltenham tips and the latest odds from betting sites for five of the races.
Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase (Cheltenham, 12.05)
For whatever reason, I’ve always looked forward to this race on the calendar, even though it isn’t really one that’s gone on to provide loads of Festival winners.
Even so, it’s still that great test of a novice chaser around this circuit and there are some improving horses among those entered. I’m not surprised that Jordan’s Cross is the ante-post favourite on horse racing betting sites and he may well have won here on the Old Course but for falling at the last in the race won by his stablemate, the reopposing Kdeux Saint Fray, last November. He’s done nothing wrong either side of that in winning at both Aintree and most recently, Kempton.
However, I just prefer the improving BARLOVENTO who may well prove good enough to win. He’s on the up after a close second at Exeter on his chase debut (2m3f, good to soft) and then a Kempton win (2m4f, good) last time.
Connections have gone of the record suggesting they think this is his optimum trip but his pedigree also suggests that he won’t be found wanting for stamina on this stiffer New Course. He looks the value bet in the contest.
Cheltenham tip 1: Barlovento – 1pt win @ 3/1 (bet365)
JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Cheltenham, 12.40)
The favourite Maestro Conti is a worthy one on the strength of his Kempton win last time and he’s only 10/1 on some betting apps for the Triumph itself in a few weeks’ time. With improvement likely, he may emerge on top again but he’s a skinny price and better value may be with MINELLA YOGA.
Paul Nicholls has been there and done it all and he’s not one for trumpeting his horses too loudly, given the brilliance of some of his former inmates. So, when he gets excited, we should take it seriously.
They must have thought a fair bit about this Fairyhouse winner because he and Highflyer Bloodstock weighed in to the tune of £360,000 to buy him soon after that November debut win.
Seven weeks later, he made his debut for team Ditcheat and his trainer was not afraid to pitch him in against Act Of Innocence, the 2/7 favourite (who also runs later on today’s card) at Newbury last month.
He beat that opponent fair and square that day, the pair of them drawing well clear of the remainder and, while it’s early days, he looks to have the potential to be one of the best inmates in Paul Nicholls’ yard for some time.
He’s entered for the Triumph and is currently has Cheltenham odds of 20/1 for that and he’s coming here for some track experience and to prove he’s worthy of a place in that line-up. There’s plenty of size about him and his Newbury win suggested he’s not short on speed, so there could be a fair bit of improvement to come again this time and I’ll look forward to seeing how he comes up the hill.
Cheltenham tip 2: Minella Yoga – 1pt win @ 9/4 (Betfred)
Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (Cheltenham, 13.15)
A really good field of handicappers assembles for this £100,000 contest, with Jagwar, who won the opener on today’s card last year before going on to win the Plate, heading the ante-post market.
JP McManus’s charge was not beaten far into third in the December Gold Cup over this C&D, when he continued his upward trajectory but with another 1lb on his back, there has to be some concern that the handicapper is beginning to take his measure.
At around 2/1 on horse racing betting apps, I think we are able to take him on and I think there’s definitely some value in the 11/1 on offer about UNCLE BERT, who came down late on when beaten in the Welsh National last time but had preceded that with an eased down Aintree success over 2m4f (soft) last month.
He remains unexposed and on the evidence of that Aintree performance, he still looks well in here, provided he is over his Chepstow exertions. You’ve got to respect the Twiston-Davies team wherever they send their runners but if there’s one track where they have been great at producing winners, it’s here.
Booster Bob, Javert Allen and last year’s winner Moon D’Orange (who is 1lb lower than his success but doesn’t arrive in the same form as 12 months ago) are all respected opponents.
Cheltenham tip 3: Uncle Bert – 1pt each-way @ 11/1 (Ladbrokes)
Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle (Cheltenham, 15.35)
This is probably the one race of the day that genuinely is a Festival trial on a regular basis, with Thistlecrack, Uknowwhatimeanharry and Paisley Park all going on to enjoy Stayers’ Hurdle success a few weeks after landing this.
Regulars will know I’ve put up IMPOSE TOI for the big day as part of my Cheltenham ante-post tips and I’ve since nothing since then to change my opinion. Strong Leader is a very good opponent who should make a real race of this and it could be what both of them need six weeks or so before the big one. My selection has beaten him on their last two starts, most recently in Ascot’s Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle and although he’s a shade of odds-on here, I think he is the better horse by just enough to win again.
If, like me, you’re an Impose Toi fan and haven’t already backed him for the Stayers’ Hurdle, then I’d advise doing so before this race. He is still available at 11/2 in places.
Cheltenham tip 4: Impose Toi– 3pts win @ 10/11 (BetVictor)
AIS Novices’ Hurdle (Cheltenham, 16.10)
It’s very interesting that Nicky Henderson chooses to bypass the earlier two mile race and a second clash with his recent Newbury conqueror Minella Yoga and step up to 2m4f here with Act Of Innocence.
The Seven Barrows team won’t be doing that for fun and perhaps think that, after he looked likely to win that day but was outpaced on the run-in, he doesn’t have the speed for a Supreme.
Either way, he’s up in trip here and given that I’ve tipped Minella Yoga earlier on the card, I have a huge amount of respect for the favourite here.
However, he’s priced up as if the layers really don’t want to take any chances and for me he can win this at less than 2/1 if he’s good enough. Instead, I’d rather look for some potential value and I think we could have that in KRIPTICJIM.
Team Tizzard won this in 2020 with Harry Senior and this six-year-old has looked pretty green in winning a maiden hurdle at Ascot (2m3f, good) and then defying a penalty to add to that at Newbury (2m4f, good to soft) last month.
Joe Tizzard has chosen now to pitch him in at Grade 2 level and there is actually not much more than three or four pounds between his form and that of the favourite here, yet he is a much bigger price.
He wears a first-time tongue-tie this time and if he can jump with a little more fluency, I don’t think he’ll be stopping if he’s still in the first half dozen at the foot of the hill. I think he’s a small each-way play.
Cheltenham tip 5: Kripticjim (16.10, Cheltenham) – 0.5pts each-way @ 20/1 (BetVictor)
Free Cheltenham bets
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There’s no need to opt in to the offer, just place a wager on the race and if your selection finishes in the top four but doesn’t win, you’ll receive a free bet refund, up to a maximum of £10.
Only the win part of any each-way bets will be credited back to LiveScore Bet punters.
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