1.30pm – Marceau can start magical day for Mullins with another Triumph success
The best juveniles around get the chance to strut their stuff in the opening race on day 4, the Grade 1 JBC Triumph Hurdle over the minimum trip. Willie Mullins has had a stranglehold on this division all season and subsequently has the top three in the market. Blood Destiny has been well supported in recent weeks and comes here nice and fresh having swerved the Dublin Racing Festival. The form of his first win for Mullins looks strong with the five length second, Sir Allen, winning twice since. Blood Destiny duly bolted up on his last start, but that form is hard to take literally. He was given an easy uncontested lead with none of the horses in behind wanting to get close to him, undoubtedly with handicap marks in mind. Boodles winner Jazzy Matty was one of those horses! Triumph hurdle winners tend to be stayers further down the line and this fella certainly looks a big, strong galloping type. He will need to be extremely good to concede weight to his two smart stablemates, Lossiemouth and GALA MARCEAU 9/2. Last seen locking horns at the Dublin Racing Festival, Lossiemouth was severely hampered in running, falling back through the pack, before being forced to come wind round the bend. She duly made up plenty of ground but couldn’t catch Gala Marceau who powered away for victory, reversing the form from Christmas. Lossiemouth went down as unlucky loser, but I don’t think Gala Marceau has been given the credit she deserves. In her two starts to date she has absolutely tanked through the contests, before somehow finding a powerful finishing kick. I have no doubt she took a step forward from her first run and can improve again here. I believe Lossiemouth has more natural speed, but I think the Triumph may really suit Gala Marceau. Blood Destiny could make this a proper end to end gallop, hopefully helping Gala Marceau to settle in behind a strong pace. She took a fair bit of pulling up the last day, so stamina shouldn’t be an issue and I can see her tanking into the contest and outstaying her rivals up the run-in. Interestingly, Willie has opted to give her a hood for the first time, which could help her settle. With good form on heavy ground in France, any rain that does come won’t be an issue and at the prices, she’s definitely my idea of the best bet in the race.2.10pm – Take on McManus hot pot with two long shots
Next up on the card we have the McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle over two miles and a furlong. Filey Bay has obvious claims after a good second in the Betfair Hurdle, but I am going to take him on with a pair of outsiders who look overpriced to me. Henry De Bromhead has had an excellent week to date, winning the Mares Hurdle with Honeysuckle before saddling Maskada to Grand Annual glory. His horses appear to be peaking at the right time and I think BALLYADAM 22/1 can outrun his odds here. He was an unlucky fifth in the race last year and would no doubt have finished a little closer had he not been hampered on the turn for home. He finished sixth lengths behind State Man giving him 3lbs. The form of that County Hurdle looks rock solid, and he has a 6lb pull at the weights with last year’s runner up First Street. Ballyadam has had just the one run this winter, finishing four and a half lengths behind Ballymore second Gaelic Warrior in receipt of just 1lb. He is entitled to improve for that outing and there’s lots to like about his course and distance form. He has long been a horse with a lofty reputation, and I think he has the talent to land one of these major handicaps. GLORY AND FORTUNE 50/1 was the other horse I am going to chance at a wild price. Last seen in the Betfair Hurdle, he shouldered top weight and was ridden out the back on rattling quick ground. He never stood any chance of getting seriously involved and was subsequently given an easy time of things. Nothing came from off the pace that day and given he had been novice chasing, I suspect it may have been a run to blow away the cobwebs over hurdles. The handicapper has given him a big chance dropping him down to 144, which is just 1lb higher that his mark when winning the Betfair Hurdle last year. That piece of form reads extremely well now. Glory And Fortune beat I Like To Move giving him 5lbs, whilst the third-placed horse First Street, went on to finish second behind State Man in this race last season. Glory And Fortune didn’t enjoy chasing at all and should be much more at home over the smaller obstacles. The handicapper has given him a huge chance and it is worth remembering a year ago he was fourth in the Champion Hurdle, beaten under nine lengths by the legend Honeysuckle. Tom Lacey has his string in excellent form, currently striking at 33% and his only runner this week, Tea Clipper, was a very good sixth in the Ultima, outrunning his starting price of 33/1. At the prices, I am willing to take a chance on Glory And Fortune bouncing back to form off a very attractive handicap mark.2.50pm – Brag can land the Bartlett for team Cullentra
The stayers of the novice hurdle division lock horns in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett over three miles. Corbetts Cross heads the betting for canny operator Emmet Mullins. Dropped back down to the minimum trip for his prep run, he highlighted his class with a good success over the useful Found A Fifty. JP McManus clearly liked what he saw and privately bought him for what I imagine would be a small fortune. The Albert Bartlett isn’t the slog plenty of people make it out to be. Horses quite often need to be able to quicken and show a turn of foot up the Cheltenham hill. Corbetts Cross has proven he has gears to match stamina but there’s another I like in here with proven form over shorter. THREE CARD BRAG 4/1 appears to be crying out for this step up to three miles, but he was classy enough to comfortably beat the reopposing Sandor Clegane over two miles at Galway on his hurdles debut. Kept at the minimum trip for his next start, Three Card Brag rattled home late in the day, and it was no surprise to see him stepped up in trip for his next start. Now over the intermediate distance, Three Card Brag once again powered home to nearly chin Supreme Novice Hurdle fourth, Inthepocket, on the line. Dublin Racing Festival Grade 1 runner up, Absolute Notions, was back in third that day so the form has a very solid look to it. Three Card Brag went on to beat Spanish Harlem (current favourite for the Martin Pipe) in his prep run for Cheltenham and again finished off his race strongly over the intermediate trip. He should relish the test of an Albert Bartlett and clearly possess that crucial kick you can sometimes require. Any rain that does fall would be a huge plus to him and I think we could be looking at a Gold Cup horse in time.3.30pm – Gold Cup glory awaits Galopin Des Champs
The big one is next on the card. National Hunt Racing’s most prestigious prize and the one race every jockey, trainer, and owner dreams about winning, The Gold Cup. Run over a unique trip of three miles, two and a half furlongs, the Gold Cup is a test like no other. Horses must have the pace to keep a good early position along with the stamina to find extra up the famous Cheltenham Hill. This year’s renewal looks a strong one with two previous Gold Cup winners, the current King George champ and defending Grand National winner all set to line up. Incredibly my selection and current favourite, GALOPIN DES CHAMPS 15/8 isn’t one of those horses! That in itself is a clue to how much ability this horse possesses, and I think we could be looking at a potential great. Galopin Des Champs really got the racing world talking with a flawless round of jumping on his fencing debut last season at Leopardstown. He was awesome! He went on to destroy Bob Olinger in the Turners before taking an unlucky final flight fall but gained compensation with a Grade 1 win at Fairyhouse a few weeks later. The big question mark heading into the season and the question mark that remains for a few pundits, is will he stay the trip? An exuberant jumper in his novice days, Galopin Des Champs has looked a much more mature horse this season, sitting just off the pace, to win both the Grade 1 John Durkan and Irish Gold Cup. The Mullins camp have managed to get him to completely switch off during races and despite him having to rally last time out he powered away from Grade 1 winners and in true Golpin Des Champs fashion couldn’t be pulled up after the line. I have no doubt he will stay the trip and believe he will confirm himself as the best chaser in training. Last year’s impressive winner A Plus Tard has huge question marks to answer after being pulled up in the Betfair Chase. His prep has been far from ideal, and I don’t believe there is a lot to like about his current price. King George winner, Bravemansgame, arguably has the best form on offer this season and certainly has a chance, but I can’t shake the feeling he could just be a flat track bully. If the rain does come down, I would also have ground concerns for him, especially around Cheltenham. Last season’s National Hunt Chase winner Stattler is one I will be looking out for in the place markets alongside Minella Indo whose festival record reads 1212. If I had to nominate a main danger to Galopin Des Champs, it would be Ahoy Senor. Lucinda Russel’s enigmatic chaser bounced back to form with a gutsy win in the Cotswold Chase last time and will relish the unique test a Gold Cup throws at a horse. His jumping is a major concern though and he could be one to watch out for in the in-play markets. Should he get into a rhythm over the first few fences, he could be hard to peg back.4.10pm – Take a chance on Chris for Dream result in the Hunters’ Chase
Run over the same course and distance as the Gold Cup, amateur jockeys get a chance to shine in the St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup. Vaucelet is the short priced favourite and is very much the young, improving horse in the division. The recent rain that has fallen is a small concern with the vast majority of his form coming on a sounder surface. The fact connections have opted not to declare last year’s runner-up, Winged Leader, is surely a sign of confidence and he looks the most likely winner. At the prices, in a race of this nature, I believe he is worth taking on. Defending Champion Billaway has form figures of 221 in this race and looks sure to go well again, despite being an 11-year-old. He may not be quite as a good as he once was though and I will take a chance on CHRIS’S DREAM 10/1 for Henry De Bromhead. Rated 165 in his prime, Chris’s Dream is certainly the classiest horse in the race. Despite finishing 10th in the 2020 Gold Cup, he was only beaten just over 18 lengths and a reproduction of that run here, would see him go extremely close. His last two runs have resulted in impressive Point To Point wins and Henry’s yard appear to be peaking at the right time. At the prices, I believe he’s the each way player in the race.4.50pm – Ricci set to unleash another monstrous mare
The penultimate race of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival sees two potentially very smart mares go head-to-head in the Grade 2 Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase. Having advised Allegorie De Vassy at 25/1 ante-post, I am certainly fearful of the very impressive Impervious for trainer Colm Murphy. A perfect 3/3 over fences, Impervious has improved considerably for the switch to larger obstacles. Her form against the geldings looks rock solid and Journey With Me franked her form, winning a Grade 3 at Naas next time out. Impervious is the solid option out of the two and her professionalism could be crucial, but I am going to stay loyal to ALLEGORIE DE VASSY 13/8. She was electric on chasing debut and physically looks a powerful chasing type. Her second start was equally impervious in terms of her ability shown but she did raise serious question marks in the jumping department. She jumped right at times and nearly chucked Townend off at the first. There can be no denying this is a concern coming to Cheltenham, but I think her talent will get her over the line. Despite jumping right, she remained extremely quick through the air, and I think sitting in behind Magic Daze could really help her settle and jump straight. Henry De Bromheads bold front runner should ensure they go decent gallop, and she is dangerous off the front end in receipt of weight. Dinoblue ran a very creditable race in the Grand Annual, giving Magic Daze’s form a decent boost. Stamina is my concern for her, and I would be disappointed if one of the market principles cant pick her off up the Cheltenham hill.5.30pm – Imagine can land the lucky last
The 2023 Cheltenham Festival comes to an end with the fiftieth renewal of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle. Won by the likes of Galopin Des Champs, Don Poli and Sir Des Champs, this handicap has a rich history of producing proper Grade 1 horses. Spanish Harlem has been well backed in the past few weeks and a few have been quick to make comparisons between him and stablemate Galopin Des Champs. Gun claimer Mikey O’Sullivan takes the ride, and I can see him being very well supported on the day. Another horse who has been well backed is IMAGINE 6/1 for the Cullentra master, Gordon Elliott. An impressive winner of the same bumper a certain Mighty Potter won twelve months earlier, Imagine has been the model of consistency over hurdles this season. Form figures of 1222 highlight this and I believe he is well treated off a mark of 139. He beat Spillane’s Tower on debut who went on to win his next start and his three runs since have seen him place in and around some very classy types. Running exclusively over two miles, I thought it was interesting to see him declared for the Lawlors Of Naas over two miles and four furlongs in January, only to be a non-runner on the day, due to the heavy going. Having twice won on heavy ground, I wondered if connections had his handicap mark in mind. His pedigree suggests he will improve for this step up in trip, and I keep thinking back to his bumper where he was doing all his best work in the final furlong. Gordon Elliott believes he’s on a nice handicap mark and I think he could be dangerously well handicapped. Let’s hope Imagine can give us a winner in the final race of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.Cheltenham Day 4 Tips
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