January 15th, 2014 | 
Author: The racing on the Monday preceding any Cheltenham Festival inevitably has the feel of the…
Champion Hurdle hope
The 2014 Cheltenham Festival is looming large on the jumps racing world and with many race entrants entering the final stages of their preparation, the cards and markets are taking shape. The Festival will take place over four days from Tuesday 11th March until Friday 14th March with some of the jumps racing calendar’s premier events, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle, making up an exciting 27 race schedule.
Day One
The very first race of the festival is the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, with Vautour shading favouritism at 8/1. Several entrants raced in the rearranged Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday 11th January, with favourite The Liquidator taking a hit in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle betting with a disappointing outing. The eventual winner, Royal Boy, ridden by jockey A.P. McCoy who recently passed 4,000 career wins, is now 12/1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
The second race of day one is the ever-popular Arkle Challenge Trophy, with Champagne Fever leading the market at 5/1, although third-favourite Felix Yonger has seen his price shorten recently and is now available at a best price 8/1.
The highlight of day one is the Champion Hurdle, and The New One (3/1), Hurricane Fly (10/3) and My Tent Or Yours (4/1) will battle it out for favouritism right until the off. Trainer Dessie Hughes’ Champion Hurdle hope Our Conor will be hoping to overcome niggling injuries to get back to his best and is currently available at 8/1 with Coral.
Day Two
Day two at the 2014 Cheltenham Festival is no doubt headlined by the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Nicky Henderson’s superstar steeplechaser Sprinter Sacre is a heavy odds-on favourite for this year’s race, and will be looking to recover in time from being pulled-up in the Desert Orchid Chase on December 27th 2013 due to an irregular heartbeat.
Day Three
The third day will see Cue Card attempt to defend his crown in the Ryanair Chase, with last year’s winner currently a warm favourite at 5/2. Following this, the day’s feature race, the World Hurdle, will set the stage for the very best staying hurdlers to compete over three miles, and Big Buck’s, the winner of four of the last five World Hurdles, is favourite to win again, available at 5/2 ahead of a star-studded field.
Day Four
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the highlight of not only the fourth and final day, but of the entire 2014 Cheltenham Festival, and last year’s winner, Bobs Worth, is favourite to repeat his success. The Nicky Henderson trained 8-year-old is a 2/1 favourite, just shading Silviniaco Conti, who is available at 7/2.