UK Horse Racing Tips

The finest trainers, jockeys and horses in the National Hunt scene will descend upon Cheltenham to vie for glory from 10-13 March. There will be around £4.5 million in prize money up for grabs, and the prestige associated with winning there is huge, so jumps racing fans can look forward to some exciting contests. The ante post betting action will ramp up significantly in the weeks ahead, and these are the key runners to consider:

Lostintranslation

Colin Tizzard’s eight-year-old announced himself as a force to be reckoned with when he surged to victory in the Betfair Chase back in November. It was his third win in a row and it followed a superb performance in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree.

He went off as the heavily backed 15/8 second favourite for the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, but jockey Robbie Power was forced to pull him up. The jockey said he felt flat and struggled with his jumping, but Lostintranslation has since had his palate cauterised and Tizzard is upbeat about his chances of success at Cheltenham.

Lostintranslation will now go straight to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup without a prep race. He should be nice and fresh for the big race and the price on him may drift in the weeks ahead. He is currently around the 7/1 mark, and that makes him a great each-way option for the Gold Cup. Tizzard is optimistic that he can draw a line under that lacklustre performance in the King George, and Lostintranslation is perfectly capable of showing his rivals a clean set of heels in March.

Tiger Roll

The legendary Tiger Roll will bid for a third consecutive Cross Country Chase victory at Cheltenham this year. It will be an important stepping stone en route to Aintree, where he will aim to secure an unprecedented third straight triumph in the Grand National.

Tiger Roll is generally the smallest horse in the field – dubbed “a little rat of a thing by owner Michael O’Leary, the Ryanair boss – but he has the heart of a lion. He has consistently proven his stamina, determination and ability to thrive over an epic trip, and he will be one of the most popular selections among the punters at Cheltenham.

He is now nine years old and he has not raced since last year’s Grand National, so it will be interesting to see how he fares on his seasonal reappearance. Trainer Gordon Elliott has reported that Tiger Roll looks to be in good shape and that he will bid to win both the Cross Country Chase and the Grand National again.

He is out at 7/4 with some bookmakers to win the Cross Country and that looks like an attractive ante post price, as none of his rivals stand out.

Envoi Allen

Envoi Allen is the top dog at Elliott’s stable after winning all seven races in his thus far unblemished career. That included victory in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last year.

The six-year-old has established himself as the standout novice hurdler in Ireland. In December he won the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse, vanquishing the highly rated Abacadabras in the process, and then he seized a comfortable victory in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle earlier this month. That was his first run over 2 and a half miles, and he enjoyed the trip, while he has taken to hurdling beautifully this term.

He has options at Cheltenham, and connections are not ruling out a crack at the Champion Hurdle, while he could alternatively run in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle if the camp decides to come back in trip. Yet the most realistic destination would be the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, and it is easy to see him beating the likes of Thyme Hill and The Big Breakaway to clinch victory in that race.

Paisley Park

Paisley Park’s victory in last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle was enough to warm even the hardest of hearts. Owner Andrew Gemmell was born blind, so he has never actually witnessed a race, but his love of the sport is intense and he was overjoyed to take in Paisley Park’s victory.

The horse also nearly died from a bad illness, so it was a great underdog story. Last year, Gemmell backed him at 33/1 to win the race. This time around he will be the clear favourite.

He won his seasonal reappearance over 3 miles in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, extending his winning streak to six races. He is the one to beat in this race and it is hard to see any horse preventing Paisley Park from defending his crown.

Esprit Du Large

This underrated five-year-old from the Evan Williams stable looks like a really tempting each-way option for the Arkle Novices’ Chase. Check out the useful information at http://blog.marathonbet.co.uk/how-to-bet-on-horse-racing/ to learn more about the different wagers available to you in the big races at Cheltenham.

Esprit Du Large secured an impressive victory at Exeter in November, and then he was superb in winning the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown last month. Yet he is still a 25/1 long shot for the Arkle and that looks like a really attractive option for anyone hunting out each-way value.

The field for the race looks solid, featuring strong runners like Notebook and Fakir D’oudaries, but there is no standout favourite and Esprit Du Large has the potential to defy the odds.

Chacun Pour Soi

This year’s Champion Chase will be a fascinating renewal. Defi Du Seuil is the clear favourite after winning the JLT Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham in 2019 and then winning the Shloer Chase at the November Meeting and recording back-to-back Grade 1 triumphs in the Tingle Creek and the Clarence House Chase.

This will probably be billed as an epic battle between Defi Du Seuil and Altior, who won the race in 2018 and 2019. Trainer Nicky Henderson decided to step him up in trip, but it did not go well as he was a distant second to Cyrname in the Christy Chase, and he is now dropping back to 2 miles.

That focus could allow Chacun Pour Soi to slip under the radar. The lightly raced eight-year-old won the Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown last year and he was second to A Plus Tard in the big chase at Leopardstown last month.

He could continue on an upward curve and hit the peak of his powers by March, which would allow him to mount a serious challenge for the Champion Chase. Altior could be past it, and Defi Du Seuil is not infallible, making 9/2 shot Chacun Pour Soi and intriguing each-way bet.

Min

A number of big names are in the mix for the Ryanair Chase. A Plus Tard and Defi Du Seuil both have entries, but they are likely to go for the Champion Chase instead. Beyond them you will see various famous horses that have previously flourished at the Cheltenham Festival, including Frodon and Footpad, plus luminaries like Un De Sceaux and Politologue.

Yet the one that really stands out is Min. He returned to winning ways with a fine performance in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown last month, and he is now a five-time Grade 1 winner and a five-time Grade 1 runner-up, which makes him a formidable challenger for the race.

You can find odds of 6/1 on Min, a runner-up to Altior in the Champion Chase in 2018 and in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2016, and that looks like an enticing option.

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