Cheltenham News - Cheltenham Betting Tips, Cheltenham Festival Tips 2012

Cheltenham accumulator wins Nicky Henderson stable lad ‘around £1m’

March 16, 2012 By Chris Cook

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• Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig, Bobs Worth start Cheltenham run
• Finian’s Rainbow and Riverside Theatre complete five-timer

A stable worker from Lambourn has gone into hiding after apparently landing the bet of a lifetime, winning a sum that rumours suggest was approaching £1m. The “lad”, an Irishman in his late 40s who works for the trainer Nicky Henderson, placed his wager months ago, picking out five horses from his employer’s yard, all of which have won at his week’s Festival, netting him a life-changing sum.

The news was broken through Twitter last night by Clare Balding, broadcasting from the Festival for BBC Radio 5 Live. “The lad who looks after Finian’s Rainbow had a 5-timer on Nicky Henderson winners & has won £1 million!” she tweeted. “Says he’ll still be at work tomorrow.” Others on Twitter later named him as Conor Murphy.

Reporters scrambled to contact the lucky punter, who is thought to have remained at Henderson’s Seven Barrows stable on Thursday while the final runner in his bet was competing here. He was apparently contacted by phone by Sky but did not wish to be quoted and flatly refused the offer of an interview.

In ordinary circumstances, the bookmaker in such a case would attempt to make as much as possible from the related publicity. However Bet365, which is believed to have laid the bet, takes a different approach.

“We’re pleased for all our customers who’ve had a winning day today but we don’t discuss individual accounts,” said the spokesman, Pat Cooney. “This one particular customer’s had an extremely good time of it,” he added, but refused to confirm any details.

The bet got off to a flying start on Tuesday when Sprinter Sacre was an easy winner of the Arkle Trophy at odds of 8-11. It stayed alive through Wednesday when Simonsig (2-1), Bobs Worth (9-2) and Finian’s Rainbow (4-1) landed a series of top-class races and finally came to fruition on Thursday when Riverside Theatre (7-2) won the Ryanair Chase.

Had the bet been placed at those odds on Monday, to the £50 stake the lad is believed to have risked, his return would have been a mere £32,050. But his bet was placed towards the end of last year, when the odds on offer were much bigger.

David Williams of Ladbrokes estimated that at that time Sprinter Sacre would have been around 7-1, Simonsig 20-1, Bobs Worth 6-1, Finian’s Rainbow 12-1 and Riverside Theatre 16-1 for accumulated odds of 259,895‑1. An especially clever feature of the bet is that it anticipated Simonsig would run in the Neptune Novice Hurdle, as he eventually did, at a time when most people expected him to take part in a different race at the Festival.

Contacted as he was leaving the racecourse, Henderson said: “It’s absolutely wonderful. He’s the nicest, kindest, gentlest man and he rides Finian’s Rainbow every day. He’s got more confidence in me than I have and he obviously took a rather strong view, before Christmas, I gather.”

Asked if he expected the lad in question to turn up for work on Friday, Henderson laughed and replied: “He’d better.”

It has been a sensational week for Henderson, whose six winners have taken his career total of Festival winners to 45, five clear of the previous record. His four winners on Wednesday was unprecedented for one day at the Festival and there may be better to come.

He sends another 13 horses to Cheltenham today, including the favourites for two races, one of which is Long Run in the Gold Cup, the most important race of the week.

Chris Cook

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Filed Under: Cheltenham Festival 2012, Cheltenham News, Horse racing, News, Sport, The Guardian Tagged With: Cheltenham Festival, Nicky Henderson

Long Run poised to beat Kauto Star and win the Cheltenham Gold Cup

March 16, 2012 By Will Hayler

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Opposing Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup is not easy but Long Run will devour the final climb and Nicky Henderson could not be in better form

Fortunes have fluctuated over the 12 months since Long Run sprinted up the hill to lift the Betfred Gold Cup, but the memory of that performance lives on vividly. He can settle the score with his old foe Kauto Star and take steeplechasing’s most prestigious prize at Cheltenham on Friday.

The justifiable expectation that Long Run may improve even further this season left connections feeling deflated when their pride and joy met with defeat at the hands of his resurgent rival at Haydock and Kempton earlier this season.

However, rather than finding more speed it is stamina that has emerged as Long Run’s greatest asset. He will devour the final climb to the winning post that has seen so many results transformed in past Gold Cups.

Not that opposing Kauto Star is easy, given the way he has turned back the clock so far this season producing bursts of mid-race acceleration that have left his rivals on the ropes.

However, his preparation has not been ideal and, in contrast, Long Run’s performance in beating his stablemate Burton Port at Newbury last month has probably been undervalued. It was the enthusiasm with which he travelled and jumped that was so impressive and the trainer Nicky Henderson could not be in better form.

1.30 Tough, nimble and talented, Grumeti ticks more boxes than most in a wide-open Triumph.

2.05 Trainer Jessica Harrington is delighted to see Citizenship creep in at the bottom of the weights. He still has more to offer.

2.40 Although untried over this searching trip, Boston Bob has thrived for every test placed in front of him so far and could be a class apart from these rivals.

4.00 Stamina will be at a premium in a contest packed with front-runners. Cloudy Lane retains all of his enthusiasm and can bridge the five-year gap since he powered up the hill over course and distance to win the Kim Muir Chase.

4.40 Stopped in his tracks when hampered by a faller in the Betfair Hurdle last month, Empire Levant is higher in the weights than when chasing home Rock On Ruby at Newbury earlier this season, but that form couldn’t look much stronger now.

5.15 Faster ground would be preferable for Eradicate, but he comes into this contest with a most attractive mark after a mixed campaign in novice chases. He has been deliberately kept back for this race since beating a fair rival at Southwell.

Will Hayler

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Filed Under: Cheltenham Festival 2012, Cheltenham News, Features, Horse racing, Horse racing tips, Sport, The Guardian Tagged With: Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Kauto Star, Long Run, Nicky Henderson

Long Run poised to beat Kauto Star and win the Cheltenham Gold Cup

March 16, 2012 By Will Hayler

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Opposing Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup is not easy but Long Run will devour the final climb and Nicky Henderson could not be in better form

Not that opposing Kauto Star is easy, given the way he has turned back the clock so far this season producing bursts of mid-race acceleration that have left his rivals on the ropes.

1.30 Tough, nimble and talented, Grumeti ticks more boxes than most in a wide-open Triumph.

2.05 Trainer Jessica Harrington is delighted to see Citizenship creep in at the bottom of the weights. He still has more to offer.

2.40 Although untried over this searching trip, Boston Bob has thrived for every test placed in front of him so far and could be a class apart from these rivals.

Will Hayler

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Kauto Star attempts to end golden era with final Gold Cup flourish

March 16, 2012 By Greg Wood

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The great champion has faced some of the best chasers ever at the Cheltenham Festival but he is the last one standing

A golden era in racing, as in so much else, is best seen from a distance. Without experience of the leaner times before and after, it is difficult to appreciate a cluster of horses which are a class apart. But sometimes you can sense the join, the moment when gleam starts to fade, and there will be many who feel that a special time is slipping away when Kauto Star walks into the parade ring at Cheltenham before the Gold Cup on Friday afternoon.

Several of the best steeplechasers the sport has seen have raced at Cheltenham’s Festival meeting in the seasons since Kauto Star won his first Gold Cup in 2007, but he has been the finest of them all, and he is the last one standing.

Denman, who galloped him into submission in the 2008 Gold Cup, has retired since finishing second in the race last year, while Master Minded, winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2008 and 2009, was pulled up with a tendon injury in the King George three months ago and may never race again. Imperial Commander, who beat both Kauto Star and Denman in the 2010 Gold Cup, which had been billed as a match between the two greatest chasers of the age, is also on the sidelines with a serious tendon injury.

Only Kauto Star has kept coming back, and this will be his sixth start in the Gold Cup, and his seventh overall at the Festival – he fell when favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2006. The 12-year-old has been the solid core to a golden strand of steeplechasers, and now he too may be approaching his final test.

So it will be a time to reflect as well as to celebrate if Kauto Star can lead the field up the Cheltenham hill once again on Friday afternoon. When he won the Gold Cup for the second time in 2009, he was the first horse to reclaim the prize after losing it. Now he might do so again. The last half dozen years will come to be known as the Kauto Star era whatever happens, but this is his chance to sign it off with a flourish.

It will be the latest of the “golden ages” when it is inked into Festival history, and one of the best, because of the horses that shared it with him too. It is hard to think of Kauto Star without thinking of Denman and the rest, just as Arkle needed Mill House to define his brilliance, and Dawn Run’s Gold Cup was measured by the horses she beat, Wayward Lad and Forgive ‘N’ Forget.

The first golden age of chasing, though, was in the 1930s, when Golden Miller won the Gold Cup five years in a row and Cheltenham was a very different event.

“It was a race meeting in those days, not a Festival,” Sir Peter O’Sullevan, who can remember every one of the great ages of steeplechasing in remarkable detail, said on Thursday. “My first Gold Cup was Golden Miller’s fourth, and Cheltenham has been built up since then by all the fantastic horses that have been attracted to this unique arena.

“Every year has a special memory, but Kauto Star is right up there with them because it will be the most emotional occasion if he can come good again. If he can do it again, it would be fantastic.”

Phil Smith, the British Horseracing Authority’s senior handicapper, believes that it is not just Kauto Star’s ability but also his consistency and durability that have elevated him to the front of an outstanding generation of chasers.

“The thing about Kauto Star is that when we measure his performance figures, he has more figures above 170 than any other horse,” Smith says.

“He’s been unbelievably consistent at the top level and that sets him apart from some outstanding horses like Denman, Master Minded and Imperial Commander.

“His longevity at the top is what sets him apart, and at the moment he’s still our top-rated horse, 1lb ahead of Long Run [who beat him in last year's Gold Cup]. He’s won two Grade Ones already this season, and whether he can win again on Friday, we’ll just have to see.”

If this is Kauto Star’s last season, Cheltenham will feel like a different place next year, but it will find new heroes in time.

O’Sullevan said: “Desert Orchid’s Gold Cup was a special moment, and Dawn Run’s Gold Cup was a delight to call because Jonjo [O'Neill, Dawn Run's jockey] had beaten cancer – it was very emotional. She was the first horse to win both the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup, and she was so well received, that was the marvellous thing. The enthusiasm of the crowd here is unbelievable, and it’s always the horse that comes first.

“The most special horse I ever saw here was Arkle in 1964 when he won the first of his three Gold Cups – he was a freak, perhaps a bit like Sprinter Sacre that we saw [win the Arkle Trophy] here this week. Cheltenham is a special place, and it has always attracted the best.”

Greg Wood

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Filed Under: Cheltenham Festival 2012, Cheltenham News, Features, Horse racing, Sport, The Guardian Tagged With: Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Denman, Imperial Commander, Kauto Star

James Nesbitt wins with Riverside Theatre at Cheltenham Festival

March 16, 2012 By Chris Cook

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• Nicky Henderson lands sixth winner of Festival
• Sir Des Champs posts impressive win for Mullins

Just as this Cheltenham Festival seemed at risk of being engulfed by negative coverage relating to equine deaths and allegations of official incompetence, Riverside Theatre and his owner, James Nesbitt, arrived to cheer everyone up. Day three passed without any serious injuries to the participants and, half an hour before Big Buck’s won the World Hurdle, the crowd was electrified by a Ryanair Chase of sustained drama.

Riverside Theatre set off as favourite but seemed in trouble from the first fence. He often jumped poorly yet he kept on dourly and somehow found the strength to fight his way past two rivals on the run-in.

Few Festival winners can have shown such bravery or achieved victory when so much had obviously gone against them. Nesbitt, who first came to Cheltenham 21 years ago, long before he found fame in Cold Feet, showed an enthusiast’s understanding of what he had witnessed.

“I rarely am lost for words but it was extraordinary,” he said, surrounded by dozens of well-wishers and reporters in the winner’s enclosure.

“He just wasn’t travelling that well and I was very nervous and then to find the courage he showed and how Barry [Geraghty, the winning jockey] got that out of him. It was a hell of a battle. I’d never in a million years dream of it.

“Forget the Oscar. That’s it, I’ve done it all now.”

Nesbitt said he was sure the horse was beaten until he saw the trainer, next to him in the grandstand, starting to cry. “Nicky crying is a good sign. We’re all getting a bit emotional and I would cry at Little House on the Prairie, but Nicky’s worse. It’s a fantastic sport, this. It’s far too hard on itself. You’ve got tens of thousands of people here today, from all walks of life, enjoying it and racing needs to embrace that rather than be so laden with worry.

“It’s easy for me to say that, having just won the Ryanair, but it was a glorious celebration of everything that’s good about sport, not just horse racing.

“The courage the horse showed, the ride that Barry gave him and the training performance that Nicky has given. Even to have a wee bit of that, it’s pasted into the album of my memory, I’m telling you.”

Henderson was enjoying his sixth success of an incredible week. He said he had always been convinced that the Ryanair was the right race for the horse but now feels that Riverside Theatre needs a longer distance and will consider running him in the Gold Cup next year.

“He couldn’t get into a comfort zone,” the trainer said, “he couldn’t get his rhythm, he couldn’t get anything going. He was just having to fight his way round. It was uncomfortable to watch, I should think it was uncomfortable to ride.

“The pace was, all the way, too frenetic for us. I was watching with Jimmy and Brian [Stewart-Brown, co-owner] and nothing looked like happening, it looked like doom and gloom but you can’t say enough about what sort of a ride Barry’s given him.”

Sir Des Champs, who won the Jewson Novice Chase that opened the card, also has next year’s Gold Cup as his long-term target. Indeed, his trainer, Willie Mullins, revealed he had that race in mind for him even before this week.

Asked to compare him with Florida Pearl, who he trained to win the King George VI Chase in 2001, Mullins said: “He’s right up there with him, one of the best I’ve had. Make no mistake, this is a racehorse.”

Sir Des Champs was winning at the Festival for the second time, having landed the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle last year. He is a best price 10-1 for the 2013 Gold Cup, while Riverside Theatre is not yet quoted.

The long-term aim is not yet clear for Peddlers Cross, the beaten favourite in the Jewson, but it will probably not be over fences. “We’ve given it a try and we’ll be going back over hurdles; he’s a happier horse over hurdles,” said his trainer, Donald McCain.

“Jason [Maguire, the jockey] said he’s neat and he’s grand but he’s just not as effective. As much as he tries, he’s just not the same horse over fences as over hurdles.” McCain added that he would not race the horse again this season.

Sunnyhillboy has next month’s Grand National as his target after winning the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase that closed the card. A well-supported favourite, he came four and a half lengths clear on the run-in, finishing strongly.

“I think he’ll handle it,” said his trainer, Jonjo O’Neill, when asked how Sunnyhillboy would respond to Aintree. “I don’t see any reason why he won’t but you don’t know until they’ve jumped the first couple. If he has a safe first round, I think he’ll run a big race.”

A 25-1 shot for the National, Sunnyhillboy may well end up as the mount of Tony McCoy, though Synchronised is another possible ride for him in the Aintree race, after he runs in Friday’s Gold Cup. He is reported to be “in great form” by O’Neill.

Malcolm Jefferson was overcome with emotion when trying to express the importance of a Festival success after landing the Pertemps Final with Cape Tribulation. “You get up every morning for it,” he said, his voice trembling. “We don’t have a lot of money to spend, so, when you get a good horse, you just hope that one day you’ll go to one of the big meetings and you can crack it, but it’s the hardest thing to do in the world. Everything has to go right.”

This was Jefferson’s third Festival success, 17 years after the second. “Go Informal was second in the Sun Alliance Hurdle [in 1996] but since then I may as well have stayed in Malton,” he said.

“We should have a north/south handicap for horses from the north, really. They want dropped a stone when they come anywhere down here because you go up 8lb or 9lb and you come down here, you’re a stone too heavy. You never, ever get a look-in.”

From his Devon base, David Pipe has found major handicaps more accessible and he entered the winner’s enclosure after the Byrne Group Plate with Salut Flo, which he had named as his best chance of the meeting at several Festival preview evenings. “He’s had tendon trouble and we’ve had to be patient with him and it’s paid off,” he said. “We knew he was ready for his comeback when he ran here in December. He was running a massive race when he made one blunder, three out, which put him out of it.”

Chris Cook

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Filed Under: Cheltenham Festival 2012, Cheltenham News, Grand National 2012, Horse racing, James Nesbitt, News, Sport, The Guardian Tagged With: Cheltenham Festival, Nicky Henderson

James Nesbitt wins with Riverside Theatre at Cheltenham Festival

March 16, 2012 By Chris Cook

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• Nicky Henderson lands sixth winner of Festival
• Sir Des Champs posts impressive win for Mullins

“I rarely am lost for words but it was extraordinary,” he said, surrounded by dozens of well-wishers and reporters in the winner’s enclosure.

“Forget the Oscar. That’s it, I’ve done it all now.”

“It’s easy for me to say that, having just won the Ryanair, but it was a glorious celebration of everything that’s good about sport, not just horse racing.

Chris Cook

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Filed Under: Cheltenham Festival 2012, Cheltenham News, Grand National 2012, Horse racing, James Nesbitt, News, Sport, The Guardian Tagged With: Cheltenham Festival, Nicky Henderson

Big Buck’s flies to fourth World Hurdle victory at Cheltenham Festival

March 16, 2012 By Greg Wood

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• Paul Nicholls’s hurdler wins 16th straight hurdle race
• Ruby Walsh’s mount stays on to beat Voler La Vedette

There was emotion in Paul Nicholls’s voice as he discussed Big Buck’s historic success in the World Hurdle, and it was the sound of relief as much as it was jubilation. Until that moment, the horses that Nicholls had sent to the Festival from his main yard in Ditcheat had performed poorly, but Big Buck’s is the horse that has forgotten how to lose and his win brought the confidence flooding back ahead of Kauto’s Star’s run in the Gold Cup on Friday.

Thursday’s victory was the 16th in a row for Big Buck’s, equalling the all-time record for wins over hurdles, as well as record-breaking fourth successive World Hurdle, and had the nine-year-old been harbouring an infection then the climb to the line would have brought it out.

Oscar Whisky had been expected to provide his most difficult test yet in the World Hurdle, and concern over the wellbeing of the Nicholls string saw him backed down to 4-1 as Big Buck’s set off at 5-6. Yet the challenger stopped to nothing as his stamina gave out at the bottom of the hill, and it was Voler La Vedette, a 20-1 chance, who emerged as the most significant opponent.

Andrew Lynch, Voler La Vedette’s jockey, looked to be travelling easily as the two horses ran towards the last, and switched her around the favourite to get to the stands’ rail. Her finishing effort was still not enough to get past Big Buck’s, however, and he stayed on with immense determination to maintain his run.

“This was the one race of the whole week that I wanted to win more than anything,” Nicholls said. “Of course I want to win the Gold Cup [with Kauto Star] but if I’m being realistic, just having him here [for the Gold Cup] is a privilege. But I really wanted to win this race for Big Buck’s, for Andy [Stewart, the gelding's owner] and for racing really.

“We’ve been struggling this week and we had a cough which started about five weeks ago, which is the last thing you want in the run-up to Cheltenham. The older horses have seemed to be all right and Big Buck’s was fine, but apart from Rock On Ruby [in the Champion Hurdle] it’s the slowest start to a Festival we’ve ever had.”

The tactics for Thursday’s race had been carefully planned, and Walsh took closer order with a mile left to run and then committed Big Buck’s in the straight.

“We knew that we had to ride him differently and be really aggressive,” Nicholls said, “which doesn’t really suit him as he could do with something taking him along a bit longer.

“He’s an awesome horse and the tactics were executed to perfection. It was a great ride [by Ruby Walsh] and when he pricked his ears going to the last, I knew that we were in business, because he just keeps galloping. There was no point letting it turn into a sprint.

“Ruby needed that, I needed that, the whole team needed that.”

Walsh, who started the week as the hot favourite to be the leading rider but has seen Barry Geraghty record five victories already, was winning his second race of the meeting. Like Nicholls, he will hope to complete a double in the final two feature races at the Festival when Kauto Star lines up for the Gold Cup.

“He’s never flat-out and he always has a bit left,” Walsh said. “I was confident enough that he would out-stay the others, and if I ever squeeze a bit more, he gives more, but I don’t know how much is there because I’ve never got to the bottom of him.

“I’m not dissing Black Caviar [who has won 19 consecutive races on the Flat in Australia] for one minute, but winning over six and seven furlongs on the Flat is some difference from going three miles over hurdles. Jump horses do so much more mileage, they are so much harder to get fit than Flat horses and they do so much more, so it’s an incredible performance by Paul Nicholls just to get him back here so many times.”

Having equalled the mark set by Sir Ken between 1951 and 1953 for successive wins by a hurdler, Big Buck’s will now attempt to claim the record outright in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree next month, a race he has also won for the past three years. He is also the clear favourite to win the World Hurdle for the fifth year in a row, in March 2013.

Big Buck’s has won a total of nine Grade One races, the same number as Florida Pearl and Hurricane Fly, and he will join Beef Or Salmon and Brave Inca in the all-time list if he can take the Liverpool Hurdle. He still has some way to go, however, before matching Kauto Star, who has 16 Grade One wins.

Big Buck’s drifted from 4-5 to 10-11 in the pre-race betting before he settled at 5-6, the biggest price he has been since taking the World Hurdle at 10-11 last season.

“I’d say the betting public have taken him to their hearts as well, and I think he ended up at a reasonable price,” Walsh said. “Big Buck’s is better than the banks.”

Greg Wood

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Filed Under: Cheltenham Festival 2012, Cheltenham News, Horse racing, News, Sport, The Guardian Tagged With: Big Buck's, Cheltenham Festival

Our Cheltenham Tips for Friday, Day 4, Gold Cup Tips

March 15, 2012 By simon

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Kauto Star is our tip to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup

Yesterday 4 out of 5 tips were winners, 3 Wins at 7/2, 5/1 and 5/6 and 1 Each Way at 8/1, we are in great form. Don’t forget our 50/1 winner from Wednesday and winners on Tuesday.

Day 4 At Cheltenham, Friday 16^th March 2012, Gold Cup Day Tips

Its been a long week but a great week, here is the last day, but the BIG DAY of the Cheltenham Festival!

KAUTO STAR TO WIN THE CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP AND A PLACE IN HISTORY!

1:30 JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)

Nicky Henderson has a terrific record here in the Triumph and his horses are flying, so first stop is to look at the Henderson runners! As he doesn’t have any we need to get to work!

Stats…of last 10 winners;

8/10 won last time out
5/10 were first or second in the market
9/10 have won 50% of hurdle races
6/10 ran at Kempton or Sandown on last run
8/10 held up off the pace BUT their has been a bias to front runners this week

On form GRUMETTI has looked the real deal, but was beaten, only to be given the race in the Stewards at Cheltenham by PEARL SWAN. For me the shortlist is

Baby Mix – would have been a strong bet but disappointed at Cheltenham and finished last, big blot on his copy book
Grumetti – looks solid but has had interrupted prep and was beaten by Pear Swan
Pearl Swan, beat Grumetti but stewards said unfairly
Balder Success – unbeaten BUT Thornton has chosen Grumetti.
Two from three is a Dutch bet, PEARL SWAN and BABY MIX, fear Grumetti

If Baby Mix runs to his best he will win, but note the word “IF” – tough race.

Summary: BABY MIX Win 6/1 with Bet365, plus free bet on next Channel 4 race, see Bet365 offer on their site.

2:05 Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

Gosh! Where do we start. This is as tough as it gets and in these races, like the other day when we got a nice 50/1 in to 40/1 winner. Two at a price, small bets, for me are;

Magnifique Etoile for Charlie Longsden Each Way and…
Snap Tie for Philip Hobbs. This could be very interestng! He has not raced for 882 days, but he is high class at his best and they run first time here…Hmmm..

Snap Tie made a successful chasing debut in novice at Cheltenham only outing in 2009/10: not seen since due to tendon and suspensory injuries. A high class horse and could pull it off here! Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson are no fools, so there has to be something in it!

Summary: SNAP TIE NON RUNNER MAGNIFIQUE ETOILE Each Way 22/1 with Bet365

2:40 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Registered As The Spa Novices’ Hurdle) (Grade 1)

No need to mess about here. The horse I have been desperate to back at Cheltenham runs today here and that horse is BOSTON BOB. Willie Mullins had a winner on Thursday with Sir DesChamps (advised by us and won 3-1) and also won the bumper so is in good form. I will not mince my words, MAX BET Boston Bob. Here is what Timeform say about the horse; 3 starts over hurdles, namely maiden at Navan in November, Grade 1 Navan Novices’ Hurdle (beat Mount Benbulben 4½ lengths) in December and Grade 2 Synergy Security Solutions Novices’ Hurdle at Leopardstown in January: beat Lyreen Legend 2¼ lengths in 11-runner event for latest success, jumping fluently held up and leading before last: will stay 3m: top-class prospect Will be too good for them.

Summary: BOSTON BOB Win, 6/4 with Bet365

3:20 Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)

This is the big race of the week, and its fascinating! There are so many ifs and maybes here, but this is my view and this is what I will be doing. This is between LONG RUN and KAUTO STAR who all things been equal, and combined winners of three Gold Cups are better than these by miles. Now come the buts…

Long Run has looked a shadow of his former self, or he has been beaten by Kauto Star back to his bet

But Kauto has been the subject of an injury scare.

He has however come out of it fine and I think its wasn’t as serious as the media have made out, just a view.

The sensible bet is a DUTCH BET on Kauto Star and Long Run (ie back both) but in my view Kauto Star will regain the Gold Cup and is a great EW price now at 4/1+. Midnight Chase is the best outsider of the rest. I have to admit my heart is behind Kauto and I will cry like a baby if he wins it! Love the horse and there may be another chapter in the wonderful Kauto Star story!

Summary: KAUTO STAR to Win the Gold Cup at 4/1 with Bet365, MIDNIGHT CHASE Each Way at 10/1 with Bet365

4:00 Christie’s Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup

Usually I would not be interested in this but as you know we have already put up CLOUDY LANE at 11/1. Much shorter now, but we feel strongly this is a good bet. If you are on at 11/1 you have some value, it’s still good value backing at 6/1.

Summary: CLOUDY LANE Win 6/1 with Ladbrokes

4:40 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

This is a major puzzle to solve! David Pipe is playing the numbers game, shooting so many bullets in order to win the race in his father’s name. Honestly I am stumped and will not be betting in the race. If you forced me to give you one I would suggest that BOCCIANI has a good chance with a very good jockey aboard and a trainer who deserves a festival winner.

Summary: Small Each Way on BOCCIANI at 40/1 with Betvictor

5:15 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup (Grade 3 Handicap)

Named after Nicky Henderson’s father. He too is desperate to win the race and is unloading plenty of ammunition! Again this is a nightmare to call and is a bit after the Lord Mayor’s show. Again if you forced a bet out of me I would suggest that this will go to Nicky Henderson, but with which one? Well I will go with TANKS FOR THAT, but only small.

Summary: Small Each Way on TANKS FOR THAT, 16/1 with Paddypower

And that’s it for Cheltenham for 2012. Hope you have been happy with the guide and we gave value for money!

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Filed Under: Cheltenham News, Cheltenham Tips

Cheltenham Festival Guide for 2012

March 15, 2012 By simon

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Please visit our main Cheltenham Festival site www.cheltenham-festival.com for the latest new, tips and betting offers for the Cheltenham Festival 2012.

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Heads Up: 10- What A Friend the value bet at Cheltenham Festival

March 15, 2012 By Sport: Cheltenham festival | guardian.co.uk

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Gold Cup runner worth backing without the front two in the betting

With the Cheltenham Gold Cup market already long established, chiselling out a value edge on the day won’t be easy. William Hill have pledged to lay both Long Run and Kauto Star at inflated prices on Friday morning and it won’t be just the arb sharks who will be trying their best to get on at the respective 9-4 and 9-2 available from 8.30am.

My preference would very much be for Long Run, as he returns to the scene of his greatest triumph. However, looking further down the lists for some value among the longshots, the opportunity to play in ‘betting without’ markets brings our old friend What A Friend (3.20) into the mix.

He’s a most unlikely winner of the race, given that he often prefers to hide his light under a bushel, but he could well run into the placings, as he so nearly did when beaten in a photo for third by Kauto Star in last year’s race.

At the line, he was just 11 lengths adrift of Long Run and the same sort of performance would put him right in the reckoning. Furthermore, trainer Paul Nicholls has spoken encouragingly of his prospects in the approach to the race, saying that he will “come on an absolute ton” for his recent close-up third to Long Run and Burton Port at Newbury.

Totesport and Bet365 offer 10-1 about What A Friend in their betting ‘without the big two’ and an appealing one-quarter the odds the first three for each-way punters. That means What A Friend could finish fifth behind Long Run, Kauto Star and two others and there would still be a profit in the bet.