Below you’ll find our ante-post selections for Cheltenham Festival 2018, along with key updates regarding their chances. Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: Samcro @16/1 (highly unlikely to run) 13th Jan: despite the market suggesting the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle on the Wednesday is his intended target, we backed him for the two-mile opener…
Author: Joel Roberts
1pt each-way Topofthegame @11/2, 15:00 Sandown, Saturday
We’ve tipped TOPOFTHEGAME ante-post for the Coral Cup at Cheltenham Festival, citing his lenient mark and scope for improvement stepped up to three miles as reasons he’s overpriced. It’s disappointing he’s not been saved for that race to protect his mark as he’s been declared for Saturday’s three-mile handicap hurdle…
2pts win Yorkhill @7/1 non-runner-no-bet, Ryanair Chase
This weekend’s inaugural Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, formed by merging two traditional meetings into one big weekend, might lack British entries but will certainly go some way to answering many of the questions surrounding the Irish challenge for March’s Cheltenham Festival. That’s not to say it’s all about the…
1pt win Tea For Two @10/1, 14:25 Cheltenham, Saturday
Cheltenham hosts Trials Day this Saturday, its final meet before March’s four-day Festival where many of the British hopefuls warm up for their intended targets. The Grade 2 Cotswold Chase is arguably the feature race of the day, featuring several Gold Cup hopefuls. However, this year’s renewal doesn’t feature any…
1pt win Dame Rose @8/1, 14:40 Doncaster, Saturday
We put up DAME ROSE in a Grade 1 at Newbury run on desperate ground, and she clearly didn’t stay the trip in those gruelling conditions. She was pulled up early as her jockey clearly minded her so I doubt she had a hard race despite the winner practically crawling…
1pt win Ch'tibello @7/4, 14:40 Haydock, Saturday
Old favourite CH’TIBELLO looks very backable at 7/4 to beat an even older favourite in The New One in today’s Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock. The New One has been prolific throughout his career in winning British Grade 2 races and has been in fine form this season despite rising ten years…
Cheltenham ante-post: 20/1 Topofthegame each-way in the Coral Cup; 16/1 Wholestone to win the Stayers' Hurdle
There’s just two months to go until Cheltenham Festival 2018 and it’s high time to start filling up the ante-post book. Last weekend’s Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton produced a few clues to the Wednesday’s Coral Cup, with the winner William Henry, who we tipped at 13/2, reported today to be…
1pt each-way William Henry @13/2, 1pt win Topofthegame @9/1, 14:40 Kempton, Saturday
We’re treated to an intriguing renewal of the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton this Saturday, and I fancy leading staying hurdler Wholestone’s efforts this season have marked up the form of a couple of the runners. They are WILLIAM HENRY and TOPOFTHEGAME, both switching back to hurdles from chasing for the powerful…
1pt ante-post win Samcro @16/1, Supreme Novices' Hurdle
It’s fascinating to see Cheltenham Festival’s biggest hype horse SAMCRO entered in next month’s Irish Champion Hurdle, given it’s highly unusual to pitch a novice into Grade 1 open company. Connections must smell blood after Faugheen recently bombed out of the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown, blowing open the two-mile hurdling division in…
1pt win Waiting Patiently @7/4, 14:05 Kempton, Saturday
The smooth-traveling improving seven-year-old WAITING PATIENTLY looks a worthy favourite in the 14:05 at Kemptom, receiving weight from some ageing rivals in Josses Hill, Smad Place and God’s Own, with the latter the biggest threat if returning to his Grade 1-winning best. 1pt win Waiting Patiently @7/4, 14:05 Kempton, Saturday …