Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Portfolio

The obsession with the Cheltenham Festival continues to grow among horse racing fans and getting in early to find a few value bets is part of the fashion. As a result, I thought I would share my current portfolio despite not being the biggest fan of ante-post punting.

There’s a healthy mix of great value and misjudgement in here (hopefully slightly more of the former!), but that was fully expected with seasonal targets appearing murky at the time of placing.

Before the ‘after-timing group’ message me on social media regarding the prices listed, each selection was given out on SBK Cheltenham festival ante-post podcasts, which are littered throughout this article and shouldn’t be missed! Without further ado, let’s get into the list.

Arkle Novices' Chase

Ante-post selection: Jonbon @ 11/8 (now 7/4)

Plenty has changed in this market since we recorded the SBK Cheltenham Novice Chases Antepost podcast three weeks ago. Dysart Dynamo has disappointed, Jonbon worried a few short-priced punters at Warwick at the weekend and El Fabiolo rocketed himself to the top of the Arkle market. Perhaps I jumped the gun and went a little early in backing Jonbon, but my opinion hasn’t changed - he will take the world of beating.

Champion Chase

Ante-post selection: Energumene @ Evs (now 13/8)

I backed Energumene for the Champion Chase prior to his defeat in the Clarence House in late January, which is why he’s available at a bigger price now. Obviously I was disappointed to see him finish third behind Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone, but he didn’t jump with his usual verve and Willie Mullins blamed the new white panels. I expect he will be far more accurate in the Champion Chase and, although he may not have been the best wager at the time (make that 2/2 after Jonbon), Energumene remains the most likely winner.

Ryanair Chase

Ante-post selection: Conflated @ 22/1 (now 6/1)

This is where the better-value ante-post wagers begin! News broke today that Allaho wasn’t going to run at the festival - it wasn’t a shock, was it? - which throws the Ryanair market wide open. However, those looking at betting in this contest earlier in the season should have predicted this. And, even if Allaho did run, he would have been a short-priced lay given his long absence and reported issues. Savills Chase winner Conflated, who was going to finish second in this last year before falling two-out, would now become the class horse of the race and I hope connections opt to go this route (likely favourite) rather than the Gold Cup (he can’t win).

National Hunt Chase

Ante-post selections: Chemical Energy @ 9/2 (now 8/1), Mister Coffey @ 25/1 (now 12/1), Tenzing @ 25/1 (now 33/1)

If Gaillard Du Mesnil wins the National Hunt Chase, I lose. He has been competing at a much higher level, but he’s a poor-value bet at 6/4 and struggles to get his head in front. I was keen to take a solid stance against him and sided with three horses at decent odds. I’ve gone off Chemical Energy since backing him as he jumped terribly at Naas in January (shoutout Ross Millar for calling that one right!), but Mister Coffey ran a nice prep on Saturday and Tenzing remains decent value if he runs. I’ll probably add to my list nearer the time…

Turners Novices' Chase

Ante-post selection: Banbridge @ 12/1 (now 11/2)

The 12/1 on offer in January was a steal. I was fortunate enough to be at Cheltenham’s November meeting when Banbridge made Tommy’s Oscar look slow, yet the market seemed to write him off following a third-place finish in the Drinmore. I’m convinced numerous factors went against him that day, not least that was his third run in a short timeframe, and he performed much better at the DRF the other day. He’s a leading player and I’m as excited about this ante-post wager as any.

Stayers’ Hurdle

Ante-post selections: Teahupoo @ 5/1 (now 9/2), Sir Gerhard @ 16/1 (unlikely to run)

It’s a real shame that Willie Mullins doesn’t listen to the SBK Betting Podcast. I made a public plea to the master trainer to get Sir Gerhard in the Stayers’ Hurdle field as he would have been a leading contender, but he opted to stick with the chasing route and sunk my ante-post bet in the process. I’ve tried to salvage a sad situation by backing Teahupoo, who I believe has put up the best performance (Galmoy Hurdle) in this division this season. The fancy prices were long gone, but I blame Mr Mullins for that.

Gold Cup

Ante-post selection: Stattler @ 20/1 (now 8/1)

Talking of Willie Mullins, he could easily dominate this year’s Gold Cup. Galopin Des Champs is the horse to beat and I was quite impressed by his finishing effort in the Irish Gold Cup. However, he’s one of the most-hyped horses in the game right now so you’re never going to get much value on him. Stattler was my idea of the best alternative - I actually tipped him for this race after he won the National Hunt Chase last March. If anything goes wrong with the jolly, Ronnie Bartlett’s stayer will pick up the pieces.