Just like a
jockey or trainer, most people having a bet on the Cheltenham
Festival are happy to come away with one winner. The four-day
National Hunt extravaganza is arguably the most competitive meeting
in the world and is brimming with quantity and quality in equal
measure.
There will
always be a few short-priced favourites at Cheltenham, but they’re
not going to be a quick way to make money and there have also been
plenty of occasions when they’ve been turned over.
There are
definitely some trends, though, to help with the picking of
Cheltenham winners. The handicaps have their own trends, but it is
worth looking at them once the final entries have been announced so
you know who is running in what race and what sort of weight they
will be carrying.
The Grade One
races are easier to examine in advance as many horses’ targets have
been well publicised, so it is worth trying to pick out one or two
trends from some of the big races.
The Festival
starts with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, which has been won by
Ireland on nine of the last 14 runnings. Willie Mullins and Ruby
Walsh have won the last two and are responsible for the favourite
Douvan. However, Brave Inca was the last outright favourite to win
the race in 2004.
Past Festival
form is a reliable pointer for the Arkle Chase with nine of the last
12 winners having won or been placed previously. Nicky Henderson has
won the race five times and Barry Geraghty has ridden the winner in
three of the last six years, so