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RaceBets Cheltenham News |
| Wednesday 17th January 2018 | |
RaceBets’ 2018 Cheltenham Festival Non-Runner No Bet Ante-Post Offer!
RaceBets has an exciting announcement to make, regarding the 2018 Cheltenham Festival! Our ante-post markets are now well-established and we are offering ‘Non-Runner No Bet’, on all 28 Cheltenham Festival races! Unlike with standard ante-post bets, your stake will be returned if the horse does not start the race! Let’s look-ahead to the 4 Championship races that are taking place at this year’s Festival. What are your options, in this quartet of top-class contests?
Champion Hurdle
Buveur D’Air won last season’s renewal and Nicky Henderson’s charge is the current hot-favourite for 2018. My Tent Or Yours is also expected to run for him and the veteran has gone very close on several occasions. Willie Mullins has a huge number of potential runners. Faugheen, Yorkhill and Melon are among those that could line-up for him. The New One, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and Philip Hobbs’ Defi Du Seuil are others to consider as are Min, Apple’s Jade, Wicklow Brave, Vroum Vroum Mag, Mick Jazz, Pingshou, Petit Mouchoir, Let’s Dance, Cilaos Emery and Call Me Lord.
Top Pick: Faugheen 3/1
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Paul Nicholls has a formidable record in this race, having won it with Call Equiname, Azertyuiop, Master Minded (twice) and Dodging Bullets. He’ll be hoping that Politologue can bring him a 6th victory, but the horse will probably have to run the race of its life to beat Nicky Henderson’s Altior. Willie Mullins’ Un De Sceaux could be one to upset the party. He won last season’s Ryanair Chase and tends to excel at Cheltenham. Odds are also available on the likes of Waiting Patiently, Fox Norton, Great Field, Top Notch, Special Tiara, Top Gamble, Black Hercules and Gary Moore’s Ar Mad.
Top Pick: Politologue 7/2
Stayers’ Hurdle
The Stayers’ Hurdle has given us some fantastic winners in recent years including Cole Harden, Thistlecrack and the sadly-departed Nichols Canyon who won last year for Willie Mullins. Penhill, Killultagh Vic, Bacardys and Bapaume are among his 2018 hopefuls. Jedd O’Keeffe’s Sam Spinner helped jockey Joe Colliver put recent difficulties behind him when the partnership secured victory in the Long Walk Hurdle, at Ascot in December and the horse could well start as the race favourite. Supasundae, Yanworth, Finian’s Oscar, Unowhatimeanharry, L’Ami Serge, Wholestone, Beer Goggles, Lil Rockerfeller and The Worlds End are also seen as being genuine prospects for this grueling 3-mile encounter. Formerly known as the World Hurdle, the race was won on 4 consecutive occasions by the peerless Big Buck’s between 2009 and 2012. The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding is still regarded as being the greatest staying hurdler in history.
Top Pick: Sam Spinner 7/2
Gold Cup
The big smile on the face of Robbie Power, following his victory on Sizing John in this race last season, was one of the defining images of the Festival. Jessica Harrington’s horse is hugely-popular and he’s likely to find plenty of market-support for the 2018 renewal – as will stablemate Our Duke. Both Native River and Minella Rocco ran superbly last year and both will be considered major threats if they line-up. Nicky Henderson’s Might Bitehas won at the last 5 times of asking though, including at Kempton last time out when the likes of Thistlecrack, Whisper and Bristol De Mai were well-beaten in the King George VI Chase. Bets are also being placed on Coney Island, Road To Respect, Disko, Outlander and Blaklion.
Top Pick: Native River 8/1
RaceBets’ Chase To Cheltenham Competition
Don’t forget you can also take part in our exclusive Chase To Cheltenham game, which gives you the chance to win a pair of VIP tickets for Day 1 of this year’s Festival! The package includes tickets to our hospitality suite, with a complimentary bar and free bets on every Cheltenham race!
