What's Being Backed for the Cheltenham Festival?

The McManus green and gold silks swept to victory twice on day three of the Cheltenham Festival, sparking a spirited resurgence for punters and setting up a tantalising finale as Galopin Des Champs looms large in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The Ryanair Chase saw Fact To File rise to the occasion, while Jagwar soared in the TrustATrader Plate, both delivering as favourites to the delight of McManus’ supporters. And Johnnywho came agonisingly close to dealing another blow to the bookmakers, falling short by just a neck in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.

Bob Olinger then delivered a shockwave, storming to victory in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at 8-1 after a late plunge of money in his favour. These results left the layers scrambling, their earlier dominance at the Festival undone as punters relished their newfound momentum.

“It’s been a tale of two halves,” remarked Coral’s David Stevens. “The opening days had bookmakers grinning, but Thursday turned the tide with punters roaring home their favourites. Friday’s Gold Cup is the second biggest betting race of the year after the Grand National, so it could swing either way. A day for the favourites would be a bookmaker’s nightmare.”

BoyleSports echoed those sentiments, with Lawrence Lyons admitting, “We were sitting pretty at the halfway stage, but Thursday’s JP McManus winners have rattled us. Galopin Des Champs is the ace up the punters’ sleeve, and they’ll be hoping to end the Festival on a high.”