Cheltenham Festival Betting 2024 – The Preps and The Price Changes
There is no denying that the Cheltenham Festival betting is the Holy Grail in National Hunt Racing. Regardless of what a horse achieves by winning a noteworthy race at a significant meeting, the following days’ celebratory headlines come accompanied by an autopsy of what the form represents and the winner’s prospect of claiming a contest at the fabled March meeting.
Aboard Latenightpass, Gina Andrews (left) clears the last obstacle ahead in the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase. Could the partnership follow up at the Festival? ©GettyImages
A case-in-point is last Friday’s Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase contested on Cheltenham’s Cross Country track. Raced over the same course and distance as the Festival’s Cross Country Chase, it serves as a dress rehearsal for that Festival highlight. Read here how that race panned out, how other Cheltenham Festival pointers finished and how the Festival betting has changed.
They Gave Weight, Now for the Beating
The Glenfarclas Crystal Cup was won decisively by The Dan Skelton-trained Latenightpass. The gelding has enjoyed significant success before. In 2022, he won the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase at the Aintree Festival.
However, notions that Latenightpass is a good thing to double up at the Festival should quickly be dispelled. Friday’s contest was a handicap, and on this occasion, he received lumps of weight from rivals that will reoppose on equal terms.
Amongst those, conceding 17 pounds, was Galvin. A winner at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, fourth in the 2021 Gold Cup and runner-up in last year’s Cross Country Chase, he was beaten nine-and-a-quarter lengths. Understandably, form students believe Galvin can turn the form around off of level weights.
The 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner – and also the 2022 Gold Cup runner-up – Minella Indo did even better. On his debut over Cross Country obstacles, the Henry De Bromhead-trained horse was beaten five-and-three-quarter lengths into fourth despite carrying top weight and giving 20 pounds to Latenightpass.
Does Out-Of-Form Delta Work for You?
UK horse racing betting sites updated their Festival Cross Country prices after Friday’s race. They now bet: 3/1 Delta Work, 7/2 Conflated, 5/1 Galvin, 11/2 Minella Indo, 10/1 Latenightpass, 12/1 Stattler and 12/1 bar.
To justify favouritism, Delta Work must become the first horse to win the Cross Country Chase three times in a row. Garde Champetre and Balthazar King won the race twice but failed to complete the hat trick. Tiger Roll did win the race three times but over a four-year period.
Delta Work was running well but unseated his rider at the 21st fence in April’s Grand National. However, he has been beaten a long way in two starts this season. It takes a leap of faith to back Conflated at this juncture. A classy chaser currently rated 164; he has yet to run in a cross-country race or any race beyond three miles-one-furlong.
A Late Pass for the Grand National
Latenightpass remains a lively Cross Country Chase contender, but considering his experience over the Grand National fences, the Randox Grand National may interest ante-post punters more. The winning trainer certainly did little to dissuade punters from taking the 33/1 currently available about his horse for the Aintree showpiece.
When asked about an appointment with the famous marathon, Skelton said: “I’d say it is blindingly obvious. I think Silver Birch ran in the cross-country race before winning the Grand National. I’m not saying we should be favourite for the Grand National, but I think he more than deserves his chance.”
The Grand National betting is currently headed by last season’s winner, Corach Rambler, and Gaillard Du Mesnil. The latter – who has a Leopardstown appointment on December 28 – has yet to finish out-of-the-frame in 16 starts for his current trainer, Willie Mullins, and he finished third in the 2023 National.
The Future Is Bright for Fergal’s Mare
A second Cheltenham Festival marker was laid down on Friday when Dysart Enos easily dispatched ten rivals – many hailing from top stables – in an EBF’ National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle.
Completing a five-timer, the mare – who is out of a dam that never made the frame in six starts – is trained by Fergal O’Brien. The Gloucestershire horseman has never had a winner at the Cheltenham Festival, but he believes Dysart Enos could be the horse to break his duck.
⭐️ DYSART ENOS is a superstar alright as she extends her unbeaten record under rules to 5-5 with a brilliant display at HQ.
Marks out of 🔟?pic.twitter.com/iKDEtKaf8X
— Road To Cheltenham (@RoadCheltenham) December 15, 2023
Punters agree. Immediately after her impressive performance, bookmakers cut the mare’s odds for the Festival’s Mares Novices’ Hurdle in half. Dysart Enos is now 4/1 for the contest and shares favouritism with the twice-raced-twice-won Brighterdaysahead.
This filly is trained in Ireland by Gordon Elliott. During his career, Elliott has had considerably more Cheltenham success than O’Brien, saddling 37 Festival winners. Brighterdaysahead, owned by Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, is scheduled to make her next appearance in Leopardstown’s Future Champions Novice Hurdle on December 27.
Martha Looks a Winner in Waiting
Presumably, trainer Harry Fry has no aspirations of Cheltenham Festival success with Martha Divine, but his six-year-old mare went close to scoring at the Cotswolds racecourse on Saturday. She looks like a winner in waiting.
Nurse Susan wins the @VirginBet Mares Handicap Hurdle at @CheltenhamRaces for @harryskelton89 & @DSkeltonRacing
As selected on our Christmas Meeting Preview Video at 7/1 by @HighwaymanX
4 wins on the day for the lads
— The Cheltenham Exchange (@Cheltenham_Ex) December 16, 2023
Making her debut for Fry, wind surgery and a change of scenery led to her posting improved form when racing for the first time in 268 days and since leaving Ireland. Martha Divine travelled strongly in this contest and stayed on well after being outpaced before the final flight to press the winner close home.
Interestingly, all of Martha Divine’s ten previous starts were on ground described as soft, yielding or heavy. She could be an attractive betting proposition on a firmer surface and stepped up in trip beyond Saturday’s two-miles-four-furlongs. She is one for the notebook.
