Ask any horse racing fan to name their favourite meets of the year, and you can expect the Cheltenham Festival to feature at the top of the list.
One of the highest-profile and most prestigious events on the sporting calendar, the four-day festival kicks off this Tuesday.
We’ll be giving you all the best updates in our Cheltenham live blog throughout the festival and keeping a table on how our tips fare against Sky Bet’s and any bets you guys share with us.
The schedule
From Tuesday to Friday, you’ll be treated to four solid days of racing and plenty of chances to bet on the world’s top jockeys and horses.
Each day has seven races, but the main event is Friday’s Gold Cup. Last year the race was won by a novice for the first time, showing there’s always the chance of an upset.
With a prize fund of more than half a million pounds, the Gold Cup is the sport’s second-richest single event behind the Grand National.
JOE’s tips
We’ve picked a couple of the biggest races on each day to give you a helping hand on who to back when it comes to the crunch.
Champion Day – Tuesday, March 15
The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race
The week kicks off with a hurdle race over 2 miles and half a furlong with Min (the merciless?) backed as the favourite at 9/4. The great news for Sky Bet punters is that whichever horse you back in the first race every day, you’re guaranteed your money back even if you lose!
JOE’s tip – Buveur d’Air 6/1
Sky Bet’s pick – Min 9/4
Check out the full preview for the first race here…
https://youtu.be/1TbvfJy582g
The Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
Run over the same distance, the Champion Hurdle has been won by the favourite in three of the last five years. This year Annie Power has the shortest odds, but there has been plenty of favour for My Tent Or Yours (9/1) at various Cheltenham preview nights.
JOE’s tip – Annie Power 2/1
Sky Bet’s pick – Nichols Canyon 6/1
Ladies Day – Wednesday, March 16
The Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle Race
The day’s festivities begin with this 2 mile, 5 furlong hurdle race, one of the longest to take place on the Wednesday. Yanworth and Yorkhill lead the field, but we’ve never been ones to always back the favourites…
JOE’s tip – A Toi Phil 7/1
Sky Bet’s pick – Yanworth 11/10
The Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase
Won last year by Dodging Bullets, Wednesday’s main event gives the Paul Nicholls-trained horse a chance to go back-to-back.
JOE’s tip – Sprinter Sacre 9/2
Sky Bet’s pick – Un De Sceaux 8/11
St Patrick’s Thursday
The JLT Novices’ Chase
The biggest bet on Thursday is how many pints of Guinness will be consumed by festival-going punters. Over or under on 255,000 pints across the four days? We’re going over, no bother.
The day kicks off with the JLT Novices’ Chase, which last year brought victory for Ruby Walsh on Vautour.
JOE’s tip – Outlander 7/2
Sky Bet’s pick – Garde La Victoire 9/2
The World Hurdle
The fourth event of the day kicks off at 3.30 with the festivities very much under way, and will see 18 runners compete for a share of the £275,000 purse.
JOE’s tip – Thistlecrack, Evens
Sky Bet’s pick – Cole Harden 7/1
Gold Cup Day
The JCB Triumph Hurdle
As the sell-out crowd gear up for the main event, the JCB Triumph Hurdle offers a chance for punters to get the day off to a strong start.
JOE’s tip – Zubayr 5/1
Sky Bet’s pick – Footpad 10/1
The Gold Cup
The big one. The Gold Cup has brought victories for some of horse racing’s most famous names, with Kauto Star and Long Run both victorious in the last decade. Even Cheltenham rookies know this is one not to be missed.
JOE’s tip – Don Poli 4/1
Sky Bet’s pick – Vautour 9/2
Top Trainer – Paul Nicholls
Whilst Paul and the team at Ditcheat may be going through a phase of new blood, one cannot forget the joy his big guns Denman and Kauto Star brought us. With the current Champion Chase winner in his yard, the Nicholls team will be hoping for a big 2016 in Prestbury Park.
Top Jockey – Ruby Walsh
Who else were we going to pick? Walsh has been named lead jockey at Cheltenham on nine occasions, including each of the last three years. With 45 festival winners to his name, we fully expect the 36-year-old’s experience to shine through once again.
All prices correct at time of publication and are subject to change. For the latest odds click here.
