Andy Holding outlines his Festival highlights, best ante-post bets for Cheltenham 2023 and who he’d be backing should Constitution Hill take on Honeysuckle at Punchestown.
Constitution Hill heads list of star performers
A cracking Cheltenham Festival from start to finish and without any doubt, the biggest star on show throughout the four days was Constitution Hill in the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Rarely have we witnessed a novice totally destroy a field in the way he did and his time figure, a full six seconds quicker than Honeysuckle’s in the Champion Hurdle, suggests he’s right up there with the very best that’s every graced the curtain raiser in its 76-year history.
Where he goes from here remains to be seen, but if he were to go to Punchestown to take on Henry de Bromhead’s mare, there’s only one direction my money would be going.
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Away from Nicky Henderson’s class act, the likes of Allaho, A Plus Tard and Energumene all posted times in a similar ballpark and they look the ones to beat in their respective divisions next season.
Of the novices’ coming through to perhaps ruffle their feathers, L’Homme Presse suggested he might be a genuine Gold Cup contender next season with his victory in the Brown Advisory and of course we have Galopin Des Champs, who was in the process of putting up a spectacular display in the Turners Novices’ Chase but for falling at the last.
What next for Galopin Des Champs?
The dilemma facing connections with Willie Mullins’ rising star is what trip to campaign him over next season. Do they stick to 2m4f and run the risk of bumping into Allaho from the same stable, or do they step up in trip and tackle the Gold Cup which, other than A Plus Tard, is probably lacking any great strength in depth?
The other option, which was muted by his handler in the post-race chat, would be to drop back to two miles given how well he jumps and how much speed he shows, but then again, he’ll be up against the likes of Shishkin, Energumene and potentially Edwardstone, so it’s not as if that category has an open goal to riches. Needless to say, plenty of food for thought over the coming months.
Too many near misses on the punting front
On a personal level, it was good to see the hype surrounding the figure-horses going into the Festival, such as Constitution Hill, Facile Vega, Sir Gerhard, L’Homme Presse, Allaho, Vauban and - other than his fall - Galopin Des Champs all justify their status as potential stars, but there were far too many placed horses and near misses to make it a vintage one on the punting front.
Had any of the likes of Gericault Roque, Queens Brook, Run Wild Fred, Three Stripe Life, Alaphilippe or Imperial Alcazar won rather than finishing second, it may have been a different story, but at least they all ran well enough to justify the bets in the first place.
My standout ante-post bets for Cheltenham 2023
Looking towards next year’s Festival, one of the standout ante-post bets at this stage comes in the shape of FACILE VEGA at 6/1 for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.
Given his dominance in the bumper division this season and potential for even further improvement, particularly when he races beyond two miles, it’s highly unlikely any of his opponents he’s faced up to now will be capable of getting the better of him long term.
For those worried about connections staying in the two-mile lane and going down the Supreme route, you’ve got to go back to 2013 with Champagne Fever to find the last winner of the Bumper to follow up in the curtain raiser the next year.
Flooring Porter once again proved he’s easily the best stayer of his generation and no doubt he will be back to defend his crown next year. However, the fact the field finished in a bit of heap in a slow time figure and the close proximity of Koshari casts a huge doubt over the validity of the form, this category still appears up for grabs.
BUZZ had to miss second half of the season due to a fractured pelvis and although it’s too early to say whether he will make a full recovery, if he does then he’s surely going to have a huge say in the destiny of next year’s Stayers’. Until disaster struck, he had the potential to be the dominant force on this side of the Irish Sea and he makes quite a bit of appeal at 12/1 to pick up where he left off.
Another name to conjure with is VANILLIER who, up to now, hasn’t shaped like he’s a natural over fences. Likely to be entered in the Irish National, if things don’t work out at Fairyhouse, it’s quite possible he will revert back to hurdles next season and we only have to cast our minds back to remember what he did to a useful field in last season’s Albert Bartlett over the same C&D as the Stayers’ Hurdle. At current price 33/1, he could also be worth a small roll of the dice.
| RACE | NAME | BEST PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Ballymore | Facile Vega | 6/1 |
| Stayers' | Buzz | 12/1 |
| Stayers' | Vanillier | 33/1 |
Gericault Roque shaping up for Grand National tilt
The other horse to appeal as an interesting ante-post proposition is GERICAULT ROQUE for next season’s Grand National. The way he jumped and travelled in the Ultima before having his pocket picked by Corach Rambler was one of the abiding memories of the first day and there’s no doubt connections will have all the big staying prizes in mind for this lightly-raced young chaser.
