Cheltenham Festival 2023

Speaking on the oddschecker Betting Show alongside Ed Quigley, Holding highlighted four horses overpriced by the bookmakers, who might already be looking for a ‘rescue plan’ given the strength of Facile Vega in the Supreme, Jonbon in the Arkle and Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle.

 

Protektorat - Cheltenham Gold Cup

At 12/1, his price is a bit of an insult (since cut into 10s). It's almost as if the bookmakers haven’t given him the credit he deserves for winning that Betfair Chase and instead concentrated on A Plus Tard's demise. There are often reasons why horses run badly and people will draw the wrong conclusions when basically he was running in a very strong race in conditions he couldn't cope with. 

When you go back and do the time figures, it was almost like the Henry de Bromhead team had underestimated the opposition and what it took to win that race. PROTEKTORAT was on the money throughout the whole race; he jumped, he travelled and the figure he put up was sensational. 

We get time figures of that ilk about once every two or three years. And it wasn't a left field performance, he's always been capable of that level. He shouldn't be anywhere near 12/1.

Gaelic Warrior – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

It was difficult for me to decide which race to put GAELIC WARRIOR up in. I've got to think about what's going to happen between now and the Festival.

There's an opportunity for him to slip into the Ballymore division under the radar. Straight away after he got beaten in the Boodles, they said he'd be back to Cheltenham next year as a novice in the Ballymore, so they're giving you that little nugget. He was absolutely amazing the other day at Tramore - a bit of a mickey mouse race but I've never horse win by so much (86 lengths). 

The only negative is he did jump to his right when he lost at the Boodles, so maybe going left handed is a problem but he's a seriously good horse that I had to include.

Impervious - Mares' Chase

IMPERVIOUS won at Cork the other day beating Dinoblue, who herself had already won at Cork making all the running on her chasing debut. Impervious basically tracked and outstayed her, and I came away thinking she must be a good mare to beat Dinoblue. 

She jumped incredibly well for a novice chaser, she didn't put a foot wrong at a very strong pace. They both ran a faster circuit time than Energumene. She's another I wanted to highlight at 7/1 (since cut into 5s) as she's going to be a real contender come the Festival in March.

Hiddenvalley Lake - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

HIDDENVALLEY LAKE parachuted into my list late alongside the other three. He was so impressive at Cork in a good race and ran a proper graded time. I like the fact that he was just off the bridle turning for home but he found something to win the race. 

You need a grinder or a horse that stays really well to win the Albert Bartlett and he's proven over 3m on soft ground at graded level. He (de Bromhead) has already said that he'll go to the Clonmel race that he used for Monalee and Minella Indo. He knows how to win the Albert Bartlett.