The three most backed horses for Thursday at Cheltenham post final declarations combine for a best price 12/1 treble through oddschecker.
Mighty Potter – Turners Novices’ Chase
MIGHTY POTTER, the big favourite for Thursday’s Festival opener, won a brace of Grade 1 novice hurdles last season and has already matched that tally over fences courtesy of victories in the Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse and the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
Gordon Elliott’s scopey gelding put in an exhibition round of jumping when defeating Tuesday’s National Hunt Chase hero Gaillard Du Mesnil and former Cheltenham Festival scorer Banbridge at Fairyhouse, and he barely broke sweat when scoring at the Dublin Racing Festival last month.
The strong travelling six-year-old possesses all of the attributes to be reach the top as a chaser and he is yet to find a rival who can test him in this sphere.
That should change tomorrow as the best that Ireland and Britain have to offer will collide in the Turners Novices’ Chase, where his opposition will draw glimmers of hope from his disappointing outing in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 12 months ago.
Almost 52% of the punters through oddschecker have sided with Mighty Potter since final declarations for the day’s racing were made on Tuesday.
Shishkin – Ryanair Chase
SHISHKIN looked close to his brilliant best in the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase three weeks ago to assume huge favouritism for the Ryanair Chase - understandably so given that he is upwards of 7lbs clear of all of his rivals on official ratings.
It was a welcome return to form for Nicky Henderson’s dual Cheltenham Festival scorer, who was pulled-up after just eight fences in last year’s Champion Chase having been sent off as the odds on favourite, before disappointing again on his reappearance at Sandown in the Tingle Creek Chase when placing third behind Edwardstone.
This field will naturally be deeper than the one he put to the sword at Ascot, but the punters through oddschecker have not been deterred. At the time of writing, 51% of those betting on the win market for the Ryanair Chase since Tuesday have backed Shishkin.
Teahupoo – Stayers’ Hurdle
TEAHUPOO only beat one rival home in the Champion Hurdle won by Honeysuckle 12 months ago before faring no better at the Punchestown Festival subsequently, finishing sixth of six.
However, this form has turned around completely since connections decided to take him up in trip. The six-year-old defeated Klassical Dream and Tuesday’s Mares' Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle in the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse before sauntering to a facile 15 lengths success in the Galmoy Hurdle, which stamped his ticket to this contest.
He has been vying for favouritism with Charles Byrnes’ Blazing Khal, himself on the comeback trail after 14 months out injured, but the oddschecker community have shown their support for Gordon Elliott’s charge. 30% of the Stayers’ Hurdle betslips feature backing for Teahupoo.
