Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Cheltenham Day 4

It's Day 4 of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival and the Placepot pool will see £1m on offer following yesterday’s Placepot at Cheltenham which paid a huge £14k (~£15k with Tote+). There has been £1.4 Million in the Cheltenham pool each day and is my guide to each of the six races on Gold Cup Day that make up the pool. Good luck.

Leg 1 Selections: Gala Marceau, Blood Destiny, Zenta

Lossiemouth is fancied by plenty of punters to reverse the latest form with GALA MARCEAU having suffered interference but the latter did plenty wrong herself and still win by more than two lengths and will prove effect under conditions here. 

She pulled quite hard but jumped well in the main and found plenty in reserve to keep up the revs and get the job done. She is likely to settle better here as well with plenty of pace on offer and, now Danny Mullins knows even more about her, and rides this course well, she has a great chance to land the opener. 

Her stablemate BLOOD DESTINY has been impressive in winning both starts over hurdles in Ireland at Cork and Fairyhouse and has clocked some good numbers. The form of his win at Cork reads well, which featured subsequent Boodles winner, Jazzy Matty. He is the highest rated runner and Patrick Mullins rides. He is an exciting prospect. 

Of the others, ZENTA could go well. She won on her hurdles debut in France in a Listed event and did well to overcome two bad mistakes at the last two hurdles to make a winning stable debut in a Grade 3 last time. She clearly has a lot of ability and, with improvement on the cards, she is of interest. 

Leg 2 Selections: Winter Fog, Pied Piper, Wonderwall, Magnor Glory

WINTER FOG has plenty of good form in big-field handicaps and was fourth in last season’s Pertemps at the Festival. He made his stable debut over this trip at Leopardstown last time and won by six lengths plus, where he travelled well and quickened clear. His mark has been hit with a chunky rise but he is unexposed over this trip and he is a big price for a horse with a really good chance. 

PIED PIPER wasn’t disgraced when fourth in the Irish Champion Hurdle last time and was third in the Triumph Hurdle on this card last year. The five-year-old should be suited to the strong pace in this large field and I can envisage him going well despite his big weight. 

WONDERWALL hasn’t been seen since falling at Huntingdon but gets into this off a nice mark and low weight and ran well in the 2021 Champion Bumper when seventh. He is of strong interest, as his MAGNOR GLORY, who beat a subsequent winner last time. 

Leg 3 Selections: Favori De Champdou, Corbetts Cross, Dawn Rising

A really strong line-up for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and Gordon Elliott’s progressive FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU could be up to the task ahead having his first go at the highest level. He has looked a thorough stayer in each of his three wins since tackling three miles and conditions will suit. This is a deep renewal but he has done little wrong so far in this sphere and makes plenty of appeal to at least hit the frame. 

CORBETTS CROSS has won all three of his hurdle starts since his second on hurdles debut and was purchased by JP McManus not so long back as well. He won a Grade 2 last month and has now won over various distances. so he’s clearly a horse who can adapt to any trip and has plenty of quality too. He could take some beating, while DAWN RISING was doing all of his best work at the finish last time when third and could pose a serious threat at big odds. 

Leg 4 Selections: Bravemansgame, Stattler

The big race of the day and week, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. BRAVEMANSGAME was simply electric in the King George, proving he can handle softer ground. He jumps and travels really well and Paul Nicholls has an excellent record in the race. I don’t see why he won’t improve for the extra yardage in this and he brings the best staying chase form this season to the table. I think he has a cracking chance. 

The longer trip in the Gold Cup compared to the Irish Gold Cup will be right up STATTLER’s street here. Those who have won or run well in the National Hunt Chase, which he won last season, in the last ten or so years, have predominantly done well in this race. He has stamina in abundance and jumps really well. Patrick Mullins will have learnt a lot from his ride on him last time and I cannot see him out of the first three.  

Leg 5 Selections: Chris’s Dream, Brain Power, The Storyteller

CHRIS’S DREAM is one of the classiest additions to this race in recent years. He has competed in three Grade 1 events at the Cheltenham Festival previously and this is no doubt the easiest of the lot. He is still rated 155, the highest in the field, and his trainer could hardly have his team in better form this week either. This classy 11-year-old has by far the best overall form in the entire field and he’s been bolting up in point-to-points recently too. This is his best chance of winning at this meeting, so he is strongly fancied to run a huge race with conditions in his favour. 

BRAIN POWER was a high-class performer in his youth for Nicky Henderson and has won four of his last five starts in point-to-points. He probably isn’t the force of old but the last form he competed at Cheltenham was when pulled up in the Champion Hurdle four years ago. He is a Grade 2 winner here plus he remains low on mileage in this sphere. The last time he ran here over fences was when second in an Arkle and I can see him potentially outrunning his double-figure odds. 

THE STORYTELLER was also a formerly high-class chaser and while he disappointed at Down Royal last time, he is probably still capable of good form and it was only two seasons ago he ran very well to finish fifth in the Stayers’ Hurdle. He has also won and placed at previous festivals and won’t be hindered by a spot on rain either. Jamie Codd is booked to ride, so this could be a long-term plot. 

Leg 6 Selections: Impervious

IMPERVIOUS is unbeaten in three starts over fences and the form of her latest two wins have been boosted by the two who were in behind in each of those races, as Journey With Me has won a Grade 2 since, whilst Dinoblue ran well in the Grand Annual earlier this week. 

Colm Murphy’s mare was only sixth in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at this meeting twelve months ago but has established herself to be an even better chaser and her form has a lot more substance than Willie Mullins charge. She has six wins from seven starts below Grade 1 level and gets the vote to add to that tally here.