Cheltenham 2024: The five most backed for next year’s Festival

Galopin Des Champs - Cheltenham Gold Cup

GALOPIN DES CHAMPS consolidated his position as the gem in the crown of National Hunt Racing with a seven-length win in Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup, showing enough to convince punters that he'll be back for more in 2024. 

Willie Mullins' charge hasn’t looked back since winning the 2021 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle and romped his way to dual Cheltenham success under Paul Townend, something he should already have achieved having fell in the final fence of last year's Turners Novices' Chase.

Since the close of proceedings on Friday, 6.3% of the ante-post racing bets through oddschecker have gone the way of Galopin Des Champs, who features in more than 54% of the betslips for the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2024.

Constitution Hill – Champion Hurdle

If Galopin Des Champs was the star turn on the final day, it was CONSTITUTION HILL who kickstarted a glorious hour at the Festival on the opening day, with his nine-length win in the Champion Hurdle quickly followed by Honeysuckle’s farewell Mares’ Hurdle success.

The six-year-old is a best price 33/1 (worst price 20/1) for the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2024, should he try to emulate Dawn Run - the only horse to complete the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup double.

However, it is the Champion Hurdle 2024 where the bulk of his bets are going. Nicky Henderson's charge has been backed in 5.1% of all ante-post racing bets and 52% of Champion Hurdle bets since the end of last week.

Impaire Et Passe – Champion Hurdle

With all the drama that followed, it seems such a long time ago that IMPAIRE ET PASSE proved too good for the rest in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle. However, the five-year-old’s performance – a 6.5 length winner from Gaelic Warrior - has not been forgotten by the oddschecker community.

At the time of writing, he is seen as a genuine contender to Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle ante-post market. Despite only taking 2.9% of the overall share of ante-post bets, he has received almost a third (32.3%) of the backing for the feature race on the opening day of next year’s Festival.

Constitution Hill is a best price 5/6 to defend his crown (worst 4/7), while Impaire Et Passe can be backed for the Champion Hurdle 2024 at 6/1 (worst price 4/1).

El Fabiolo – Champion Chase

EL FABIOLO, another of the big favourites to score on the opening day last Tuesday, features fourth in our most backed list for Cheltenham 2024. 

The six-year-old, trained by Willie Mullins, was too good for Jonbon (5.5 lengths) in the Arkle Chase but is being backed in for a tilt at Wednesday's feature race in 2024 - the Champion Chase.

Hat-trick seeking Energumene remains the marginal favourite for the Champion Chase 2024 at a best price 7/2, but El Fabiolo is hot on the heels at 4/1 (worst 3/1).

At the time of writing, he has featured in 2.6% of the ante-post horse racing bets and 42.7% of those for the Champion Chase since the close of action on Friday.

Energumene – Champion Chase

And just like in the Champion Hurdle, there is an early ante-post dual emerging for the Champion Chase, with ENERGUMENE the fifth most backed horse for next year’s Cheltenham Festival.

The nine-year-old won by 10 lengths from surprise second Captain Guinness last Wednesday, a dominant performance against a field featuring Clarence House Chase winner Editeur Du Gite and last year's Arkle winner Edwardstone.

He finds himself in 2.4% of the ante-post slips through oddschecker since the curtain came down at Prestbury Park, including 41.8% of the bets on the Champion Chase 2024.