We look at which horses Oddschecker users have been backing for the Cheltenham Festival in March
Min – 20.98% of all ante-post Cheltenham bets this weekend
Chief benefactor of the weekend’s breaking news that saw Douvan ruled out for the rest of the season with injury. The latest setback raises concerns as to whether we will ever see the mighty beast on a racetrack again, and certainly at anywhere near the levels he achieved as he cemented his spot as one of the most talented horses in training. Looking to step into his shoes will be stablemate Min, who like the seven-year-old is owned by Rich Ricci and has been beaten just once since joining the Mullins stable. Last seen landing a 2m4f chase by 36 lengths, it now looks likely his attention will be switched to the Champion Chase where bookmakers cut him into as short as 5/2 from 6/1 before news of Douvan’s injury broke.
We Have A Dream – 15.01%
Owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede appear to have quite the battalion of horses to go to battle with at the Festival in March and this three-year-old was the latest one to romp to victory in the two-tone green silks. A ten length winner of a Juvenile Hurdle in early November, he matched that effort on Saturday in a Grade 2 contest at Doncaster. Sent off the odds-on favourite, he lived up to market expectations in style, travelling powerfully throughout before being shaken up jumping the last to cruise home under a hands and heels ride from Daryl Jacob. As big as 33’s for the Triumph Hurdle in March before this weekend, his taking performance led to bookies going as short as 7/1 (best price 10/1).
Slick and quick - We Have A Dream bolts up in the bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle at @DoncasterRaces! pic.twitter.com/8PrrN7uvOG
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 16, 2017
Apples Jade – 11.27%
Entered up for two 3m contests over the Festive period, the superstar mare remains a 6/4 favourite for the Mares Hurdle over shorter at the Festival. The fact she is also short in the market for the 2m Champion Hurdle shows just how talented she is and how many options connections have! All of which should spell disaster for ante-post punters, especially before no-runner-no-bet comes into play. However, it hasn’t stopped Oddschecker punters getting involved, with the mare featuring in Festival accas and straight bets as punters rate her as one of the Festival bankers.
Next Destination – 8.4%
So far so good from the Willie Mullins’ five-year-old as he made it two from two over hurdles when landing the Grade 2 Novice Hurdle at Navan. The manor of that victory was taking with his jockey David Mullins saying after the race: “He missed the second-last but when I got after him he quickly picked up the gears and won well. He's a good horse and there should be more to come from him." That prospect is an exciting one based on the levels he has already achieved and he now rightly sits at the top of the betting for the Albert Bartlett at 7/1 best price (Paddys are just 4/1!) and is only second behind the much-hyped Samcro in the Ballymore Novices betting too.
Next Destination as short as 5/1 for the Ballymore Novices Hurdle following today's display https://t.co/ieT84sl10gpic.twitter.com/BsMycYhAMX
— Oddschecker Racing (@OddsRacing) December 17, 2017
Stormy Ireland – 4.51%
A 58 length winner of a maiden hurdle (58!), Willie Mullins’ three-year-old absolutely pulverised her rivals from the front to win by a ludicrous margin on her first start for the trainer. Second on both her starts over hurdles in France, she looked the part at the weekend and had bookies running for cover in the ante-post markets. Thrown in as an 8/1 shot for the Mares Novices’ Hurdle off the back of Saturday’s demolition job, she’s now best price 12/1 for that contest. She was also cut for the Triumph Hurdle with the pre-race 40/1 now as short as 12/1 with one firm (best price 20/1).
