We look at which horses Oddschecker users have been backing for the Cheltenham Festival in March
Un De Sceaux - 13.32% of all Cheltenham ante-post bets
Willie Mullins’ history maker made it three Clarence House Chases on Saturday with a typically assured performance. Now a ten-year-old, he’s amassed over £900,000 in prize money from his 26 career starts including 12 Graded success. They are truly phenomenal numbers from a truly phenomenal animal. A defence of his Ryanair Chase crown looks the most likely Festival option at a track he has lost just one of his four starts - when second to Sprinter Sacre in the 2016 Champion Chase. 5/2 fav in the NRNB betting, there are a number of young pretenders in behind him in the betting meaning another stellar performance will be needed in March if he is to add another Grade 1 success to his almighty CV.
WATCH: Un De Sceaux makes history by becoming the first triple winner of the Clarence House Chase @Ascot. In the process the 10-year-old takes his career winnings above £1 million.
— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) January 20, 2018
Form: 1/111/11111/F111/1F122/161112-11
Results https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx pic.twitter.com/xT6L3IPJc7
La Bague Au Roi - 8.71%
Connections have always thought the world of this talented mare, whose only defeats have come in Grade 1 and 2 events. A record of ten wins from 13 career starts is an indicator of both her ability and her trainer’s smart placement with Saturday’s race another fine example of both. A 16 length winner of the Grade 2 Mares’ Hurdle at Ascot, it wasn’t the strongest of races but her performance was emphatic nonetheless. 33’s for the Stayers Hurdle before the weekend, her latest victory had bookies trimming her into as short as 14/1 in the NRNB market with 20’s available elsewhere. The Mares Hurdle also remains an option with 14/1 a standout price (10/1 NRNB).
How good was that by La Bague Au Roi! pic.twitter.com/Jxd8BbPFo8
— OLBG Betting Tips (@OLBG) January 20, 2018
Ch’Tibello – 4.92%
Beaten by legend The New One in the Champion Hurdle trial at Haydock at the weekend, Dan Skelton’s seven-year-old looked to have the beating of the old-timer before being out-stayed in an epic battle to the line. The heavy conditions at the north west venue weren’t his preferred conditions however, and connections would be hopeful a return to a sounder surface could bring about further improvement. He’d certainly need some to feature in the Champion Hurdle come March with his odds of 33/1 a fair indicator of his chances, although that hasn’t deterred Oddschecker punters over the weekend.
Getabird - 4.09%
Clear favourite for the opening race of the Festival, he’ll be bidding to continue Willie Mullins’ incredible recent record in the Supreme. Not seen on a racecourse at the weekend, he’s still proven popular with ante-post punters thanks to his most recent win in the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer at Punchestown.
The New One – 3.18%
Any racing fan who wasn’t shouting home Nigel Twiston-Davies’ ten-year-old on Saturday needs to have a long hard look in the mirror! Twenty (20!) wins from thirty-six starts shows just how consistent, durable and talented he is. Going one better than Un De Sceaux’s record of three Clarence House Chases, he took his career earnings over the £1million mark with his fourth consecutive victory in Haydock’s Champion Hurdle Trial. A crack at the Stayers Hurdle now looks his next target, with the 14/1 available pre-race now as short as 10/1 in the NRNB betting.
The New One gets the better of Ch'Tibello
— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) January 20, 2018
in a thrilling finish to gain his fourth success in the Champion Hurdle Trial @haydockraces and records his 20th career victory.
Results https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx pic.twitter.com/8Ke6HNF1Tf
