Constitution Hill, Energumene & L’Eau Du Sud Top Weekend Cheltenham Ante-Post Bets

Constitution Hill – Champion Hurdle 

Arguably the story of this season’s jump racing so far is around the fitness of Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill.  

The two-time Cheltenham Festival winner shook up the Champion Hurdle market when showing up lame at a gallop at Newbury in November. Constitution Hill’s price that day drifted from 6/4 to 3/1 with rumours that the superstar hurdler may retire.  

Those retirement claims have been knocked back, and the latest update over the weekend from trainer Nicky Henderson is “100% sound”. Henderson has hinted at the Christmas Hurdle being the target for his reappearance on Boxing Day, a race which Willie Mullins could send over Lossiemouth in a potential Champion Hurdle preview. 

Following the positive weekend update around Constitution Hill, we’ve seen 66% of ante-post bets on the Champion Hurdle market backing him since Saturday morning. That surge saw his price slightly clipped from 4/1 to 3/1 in places but remains second in the betting to 7/4 favourite, Lossiemouth.

Punting on the Cheltenham Festival ante-post markets? Make sure to check out the latest free bets to maximise your winnings. 

Energumene – Champion Chase 

Energumene extended his winning streak to three on the weekend on his seasonal reappearance with a comfortable victory in the Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase at Cork.  

The Tony Bloom-owned 10-year-old controlled the pace throughout, eventually beating 2nd-placed Dinoblue by 10 lengths (the would’ve been 2nd, Banbridge, unseated rider at the last).  

Looking for a hat-trick in the Champion Chase next March, Energumene’s price was cut from 10/1 to 5/1 in places after Saturday’s victory.  

A potential clash with Jonbon at the Clarence House Chase on January 18th could be the next turnout for Energumene. Since Saturday, 32% of Champion Chase ante-post bets through oddschecker have backed Energumene for the race. 

L'Eau Du Sud – Arkle Chase  

After two convincing wins to start the season, Saturday’s victory for L’Eau Du Sud was nothing of the sort. However, the Dan Skelton-trained six-year-old still proved his Arkle Chase credentials, toughing it out to beat Gordon Elliot’s Touch Me Not by 3 and 3/4l. That victory led to his price being cut from 10/1 to 6/1 for the Arkle Chase in March. Ballyburn currently heads that ante-post market as a 7/4 favourite.  

Following the race, we saw the number of bets backing him for the Arkle rise from 10% in the week prior to 34% since. Skelton told reporters post-race he is targeting the Kingmaker or the Game Spirit for L’Eau Du Sud’s next appearance.   

Dancing City – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase 

Willie Mullins’ Dancing City will make his first appearance over fences on Tuesday at Punchestown and punters are grabbing the 10/1 available for the Brown Advisory ahead of this race. 

Currently a 4/11 favourite for the race, a strong performance here could see the three-time Grade 1 Hurdle winner’s price clipped into 5/1 or 6/1. Since Saturday, 42% of Brown Advisory bets have been on Dancing City. 

Jasmin De Vaux – Turners Novices’ Hurdle 

Our final horse in this week’s round up is, unsurprisingly, a Willie Mullins trained horse in the shape of Jasmin De Vaux. 

Last year’s Champion Bumper winner laboured to a first victory over hurdles in the 2m Maiden Hurdle at Navan last Friday as a 1/3 favourite.  

There is a clear difference of opinion with the bookies on this horse, with some pricing the five-year-old as short as 5/1 and some as wide as 12/1 for the Turners.  

Nonetheless, this hasn’t stopped 41% of ante-post bets since Friday backing him to win the Turners in what would be a record-extending fifth time for Willie Mullins.