The first of three handicaps on Day 2 at Cheltenham promises to be one of the most competitive of the week.
Coral Cup
One of the most competitive handicaps of the week is the Coral Cup, which is the first of three handicaps on the second day of the four-day fixture and will take place at 14.40pm. Last year’s renewal was won by the Dan Skelton-trained Langer Dan, who became the first horse to win it back-to-back.
Coral Cup Winners & Trends
- Distance - All of the last 10 winners had won over a euro between two miles two furlongs and two miles six furlongs.
- Course form is a massive plus - Langer Dan’s win last year saw him become the 12th of the last 15 winners to have previously run at Cheltenham, so looking for a horse with previous course form will help narrow down the field to some extent.
- Difficult race for the jolly - This past century has seen only two favourites land the spoils, whereas four of the last seven renewals have been won by horses that have started at an SP of 20/1 or higher.
- Arriving fresh can be rewarded with success - Of the previous 18 winners, 17 of those had not been seen for at least 32 days, so look out for those who have had at least a four and a half week break.
- Rating - Looking at the previous 10 winners, NONE of them were rated lower than 138.
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Coral Cup Key Runners & Contenders
Dan Skelton’s Be Aware caught the eye when staying on to finish a half a length second to Burdett Road in the Greatwood Hurdle here in November. He remains on the same mark as his latest effort at Ascot and could be set to run a big race.
Altobelli has won his last couple of starts at Ascot and will be a popular pick for punters, as he tends to finish his races well. Emma Lavelle’s Classic King stayed on well to finish third at Ascot last time out under a tentative ride and could outrun his odds, but maybe this is fifth time lucky at the Cheltenham Festival for Ballyadam.
He has finished second in a Supreme, fifth in two County Hurdles and finished runner-up in this last year. He gained a good win over the 160+ rated Saint Sam last time out and deserves a big win on the grandest stage of them all. There’s no reason why he cannot run well again at double-figure odds.
Coral Cup Trainers & Jockeys to Watch
Nicky Henderson leads the way with four wins in the contest, followed by Gordon Elliott with three and then Dan Skelton with two.
Nico De Boinville and Harry Skelton both have two wins in the contest, followed by Sam Twiston-Davies and Mark Walsh, who both have one.
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Coral Cup Prediction
- Ballyadam
- Be Aware
- Farren Glory
Coral Cup Betting Tips
I have no idea why BALLYADAM (best price 16/1) is available at such huge odds given his solid record at the Cheltenham Festival (placed on all four previous starts at this meeting) including when runner-up in this race last year.
He beat the 160+ rated Saint Sam last time out and this has obviously been his target again being his only entry at the fixture. He is a class horse with the ability to run another big race, so he’s definitely my main play in the contest.
With his only entry being this race, BE AWARE (best price 7/1) could be set to provide Dan Skelton with a chance of landing a hat trick of wins in the contest. The six-year-old was slightly disappointing at Ascot last time out, but he ran very well on his only previous start over this distance. He has a solid each-way chance.
Given its history of throwing up a huge priced winner, if given the green light, Farren Glory could outrun his odds for Gordon Elliott, who won this three years ago with Commander Of Fleet. He does have other options, but this trip could be worth an experiment and this Grade 1 winning hurdler cannot be discounted, having run well to finish third in a Grade 2 race back in this sphere.
