4 Cheltenham Ante-Post Tips Following Handicap Weights Reveal

Last week we had the entries for Cheltenham Festival handicaps and we have just had the weights published for the Irish entries.

Four horses have caught my eye looking through the handicap weights, two trained in the UK who look to have been specifically targeted at races and two Irish who look to still have scope in their handicap marks.

Ultima Handicap Chase - Quebecois

16/1 antepost (0.5pt ew) with bet365, SkyBet, Paddy Power etc.

Novices have won seven of the previous twelve renewals of this race and Irish trained runners are 0-51 in the past 19 years. The previous two winners have had the minimum number of runs to be eligible for the race. Chianti Classico with three prior to victory in 2024 and Myretown with four prior to victory in 2025 following an amendment to the rules.

It was eyecatching that the connections of QUEBECOIS (best priced at 16/1) decided to get a fourth run into him when he had already had the requisite number of runs to contest the Jack Richards Novice Handicap Chase at the festival. The seven-year-old had two slightly below par runs on his first two starts over fences prior to finishing a nose 2nd at Cheltenham in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase in January off a mark of 135. 10 of the previous 16 winners had run at Cheltenham earlier that season and the race mentioned has produced four Cheltenham festival winners from the past seven renewals with two further runner-up efforts.

Quebecois would have been unsuited by the drop in trip from 2 miles at Newbury last time when 2nd behind Personal Ambition and he remains well handicapped off a mark of 139. He won over 3 miles at Ayr last season over hurdles so this step back up in trip should suit, he handles the track and his owner Max McNeill sponsors the race. He is available at 14/1 NRNB for the race and holds two other entries but I would prefer to take a chance at a bigger price antepost given connections.

Plate Handicap Chase - Madara

6/1 antepost (1pt ew) with bet365, BetMGM, and Virgin Bet.

With the likes of Jagwar (Ultima), McLaurey (Jack Richards) and Vincenzo (Greatwood Gold Cup on Saturday) all having alternative engagements at the top of the market, MADARA (best priced at 6/1) could shorten even further. The Dan Skelton trained seven-year-old ran well in the December Gold Cup last season when only a length behind Gemirande at a time when the Venetia Williams stable was in flying form. He was fitted with cheekpieces that day when sent off a well backed 11/4 favourite and was a then a short price for this race before suffering a setback.

Madara has had two runs this season and has caught the eye on both occasions. He was referred to the Stewards the first day when ridden by Charlie Todd when the reason given was to give him a confidence booster after 378 days off the track. He was even more eyecatching at Kempton last time when ridden by Harry Skelton when finishing 2nd off a mark of 140. He runs here off the same mark which is the same mark as when 2nd in the December Gold Cup last season.

Both of his runs this season have been without headgear and with Madara likely to be fitted with cheekpieces for this ‘target’, he looks the most likely winner of this race which is his only entry.

National Hunt Chase - Backmersackme

Antepost 7/1 (0.5pt ew) with bet365.

The Emmet Mullins trained BACKMERSACKME (best priced at 7/1) has entries in both the Ultima Handicap Chase and the National Hunt Chase on the opening day of the festival but his trainer has highlighted the latter as his most likely target. The seven-year-old ran well to finish 2nd beaten only 2 ¾ lengths over 3m1f on this Old Course at the October Meeting at Cheltenham and the form of that race has worked out well. The winner Three Card Brag finished 2nd behind Panic Attack on his next start off a 6lb higher mark, the 3rd Hoe Joly Smoke has run well on next three starts off a 2lb higher mark and the 4th The Short Go finished 3rd on his next start off a 4lb higher mark.

Backmersackme lost his chance at the start in the Paddy Power Chase over Christmas before winning at the Dublin Racing Festival over 2m5½f when Sean Bowen was pushing him along for the final mile of the contest. The Irish handicapper has raised him 8lbs for that victory and the UK handicapper has added a further 2lbs today. This step up in trip to 3m6f should suit him well and his previous form at the track is also a positive and he should be able to defy that rise.

County Hurdle - Murcia

NRNB 7/1 (1pt win) with bet365

Willie Mullins has won this race a record eight times including with the five-year-olds Final Approach (2011), Saint Roi (2020), State Man (2022) and Kargese (2024). MURCIA (best priced at 7/1) has a similar profile to last year’s winner having run well in Grade 1 juvenile contests the previous season.

Murcia beat Live Conti by six lengths in the Grade 1 Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree before finishing 4th at Punchestown behind Lulamba and Poniros. She ran well to finish 3rd behind Talk The Talk in a Grade 3 at Fairyhouse in November before catching the eye when 4th at the Dublin Racing Festival behind Bowensonfire under Paul Townend.

Kargese won this race last season off a mark of 141 and Murcia has been given a rating of 142 by the UK handicapper which is only 3lbs higher than her Irish mark. The strong pace in a County Hurdle will suit her well and she can provide Willie Mullins and hopefully Paul Townend with yet another victory in the race.