Racing: Cheltenham Festival 2008 Betting Preview
THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
The Cheltenham Festival is the most prestigious National Hunt race meeting in the United Kingdom. It is an event where the best British and Irish trained horses race against each other, which is rare during the rest of the season. It takes place annually in mid-March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
HISTORY
The first Cheltenham Festival was held in 1902 at Prestbury Park, Cheltenham, which remains the Festival venue. The first steeplechase was introduced in 1904. This race evolved into the Cheltenham Gold Cup by 1924. The Gold Cup was the first of the four Championship races. The inaugural Champion Hurdle was run in 1927, with the introduction of the Queen Mother Champion ‘Chase in 1959. The Stayers’ Hurdle was the last of the four to be introduced, its first running being in 1972.
CHELTENHAM & THE IRISH
Ireland is a great breeder of trainers and jockeys, as well as horses. This, and the fact that the Festival often occurs in the same week as St. Patrick’s Day, makes the meeting extremely popular with Irish visitors. The legendary Arkle sparked Irish interest by beating English star Mill House in the 1964 Gold Cup. The “Wonder Mare,” Dawn Run, produced an Irish-based fairytale by winning the Champion Hurdle in 1984, followed by the Gold Cup in 1986, the only horse to date to achieve this notable double. More recently, Istabraq, owned by Irishman John McManus, beat the best English hurdlers, with consecutive Champion Hurdle successes in 1998, 1999 and 2000. He is the only horse to have won at four Successive Festivals, having won the 1997 Royal & Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle. Moreover, many jockeys who are now based in England have their roots in the Emerald Isle. Gold Cup winning riders Mick Fitzgerald, Adrian Maguire and Norman Williamson are all Irish, as is leading rider Tony McCoy. A major part of the Festival is the ongoing “battle” with the “enemy,” namely the bookmakers. Legendary Irish gamblers such as J.P. McManus and Barney Curley have relieved them of many thousands of pounds. Every Irish-trained winner is greeted by wild celebrations around the winners’ enclosure. However, the major reason for the Irish attachment to the Cheltenham Festival is the “craic.” This is a Gaelic word, with several meanings. However, in this context it equates to good times, music, drinking and essentially, fun.
In 2001, the Festival was cancelled due an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Britain.
THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TODAY
For four days in March, it would be easy to believe that Cheltenham had migrated across the Irish Sea. An estimated 10,000 Irish racegoers make the trip for the four-day meeting.
Of the four hundred plus horses running in the Festival races, about seventy will be trained in Ireland. Since 2005, the Cheltenham Festival has been extended to four days, with a Championship race on each day.
The Cheltenham Festival 2008 gets underway on Tuesday 11th March. The opening contest is the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, run over 2m 1/2f. This is followed by the Arkle ‘Chase over 2m. This is a huge test for inexperienced horses, required to jump well at speed. Errors will cause horses to struggle to keep in touch and those unable to maintain a high cruising speed will become too far detached. The feature race is the Champion Hurdle run over 2m 1/2f, the premier speed test for established hurdlers.
Wednesday 12th March will see some of the quickest, experienced steeplechasers compete for the Queen Mother Championship ‘Chase, over 2m, with twelve fences to be negotiated. The conclusion to the second day is the Champion Bumper, a flat race run under National Hunt rules, dominated by Irish runners in recent years.
The Ladbroke World Hurdle (formerly the Stayers’ hurdle), is the feature of Thursday 13th March, run over 3m. It provides the ultimate stamina test for experienced hurdlers. The Grade 1 Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle, over 2m 5f provides a similar stamina test for the less experienced hurdlers.
Friday 14th March opens with the Triumph Hurdle, and continues with the Blue Riband event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a steeplechase run over 3m 2 1/2f and twenty-two fences. The Gold Cup is considered the ultimate test of speed and stamina for the best ‘chasers. The Grade 1 Sun Alliance Novices’ Chase, run over a slightly shorter trip of 3m 1/2f (19 fences) is the novice equivalent and can provide a stepping-stone to the Gold Cup, in the future. For 2008, an additional race has been added to the final day of the Festival. The David Nicholson Mares Hurdle is a new Grade 2 race run over 2m 4f. The meeting ends each year with the County Hurdle. Run over 2m1f, this is one of the most competitive races of the meeting, and not the best race to use as the “getting-out stakes.” Over the years, it has been a major gambling race, with numerous horses being regarded as well-weighted. Although a handicap race, it is not unusual for the winner to progress beyond handicap company.
BETTING ON THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
Hundreds of millions of pounds are gambled over the four days. The Festival is noted for its atmosphere, most notably the “Cheltenham roar,” which refers to the enormous noise that the crowd generates as the runners approach the long run-in.
AVAILABLE BETS
N.B. Best prices at 6th February 2008.
Ante-post Betting
Ante-post prices are available online for all the Cheltenham Festival races. The best prices currently available are:
CHAMPIONSHIP RACES
Champion Hurdle (Tuesday 11th March)
9/4 Sizing Europe (general offer), 5/1 Sublimity (Ladbrokes & William Hill), 11/2 Osana (sportingbet), 8/1 Harchibald (general offer), 12/1 Katchit (sportingbet), 25/1 Blythe Knight (general offer), Silent Oscar (general offer), Afsoun (William Hill & totesport),
Straw Bear (Paddy Power & totesport), 28/1 Amaretto Rose (sportingbet), 33/1 Ebaziyan (Ladbrokes), 50/1 BAR.
Queen Mother Champion ‘Chase (Wednesday 12th March)
5/2 Twist Magic (Coral), 11/4 Voy Por Ustedes (Boylesports, sportingbet & PartyBets), 7/1 Tamarinbleu (William Hill), 14/1 My Way de Solzen (skybet), 16/1 Fair Along, Master Minded (general offers), 20/1 Nickname (Coral, Ladbrokes & skybet), 25/1 Newmill (vcbet), Jack the Giant (sportingbet & totesport), 28/1 BAR.
World Hurdle (Thursday 13th March)
6/5 Inglis Drever (sportingbet), 6/1 Wichita Lineman (Coral) 8/1 Blazing Bailey (vcbet), 10/1 Hardy Eustace (general offer), 11/1 My Way de Solzen (Paddy Power), 20/1 Special Envoy (general offer), 25/1 Kasbah Bliss, Aitmatov (general offers), 33/1 BAR.
Gold Cup (Friday 14th March)
6/5 Kauto Star (sportingbet), 9/4 Denman (sportingbet), 12/1 Exotic Dancer (BlueSquare & totesport), 14/1 Kicking King (general offer), 33/1 Star de Mohaison (general offer), 40/1 BAR.
Due to the confidence behind the market leaders, online bookmakers will also be “betting without” Kauto Star and Denman. Prices will be much shorter that the outright odds, but a selection only needs to finish third for the bet to be won.
OTHER RACES
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle(Tuesday 11th March)
7/1 Cork All Star (general offer), 9/1 Captain Cee Bee (Coral, sportingbet), Muirhead (totesport), 10/1 Rippling Ring, Franchoek (general offers), 12/1 Numide (general offer), 14/1 Khyber Kim (bet365), Deep Purple (general offer), Sentry Duty (William Hill & sportingbet), 20/1 BAR.
Arkle Chase (Tuesday 11th March)
5/1 Noland (general offer), 10/1 Moon over Miami (general offer), 12/1 Acambo, Mahogany Blaze (general offers), Tidal Bay (BlueSquare), 14/1 Leslingtaylor (general offer), 16/1 Thyne Again (Stan James, skybet, betdirect), Big Bucks (William Hill), Scotsirish, Clopf (general offers), 20/1 BAR.
Champion Bumper (Wednesday 12th March)
6/1 Time Electric (general offer), 10/1 The Old Pretender(Coral, bet365), Lilywhitedancer (general offer), 14/1 Big Eared Fran (Coral), 16/1 Gold Award (Boylesports), Corskeagh Royale, The Nightingale (general offers), Mad Max (BlueSquare), 20/1 BAR.
Triumph Hurdle (Friday 14th March)
11/4 Franchoek, 8/1 Binocular, 10/1 Celestial Halo, 14/1 Won in the Dark (all general offers), 16/1 Ashkazar (Coral), 20/1 The Grey Berry (William Hill), Five Dream (Paddy Power, sportingbet), Temlett (general offer), 25/1 Harper Valley (William Hill, skybet), Zaralabad (Ladbrokes), C’est Ca, Serabad (general offers), 33/1 BAR.
Royal Sun Alliance ‘Chase (Friday 14th March)
8/1 Air Force One, Joe Lively (general offers), 10/1 Tidal Bay (BlueSquare, Boylesports), 12/1 Duc du Regniere, Nevada Royale (general offers), 14/1 Money Trix, Pomme Tiepy, 16/1 Silverburn (all general offers), 20/1 BAR.
David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle (Friday 14th March)
7/2 Sweet Kiln (William Hill), 7/2 Chomba Womba (Coral, William Hill), 7/1 Refinement (general offer), 7/1 Gaspara (William Hill), 8/1 Theatre Girl (general offer),
10/1 Labelthou (Coral, vcbet), 12/1 Lounaos (general offer), 20/1 BAR.
Along with win and each-way betting on the individual races at the Festival, several online sites have a number of Cheltenham “Special” bets. These include:
Top Cheltenham Festival Jockey
Several online bookmakers are offering prices on the jockey to ride most winners at the Cheltenham Festival 2008. The best prices available are:
11/8 Ruby Walsh (vcbet), 7/1 A.P. McCoy (Boylesports), 8/1 R. Thornton (Boylesports), 10/1 Mick Fitzgerald (Paddy Power), 14/1 Tom Scudamore (Paddy Power), 16/1 Sam Thomas (Paddy Power), Dennis O’Regan (vcbet), Andrew McNamara (Paddy Power), 20/1 BAR.
The Racing Post festival riders’ award was won in 2007 by Robert Thornton with four winners. In 2006, Ruby Walsh tied with Tony McCoy on three winners, but won the award by virtue of having ridden more placed horses. In recent years, with the exception of 2007 and 2003, when Barry Geraghty rode an impressive five winners, three winners have been enough to secure the title. Bear this in mind when considering the prices for the 2008 Festival.
Official Going
Coral are currently offering prices on the state of the ground, at the commencement of the Festival meeting on 11th March. Current prices are:
11/10 Good to soft, 7/4 Good, 10/3 Soft, 12/1 Heavy, 25/1 Good to Firm, 500/1 Firm.
Number of Irish Winners
Each year there is a battle between the Irish and British to see who can train more Cheltenham Festival winners. The bookmakers will be betting on the number of Irish winners in 2008.
To Retain their Crown First
Boylesports are offering prices on which horse will be first to win a Championship race for the second time:
2/1 Inglis Drever, 7/2 Voy Por Ustedes, 9/2 Sublimity, 11/2 Zero , 6/1 Kauto Star.
A. P. McCoy to ride a winner at Cheltenham 2008
Coral offer: 4/6 Yes, 11/10 No.
Amongst the “sillier” speciality bets has been the one offered by Paddy Power on the number of pints of Guinness consumed in the four days of the Festival. In 2007, prices were offered on totals between 170,000 and 200,000+
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