Smart punters
know that fancied Irish raiders sent across from the Emerald
Isle to the Cheltenham Festival command respect.
Bookmakers have
cottoned on too and made a number of horses trained in Ireland
ante-post favourites for various events among the 28-race four-day
National Hunt racing spectacular.
This trend is
especially prominent in novice contests, according to the latest
Cheltenham Festival betting. Are the lofty reputations of these
Irish horses deserved, though?
We're taking a
look at six fancies being ferried across to Cheltenham and whether
they offer value based on what they’ve achieved and key race
trends.
Getabird
Closutton trainer
Willie Mullins has saddled three of the last five winners of the
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, which opens the Cheltenham Festival,
so Getabird heads the betting for this year’s renewal of
the 2m curtain-raiser.
Owned by Rich
and Susannah Ricci, the six-year-old is an Irish point and dual
bumper winner who landed his hurdles bow over 2m 4f on heavy ground
at Punchestown last December. Getabird followed
up by dropping back in trip for a nine-length success
over Mengli Khan in the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer at that track
in January.
Only one
outright starting price favourite has landed the Supreme spoils in
the last decade, although that was fellow Mullins inmate Douvan.
This poor recent record for market principals, coupled with wins
for Getabird over further, may give some punters pause,
though the range of free
bets available on the Oddschecker website for the race offer an
option for cautious gamblers.
Footpad
Let's move on
from 2m novice hurdlers to chasers and red-hot Arkle Challenge
Trophy fancy Footpad. Although a well-beaten fourth in last
year’s Champion Hurdle, this Simon Munir and
Isaac Souede owned six-year-old has really come into his
own over fences.
Footpad is 3-3
since being sent chasing and finally turned the tables on old
hurdling rival Petit Mouchoir in the
Irish Arkle at Leopardstown’s inaugural Dublin
Racing Festival in February. A five-length success there was his
second consecutive Grade 1 triumph, so he goes to Cheltenham seeking
a hat-trick.
Handler Mullins
speaks very highly of Foodpad and it’s easy to see
why after he’s looked a natural since taking to the chasing sphere.
Unlike the Supreme, favourites have fared far better in the Arkle in
recent times, with five going in during the last six renewals.
Apple’s Jade
There is
arguably no tougher mare currently in training than Apple’s
Jade. Mullins’ loss during a fallout with
owners Gigginstown House Stud over fees was certainly
Gordon Elliott’s gain.
Such is the
confidence in Apple’s Jade that connections have been bold enough
to race her against the geldings in all three of her starts this
season. She has socked it to them when stepping out of competing
against her own sex too.
A gutsy winner
of last year’s David Nicholson OLBG Mares’ Hurdle,
Apple’s Jade beat two fellow Cheltenham Festival winners in the
ill-fated Nichols Canyon and Supasundae in Grade 1 races
at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown respectively.
Given what that latter rival has done since, the form is very strong
and other mares – like the bookies – are running scared she will
defend her Cheltenham crown.
Samcro
For
many, Samcro is the Irish banker of the Festival. Elliott
and Gigginstown team up again with this unbeaten point,
triple bumper and hurdle winner whose intended
target is the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle over
2m 5f.
Although dropped
back in trip to 2m for a Grade 1 triumph in the Deloitte Novice
Hurdle last time out, Samcro looks scarily good and you
cannot help but be impressed by what he’s done so far.
Like stablemate Apple’s Jade, though, he is odds-on in
the ante-post betting.
Presenting Percy
Breaking up
the Mullins and Elliott duopoly of Cheltenham Festival
novice fancies is Presenting Percy. Trained by Patrick Kelly,
the seven-year-old has won two of his four starts since switching to
fences and was also pitched back over hurdles to plunder
the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park in January.
Presenting Percy
is a Cheltenham Festival winner just like Apple’s Jade after
landing the 3m Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Final
in 2017. Although a leading contender for RSA Chase due to
his exploits over the bigger obstacles, he did get
turned over by Our Duke went sent off at evens last time out
and beaten favourites on their previous run have a poor Festival
record.
Laurina
And, finally,
Mullins’ novice mare Laurina is all the rage for the Dawn
Run – the newest race introduced at Cheltenham in 2015. Brought
over from France and sent to Closutton in November, the
five-year-old is looking to follow in the footsteps
of stablemates Limini and Let’s Dance.
With impressive
Grade 3 winning form already under her belt, Laurina certainly
has claims to be among the market principals for the novice mares’
event at the Festival. If you’re looking to take this Irish fancy
on, though, all her career starts have come on very soft or heavy
ground. Backers are thus gambling that Laurina will act on
the better ground.
