Cheltenham Betting Tips: Four bets for Friday
13:30 Cheltenham – Bunting – 1pt e/w @ 11/1
The absence of Sir Gino definitely takes something from the Triumph Hurdle when it comes to being a spectacle but it helps to make it look like an open and interesting betting heat. Although it is dominated by Willie Mullins, who runs seven and that includes four of the top five in the market.
Majborough is the shortest priced runner at around the 3/1 mark and made an encouraging start for the yard when third in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown. He couldn’t repel a couple of more patiently ridden sorts late on but would be entitled to improve for the experience.
Kargese and Storm Heart, both of whom have had a lot more racing on the track, were the two to get by him and are in opposition again. They’ll be there or thereabouts, with the second mentioned being more likely to find further improvement for a stiffer test, but they’re well found in the betting.
Bunting didn’t get past Majborough, eventually keeping on into fourth place after hanging off to his left, but he could be the big improver to come out of that contest. It was only his third career outing, his second over hurdles, and he looked a bit rougher around the edges compared to the front three.
It’s entirely possible he’ll remain that way and won’t come into his own until next season at least, but what he did at Leopardstown was a nice step up on his Limerick maiden success and to finish on the tails of some very talented rivals whilst doing plenty wrong bodes well for the future.
His jumping needs to be slicker but there should be some natural improvement from run to run and I’d prefer to concentrate on the engine that appears to be under the bonnet. He will enjoy a proper test and if he’s able to show his true worth, he’ll be a threat to all.
14:10 Cheltenham – Petit Tonnerre – 1pt e/w @ 25/1
Another throw a dart and hope handicap. I really like King Of Kingsfield and would have happily backed him off 140 on better ground if the price allowed. However, it’s going to be testing enough for him and he’s in as the 9/2 favourite, which doesn’t leave an excess of room for any error.
L’Eau Du Sud will enjoy the surface as long as it doesn’t dry up and arrives on the back of a cracking effort in the Betfair Hurdle, where he looked likely to win until Iberico Lord joined in to spoil the party. He’s 6lbs higher now and didn’t have an easy race there, so 5/1 doesn’t really interest me.
At 25/1 with six places if you shop around, Petit Tonnerre makes appeal. He finished seventh in this race last season, motoring nicely up the hill having got caught too far back, and returns a year later to try again off a 4lb lower mark with a visor being in use for the first time.
The reason for his lower mark is obvious. He hasn’t been at his best all season but each of his four runs came over fences and he hasn’t come on as hoped for his experience in that code. The figures he posted weren’t bad, however, and he should be happier getting to jump over smaller obstacles.
Conditions won’t be a problem, he’s a smooth traveller on his day who could be aided by having the visor applied and he’ll be switched off away from a decent speed. If he’s anywhere close at the bottom of the hill, I think he’ll come home well and get involved.
14:50 Cheltenham – Lecky Watson – 1pt e/w @ 11/1
The market rarely gets a great handle on the Albert Bartlett, with nine of the last 10 winners returning double-figured starting prices. That’s not a huge surprise given the changes at play with trips, ground and generally unexposed hurdlers finding improvement for their experiences.
Readin Tommy Wrong heads the market as he bids to maintain an unbeaten record under rules and there was lots to like about his success in the Lawlor’s of Naas novice, turning over Ile Atlantique. He improved a lot for the 2m 4f trip but how he’ll do at three miles will be interesting.
The way he responded to pressure last time would suggest that it should be no problem granted normal circumstances but I have a nagging doubt that he mightn’t hit the line as well as some of the others. He’s clearly very classy but it’s easy enough to pass by given the short price.
Lecky Watson came home third in the Naas contest and there’s more in his locker. He needs to brush up on his hurdling but it has been reasonable to date and I fancy that what he achieved the last twice was over a trip shy of his best, with improvement to come now that he faces a sterner test.
He didn’t have the pace to go on when behind Readin Tommy Wrong but hit the line well, as was the case at Navan behind Supreme winner Slade Steel. That was a good effort off a pace that wasn’t exactly rapid and shows that there’s a stamp of class with him also.
There’s previous with him at Cheltenham, his run in last year’s bumper catching the eye, and it’s possible that a hood being in use for the first time can help. It’s an awful race to punt in but this fellow should have a chance despite appearing to be down the pecking order for Willie Mullins.
17:30 Cheltenham – Shared – 1pt e/w @ 80/1
My final bet of Cheltenham 2024 will be on and it could be proof that I’ve lost my mind, if anyone needed definitive confirmation. He ran in the Imperial Cup last week, and also took in a race at Newbury the week before, and that wouldn’t be your optimal festival prep.
On the other hand, he has long looked a potential improver once stepped up beyond two miles and after eight hurdle outings, he’s finally getting the chance to see what he can do. It’s in a really hot race so may not be the best time to try but he’s a huge price if he can cope with the class.
His win at Chepstow in October didn’t appear to be brilliant form at the time but the runner up, Jilaijone, went on to finish second to subsequent Grade 2 winner Blueking D’Oroux and was just a neck behind Imperial Cup runner-up Favoir at Ascot. Safe to say, the form looks a lot better now.
Shared won that race thanks to his reserves of stamina and rallied for third at Newbury earlier in the month when returning from 140 days off the track, perhaps needing the run alongside the longer trip. We’ll get to see whether 2m 4f can bring out some major improvement, I suspect it can.
Since he has gone hurdling, cheekpieces have been worn for every start and they’re swapped for blinkers. If the more severe headgear helps him to travel for longer and he’s nearby for the charge up the hill, things could get interesting. Lots of risk is attached but he is 66/1 or bigger with all firms.
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James Boyle is a hugely respected horse racing tipster with a proven track record of profitable analysis of UK and Irish racing for the likes of the Racing Post, RacingFM and Gambling.com. Over the last decade, James has built up an army of followers and you can now find his daily tips exclusively at The Independent.
