Cheltenham Tips: Jane Mangan's Picks for Day 4 of the Festival

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16 March 2023

Cheltenham Tips: Jane Mangan's Picks for Day 4 of the Festival

Jane Mangan’s Cheltenham Picks

13:30 – Lossiemouth
14:10 – Pembroke
14:50 – Three Card Brag, Hiddenvalley Lake
15:30 – Galopin Des Champs
16:10 – Vaucelet
16:50 – Allegorie De Vassy
17:30 – Imagine

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

Willie Mullins or Willie Mullins? The enigma of this year’s Triumph is which Closutton horse to choose but I have been a fan of LOSSIEMOUTH ever since her Irish debut at Fairyhouse. Blood Destiny has been emphatic on his two wins to date but it’s difficult to quantify what he has beaten. We know the beautiful grey mare has a bombproof temperament with the ability to match, a combination that should prove a good asset in this race.

No less than 26 runners for this year’s County and I fancy Dan Skelton to continue his brilliant record in the race courtesy of PEMBROKE. Skelton has won this race on three occasions and this horse could be sneaking under the radar. Two wins from four hurdle runs, he was second at the track over 2m4f in January but now back in trip and on ground he should appreciate, I think he may well prove well treated by the handicapper.

Every time I watched THREE CARD BRAG this season, I always thought he’d be a proper horse over three miles. Now is the time for him to prove his worth! This is a deep race so anyone looking for value outside TCB might look to Hiddenvalley Lake who may have disappointed a few when beaten at Clonmel but lest we forget that Allaho beat Minella Indo in that very race before the latter turned the form around at Cheltenham!

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Gold Cup – GALOPIN DES CHAMPS

A fantastic renewal of Cheltenham’s showpiece event and I’m hoping that GALOPIN DES CHAMPS can show us how good he really is by powering up the hill ahead of this quality field. Six runs over fences, so unlucky in last year’s Turners Novice Chase, this is his time to shine and may it be brighter than all of the other stars on show this Friday!

Patrick Mullins pinched the pockets of David Christie and Barry O’Neill twelve months ago when Billaway nabbed Winged Leader on the line. I suspect there might be some sweet revenge curtesy of VAUCELET this time around.

Despite having just two runs over fences to date, I believe ALLEGORIE DE VASSY to be a mare of the highest class. Yes, she jumps fractionally to her left but going left-handed on this track should help and considering she was good enough to beat Brandy Love over hurdles, we already know she’s got bundles of class. She may be inexperienced but this mare could be the real deal and I hope she shows us that today.

17:30 – IMAGINE

IMAGINE has been campaigned over 2 miles all season and this step up in trip should enhance his chances of bagging the final race at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Gordon Elliott always targets this race with some good horses and this guy fits the bill for connections who have already visited the winners’ enclosure this week.