Four Sporting Life contributors take a look through the Cheltenham Festival specials markets and pick out a selection that catches their eye.
Race with the biggest winning distance - National Hunt Chase at 6/1 (Sky Bet)
I've been of the opinion for a while now that Gaillard du Mesnil is the perfect horse for the National Hunt Chase and I expect him to win by a wide margin.
A second-season novice, who was just five and a quarter lengths behind L'Homme Presse in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at last season's Festival, he gained a deserved first success over fences in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novices' Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and he shaped much better than the bare result behind Mighty Potter over an inadequate trip last time.
Stamina isn't a worry for him as he also ran a belter when third in the Irish Grand National last season, and he has all the attributes and experience to make him tailormade for this test. Gaillard du Mesnil wouldn't be out of place in the Brown Advisory again this year and he holds a big class edge on his rivals - he is at least 12 lb clear on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.
Admittedly, Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle is a worry when looking at winning distances, but I'd rather take Gaillard du Mesnil to rout his opposition instead. Andrew Asquith
Irish-trained 1-2-3 in Cheltenham Gold Cup at 11/4 (Sky Bet)
Irish horses have won the past four renewals of the Gold Cup and while we’ve only had one clean sweep of the places (1-2-3) for Irish-trained runners in that same period, there looks to be a very solid chance we’ll see another this time around.
If you’re of the view that Bravemansgame might fail to fully see it out up the hill, you’re then into the likes of Protektorat, Ahoy Senor and Sounds Russian to keep the home end up, while Irish horses like Noble Yeats and Stattler look bound to be staying on late in the day as others tire. They’re both strong candidates for a piece of the action if Galopin Des Champs and A Plus Tard really stamp their class on proceedings, so 11/4 is quite an appealing price. Matt Brocklebank
Irish-trained runners to win all 7 races on Friday at 3/1 (Sky Bet)
The Irish won all seven races on Cheltenham Gold Cup day last season and it's not difficult to see the same scenario unfolding this time around.
Irish runners dominate the betting for the Triumph Hurdle, Albert Bartlett and Mares' Chase, while they also make up five of the first six in the market for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, including red-hot favourite Galopin des Champs.
Weight of numbers will give the British more of a chance in the hunter chase than in the graded events, but the Irish still have a strong team and are responsible for four of the top five in the betting, excluding Ferns Lock who won at Gowran on Saturday and is an unlikely runner.
The British will also have plenty of credible challengers in the County Handicap Hurdle and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, but the Irish have held sway in those events in recent years and are responsible for the front three in the betting for both races. The Irish again have some unexposed, likely improvers among their ranks for those handicap hurdles. Tony McFadden
Danny Mullins to be leading jockey at 14/1 (bet365 and Betfred)
Speciality markets for Cheltenham by their own definition are novelty affairs and aren’t to be taken too seriously. Whether any of the quoted odds for any combination of outcomes - top jockey/trainer markets or which race will have the longest winning distance - really represent any value is questionable, but to small stakes there are a couple of markets that make a little bit of appeal.
The first is the Champion Hurdle to be the race that produces the longest distance all week given Constitution Hill is so far clear of his opponents and won’t mind the heavens opening between now and Tuesday. However, that bet might be in the bin come the end of play on Tuesday, so in pursuit of one that covers all four days – Willie Mullins ended up champion trainer a few years back despite not sending out a winner on either of the first two days – I’ll plump for Danny Mullins to be leading jockey.
There is an assumption in the market that Paul Townend, currently odds-on, already has this in the bag but Mullins has a very smart book of rides in his own right on horses that would be clear first strings in other yards, and it only takes an unlucky fall from one of the other riders for spares to become available as the meeting progresses. Graeme North
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