Could Corach Rambler's owners have cause for celebration again?

Cheltenham Festival tips 'without the favourite' including Champion Hurdle

By Matt Brocklebank

Horse Racing

Thu January 25, 2024 · 2y ago

Matt Brocklebank highlights the horses who make each-way appeal in Paddy Power's three major Cheltenham Festival 'without the favourite' markets.

Arkle Challenge Trophy 'without Marine Nationale'

Paddy Power: 9/4 Found A Fifty, 3/1 Facile Vega, Hunters Yarm, It Etait Temps, 6/1 Gaelic Warrior, 7/1 Blood Destiny, 10/1 Quilixios, 14/1 Iroko, My Mate Mozzie, 16/1 Colonel Harry, 20/1 Uncle Phil, Master Chewy, 25/1 bar.

Suggested bet: Master Chewy each-way at 20/1

Quite a lot of these won't even turn up for the Arkle and we could be looking at another pretty small field come the day. A strong pace should still be on the cards if the likes of Blood Destiny and Quilixios are in the line-up, though, and that will suit MASTER CHEWY, who impressed me at Kempton over Christmas. Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is not averse to shooting at big targets come the Festival and, providing all goes to plan in his next start, he'll be there on March 12, and he'll most likely be ridden to pick up the pieces should the Irish juggernauts happen to falter.

Unibet Champion Hurdle 'without Constitution Hill'

Paddy Power: 1/2 State Man, 7/2 Impaire Et Passe, 6/1 Bob Olinger, 16/1 Echoes In Rain, Irish Point, 20/1 Lossiemouth, Not So Sleepy, Vauban, 25/1 Luccia, Pied Piper, 33/1 Burdett Road, First Street, Gala Marceau, Love Envoi, Zarak The Brave, 40/1 Zanahiyr, 50/1 bar.

Rachael Blackmore and Bob Olinger (left) jumps the last

Suggested bet: Bob Olinger each-way at 6/1

BOB OLINGER had been showing the right signs in his homework by all accounts and definitely looks like he has his swagger back based on victories at Navan and Cheltenham so far this season. It'll be fascinating to see if he's pitched into the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival and getting him onside 'without the favourite' for Cheltenham at 6/1 doesn't look a bad early move as he'll be much shorter than that if giving State Man a race at Leopardstown. He'll travel as well as anything in a Champion and could be able to pick up the runner-up spot if some of the others look to tackle Constitution Hill head-on. Even if he's third behind the aforementioned pair you'll make a small profit if betting each-way in this market.

Cheltenham Gold Cup 'without Galopin Des Champs'

Paddy Power: 2/1 Fastorslow, 4/1 Shishkin, 9/2 Gerri Colombe, 6/1 Bravemansgame, 10/1 Gentlemansgame, Hewick, L’Homme Presse, 16/1 Corach Rambler, Royale Pagaille, 25 bar.

Corach Rambler on his way to victory in the Ultima

Suggested bet: Corach Rambler each-way at 16/1

CORACH RAMBLER has always been a spring horse and I'm happy enough to strike a line through his early-season efforts at Kelso and Haydock, which were admittedly pretty ropey in the grand scheme of a Gold Cup/Grand National campaign. He wasn't great in his first two runs last term either before winning the Ultima for the second time in succession on his return from 108 days off in March and connections are clearly happy to put him away now. A Gold Cup tilt looks audacious on the face of it based on ratings but he does tend to hold a bit back and it's not hard to see him being suited by a strongly-run Gold Cup as he absolutely loves the final climb to the line at Cheltenham. He's well capable of running a massive race, staying on when others have been beaten off, and the current odds without Galopin Des Champs to worry about are perfectly reasonable in my view.

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