Sky Sports Racing's Alex Hammond can't wait for the Cheltenham Festival and she's picked out 10 to follow for the week.
So I’ve come up with my Cheltenham Festival top ten bets in chronological order, trying to avoid all the obvious hot pots. Have a fabulous week and here’s to a few winners!
Tuesday
Honeysuckle – Unibet Champion Hurdle
Her record of ten from ten should speak for itself, but it’s taken time for us to warm to her as a true top class hurdler despite that. Her jumping hasn’t always looked assured, but she looked outstanding in winning the Irish Champion Hurdle last time out and she is now the full package. I think she’ll take some stopping here. 9/4 with Sky Bet.
Houx Gris – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
It is an understatement to say his handicap mark of 128 looks attractive. He could be very well-in on his handicap debut. He cost a pretty penny from France and was thrown in at the deep end on his UK debut, contesting the Grade 1 Finale Hurdle at Chepstow. He acquitted himself well there, finishing third to Adagio and Nassalam and he reportedly worked very well at Wincanton recently. 5/1 with Sky Bet.
Wednesday
Bob Olinger – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
This horse has done very little wrong in his short career. He won his only point-to-point, his only bumper and is two from three over hurdles. There was no shame in his one defeat as that came on his hurdles debut behind last season’s Champion Bumper winner Ferny Hollow. He ticks plenty of boxes and should be bang in there. 9/4 with Sky Bet.
Kilcruit – Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Willie Mullins has an outstanding record in this race, winning 10 renewals. Kilcruit looks the one for him in this. He’s a light-framed horse who doesn’t take a great deal of getting fit. He has won both his starts for Ireland’s Champion trainer and would have been the pick of Patrick Mullins if amateurs were allowed to ride at this year’s Festival. 2/1 with Sky Bet.
Thursday
Caribean Boy - Paddy Power Festival Plate Handicap Chase
He's a lovely horse who has had excuses on his last two starts as he has been running on very soft ground. A reproduction of his Newbury effort at the beginning of the season, where he really impressed on better conditions, would see him go well. He could be better than his current handicap mark and has been reportedly working very well at Seven Barrows so fingers crossed he can put it altogether on Thursday. Caribean Boy's 8/1 with Sky Bet.
Melon/Kalashnikov – Ryanair Chase
Ok, so I’ve cheated a bit here but I needed to share this with you. Melon is my main pick for the Ryanair as I think his incredible consistency at the Festival is about to be rewarded. This horse has finished 2nd in a Supreme, 2nd in two Champion Hurdles and runner-up in last year’s Marsh Novices’ Chase. He deserves this like no other and I think he’ll get it. At a huge price Kalashnikov has a great chance of finishing in the three. Festival form can be important and this boy was only beaten a neck in the 2018 Supreme. This is his perfect trip and he has loads of class. He’s surely overpriced and should give each-way players a run for their money. Melon 7/1 and Kalashnikov 25/1 with Sky Bet.
Paisley Park – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
I wasn’t intending this wonderful horse to be as short as he’s likely to be now that Thyme Hill misses the race, but I’m still sticking him in my top ten. He showed at Ascot last time out that he’s still got the fight and still got the ability and I hope the memory of him trailing home in 7th last year due to his fibrillating heart will become a distant memory on Thursday afternoon. 15/8 with Sky Bet.
Friday
A Plus Tard – Wellchild Gold Cup
No one likes a spoil sport, but as much as I’d love Al Boum Photo to win a third Gold Cup, I think this one goes to A Plus Tard. What a week it could be for jockey Rachael Blackmore with Honeysuckle and this lad, amongst others. A Plus Tard is still an unexposed stayer who has solid festival form and he comes here a fresh horse having won the Savills Chase over Christmas when we last saw him in action. 11/2 with Sky Bet.
Colreevy – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase
I’m a big fan of races that encourage decent mares to stay in training and this new race does just that. It’s the mares version of the Ryanair and I think this one goes to Willie. Colreevy is a gorgeous, big, chasing type mare who has some very smart form on her page already. She was 7th in the Champion Bumper in 2018 and came back after a layoff to win a Grade 1 bumper at Punchestown in 2019. She was 5th in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s festival, but she’s really excellent since going chasing. She’s three from three and despite having to give weight to her rivals as she’s already a Grade 1 winner over fences, I think she’ll win. 7/2 with Sky Bet.
Galopin Des Champs – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle
I’m not certain this fella is definitely running in this race (he’s in the County Hurdle too), but wherever he does go I’ll be on. He was a winner of a 4yo hurdle over in Auteuil before heading over to Ireland where he has now run three times. He’s been given a mark of 142 and I hope he can take advantage of that in whichever race he ends up in. 16/1 with Sky Bet for the Martin Pipe, 20/1 for the County Hurdle.
