Betting
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL PREVIEW: The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham.co.uk team break down the 2022 Cheltenham Festival’s feature race
The biggest race at the Festival comes on the fourth and final day of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, as several top-class chasers aim for success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
A PLUS TARD (10/3) is the favourite for the contest for the second year running, after just being narrowly being in last year’s race.
The gelding has continued his strong form this season, thundering clear of his rivals in the Betfair Chase before finishing second in the Savills Chase over Christmas.
He is a deserving favourite but he will need to be wary of stablemate MINELLA INDO (5/1), who got the better of the gelding in this contest 12 months ago.
A Plus Tard has also been beaten by GALVIN (7/2) in recent times as well, as last season’s National Hunt Chase winner has been consistent in Graded company this term.
Gordon Elliott’s recruit finished three-quarters of a length behind Frodon in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal before snatching success in the final strides of the Savills Chase.
The eight-year-old has shown rapid levels of progress this season and carries course form, so he is one to watch here.
There’s an owner/trainer conflict over CONFLATED’s (10/1) Cheltenham destination and while Elliott wants to take his chance here, it’s likely owner Michael O’Leary will get his way and see his runner head to the Ryanair Chase on the Thursday.
ALLAHO (6/1) may be prominent in the betting, but Willie Mullins has already made it clear that his recruit will also be heading to the Ryanair Chase.
Instead, it looks as if dual Gold Cup winner AL BOUM PHOTO (10/1) will spearhead the Mullins squad for the contest with King George winner TORNADO FLYER (12/1) likely to join him.
ASTERION FORLONGE (25/1) could well feature alongside his stablemates, while FRANCO DE PORT (50/1) and MELON (50/1) also hold entries for the Closutton trainer in this contest.
Dan Skelton’s PROTEKTORAT (8/1) has made massive strides in the last 12 months and could well be an undetected threat, while ROYALE PAGAILLE (16/1) couldn’t live up to the hype in last year’s contest but he returns for another crack at the contest for Venetia Williams.
CHANTRY HOUSE (16/1) looks the leading fancy of Nicky Henderson’s entries and AYE RIGHT (66/1) is given his chance in Grade 1 company by joint trainers Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford.
Colin Tizzard’s FIDDLERONTHEROOF (40/1) and Polly Gundry’s SANTINI (40/1) look the best of the remaining entries.
BEST SELECTIONS:
*Odds courtesy of Spreadex and correct at time of writing
