The 2018
Cheltenham Festival will soon be upon us with this year’s four-day
spectacular running from Tuesday, March 13 to Friday, March 16.
Horses of all
ages compete at the Festival, but a number of exciting novices are
threatening to steal the show from the championship races. Check out
our five fancied novices probably heading to Cheltenham.
Footpad
No article on
highly-regarded novice horses would do itself justice without
mentioning at least one trained by Willie Mullins. The top Irish
handler has hot even-money
Arkle Challenge Trophy favourite Footpad looking like a
banker bet for the Festival.
Representing the
two-tone green colours of owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the
six-year-old is unbeaten since switching from hurdles. Footpad has
two Grade 1 victories in 2m chases over in Ireland under his belt,
including when he finally turned the tables on old rival Petit
Mouchoir at the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival last time
out.
Connections have
also entered Footpad in the JLT Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham
Festival, but given his credentials over two miles, that looks the
race he should line up in.
Presenting Percy
Trainer Patrick
Kelly and jockey Davy Russell teamed up to saddle and ride Presenting
Percy to Cheltenham Festival glory last year in the Pertemps
Final. Since then the seven-year-old has switched to fences, winning
two of his three chase starts.
Although beaten
in the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Novice Chase in November, he can be
forgiven an off day. Presenting Percy bounced straight back to form
by winning over the Irish Grand National trip in a Grade B Fairyhouse
handicap next time up.
He showed strong
staying credentials which mean connections have options
come Cheltenham Festival. Presenting Percy is
favourite for both the RSA Chase over 3m and the 4m National
Hunt Chase, so will doubtlessly attract punters to spend the free
bets seen at Timeform.
Samcro
Sticking with
the Irish raiders, Samcro looks their best bet of a winner
at Cheltenham this year. Trained by Gordon Elliott and owned by
Gigginstown House Stud, the six-year-old is unbeaten in half-a-dozen
starts under rules.
With a Grade 1
already under his belt, Samcro could go for either the 2m Supreme
Novices’ Hurdle or step up to 2m 5f for the Ballymore Novices’
Hurdle at the Festival. He is currently second-favourite for the
Supreme and odds-on with most bookmakers for the Ballymore come
Cheltenham.
Santini
Among British
trainers, Nicky Henderson looks set to have a great Festival once
again and Santini has shaped like he’ll stay 3m for a
tilt at the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. This six-year-old
shares a sire with 2015 renewal winner Martello Tower and last
year’s Grand National hero One
For Arthur, so that is evidence he should stay.
Besides the
breeding, Santini also has a point-to-point win at the trip to his
name alongside a Grade 2 for novice hurdlers over two-and-a-half
miles at Cheltenham. That all adds up to massive potential for the
future, but he may deliver on that in the Albert Bartlett.
Willoughby Court
Ben Pauling
stable star Willoughby Court made all in last season’s
Ballymore at the Festival and switched to fences for this campaign.
Heavy going, different tactics and belting four out saw him lose his
unbeaten chase record in the Dipper at Cheltenham on New Year’s
Day.
There’ll
likely be better ground come the Festival and Willoughby Court thus
remains the ante-post favourite for the two-and-a-half-mile JLT.
It looks this jumps novice’s Cheltenham target because stepping up
to 3m and tackling the RSA is a bigger price in the betting.