Cheltenham Festival 2018: Un De Sceaux Can Retain Crown as Ryanair Chase Cutting Up

In the short but sweet history of the Ryanair Chase – added to the Cheltenham Festival in 2005 – only one horse has won consecutive renewals so far.

It’s not that the prestige or prize money of this championship contest over an intermediate trip of almost 2m 5f isn’t attractive, but more connections tend to get ideas above this station.

While that wasn’t the case with sole dual Ryanair winner Albertas Run, who had already been tried and found wanting in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, this race has largely been won by younger horses aiming to step up in future.

Look no further than 2009 victor Imperial Commander who returned to the Festival 12 months later and tasted Gold Cup glory. Cue Card, winner of the 2013 renewal, is back in the Ryanair five years on as a popular and beloved veteran nearing his swansong, but his intervening campaigns saw him aimed at the Cheltenham centrepiece.

The average field size of this contest from 13 previous renewals is just 11. This year, it could be below that number for the sixth time because the Ryanair is cutting up. All to the good if you’re one of those punters backing last year’s winner Un De Sceaux, who heads the Cheltenham betting 2018.

Trained by Irish master Willie Mullins, Un De Sceaux put in a bold and impressive round of jumping while making most of the Ryanair running 12 months ago. He was certainly value for more than the winning margin.

It was one of the most eye-catching performances of the 2017 Festival. Although another year older now and aged ten, Un De Sceaux’s credentials are as solid as ever and he’s helped by a number of high-profile withdrawals even before the five-day declarations this year.

While Cue Card remains engaged for Colin Tizzard, stablemate Fox Norton – conqueror of Un De Sceaux in the Irish Champion Chase over 2m at last season’s Punchestown Festival – is out of the Ryanair through injury.

Ascot Chase winner Waiting Patiently, meanwhile, had been a leading contender to give northern trained horses a rare Festival winner, yet connections have opted to skip Cheltenham in favour of the Aintree Grand National meeting.

The fourth home in that key Ryanair trial, Top Notch, also misses out. Handler Nicky Henderson reports nothing is medically wrong with the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede owned gelding, but he isn’t himself at Seven Barrows.

Another to disappoint in the Ascot Chase, Coney Island, also misses Cheltenham after pulling up in that previous run. Trainer Edward Harty is instead looking to get him back on track at the Punchestown Festival.

Leading rivals with claims of challenging for Un De Sceaux’s crown have fallen by the wayside. The Ryanair will cut up even further as other entrants also have Cheltenham engagements in other Festival contests.

All the while, Un De Sceaux has done nothing wrong in two starts this season, including readily landing a third consecutive Clarence House Chase at Ascot. But for Sprinter Sacre, who had too much for him in the 2016 Queen Mother Champion Chase, he’d have a flawless record at Cheltenham too.

Un De Sceaux thus looks a great bet for the Festival and back-to-back Ryanair Chase crowns despite the sentiment surrounding Cue Card.

Who Will Be Crowned Cheltenham 2018 Top Jockey?

All eyes will be on Cheltenham next week when the greatest show on turf returns for another four days of exhilarating action. All the biggest names in jumps racing will descend on the famous course for the Festival and we can all look forward to some intense battles developing. Ireland look to have the edge on England in the Prestbury Cup stakes, but it will be tight, while a three-way battle is set to develop in the leading trainer stakes between Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Nicky Henderson. But the contest to be named top jockey is never quite as open, because Ruby Walsh has been utterly dominant in recent years. Can anyone stop him this time around? Here we run through the leading contenders:

Ruby Walsh

The 38-year-old Irishman has been named top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival for the last five years in a row, cementing his status as the greatest of all-time at this meeting. He landed three winners in 2004 and claimed his first top jockey prize, and won it again in 2006. Robert Thornton edged ahead of him in 2007, but then Walsh’s supreme dominance began. He won four top jockey titles in a row between 2008 and 2011, and set a record with seven winners in 2009. He lost out to Barry Geraghty in 2012, but has since won five on the trot, and in 2016 he equalled his record with another seven winners. During that time he has won everything worth winning, including the Gold Cup, Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle and Stayers’ Hurdle.

Walsh’s participation in this year’s event was in severe jeopardy after he broke a leg when Let’s Dance fell at Punchestown in November. But his recovery has gone well and he returned to action this week, just in time to get a bit of race fitness up ahead of the Festival. He is given the greatest chance of landing the most winners at Cheltenham once again in the spread betting lines seen below: https://www.sportingindex.com/spread-betting/horse-racing/cheltenham.

Much of Walsh’s success has been tied in with that of his boss, Mullins, who has been similarly dominant in the leading trainer stakes at Cheltenham. Mullins parted ways with Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud before last year’s Festival and subsequently lost out on the leading trainer title to Elliott, so if Mullins does not land enough winners this year Walsh will be in trouble. But Mullins has more ante post favourites, joint favourites and second favourites than any other trainer heading into the Festival – including Footpad, Un De Sceaux and Getabird – so he should taste plenty of success and Walsh deserves to be the frontrunner in this market.

Barry Geraghty

Geraghty is the second most successful jockey in the history of this meeting, with 36 wins, and he was the last man to stop Walsh landing the top jockey title. He missed out on the Festival last year with an injury, but he will be back with a vengeance this time around. When Sir Tony McCoy retired in 2015, Geraghty took over as the retained rider for JP McManus, who is by far the most successful owner in Cheltenham history. As such, Geraghty will enjoy a string of big name rides this year. He will partner the heavy favourite in the Champion Hurdle, Buveur d’Air, on Tuesday and if he wins, it could set the tone for the Festival, so he looks an interesting choice at 5/1 to be named top jockey.

Jack Kennedy

After splitting with Mullins, O’Leary became Elliott’s main owner and that partnership has proved extremely successful. Elliott won the leading trainer award at last year’s Festival, and he is in with a great chance of successfully defending it this year. Elliott’s top talent – including Apple’s Jade and Cause Of Causes – will be shared between teenager Kennedy and Davy Russell. The bookmakers think Kennedy will outshine Russell and they have him as the third favourite. He won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle aboard Labaik last year at the age of 17, and he appears to enjoy the trust of Elliott, so Kennedy should enjoy an even more fruitful Festival this time around.

The Rest

Russell is currently leading the race to be named champion jockey in Ireland this season and he is the 10/1 fourth favourite to finish top of the pile at Cheltenham. That is a compelling price on a man that seems to have established himself as O’Leary’s favourite pilot. Russell has ridden a winner at Cheltenham every year since 2006, landing 18 victories in total, and he will be desperate to cap a great season by seizing the top trainer award. Nico De Boinville looks an interesting option at 12/1 as he is Henderson’s retained rider and the Englishman has the heavy favourite in the Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup.

Noel Fehily will ride the likes of Our Duke and Special Tiara, so he is in with a chance, and what about Robbie Power at 50/1? He will be aboard Sizing John, Supasundae, Finian’s Oscar and possibly Don’t Touch It, so you never know. Walsh deserves to be the favourite but there are plenty of stars in the mix and they are all in with a chance of success, so it should prove to be another thrilling Festival.

Best 7 Northern Raiders for Cheltenham Festival 2018

Ruth, daughter of Malcolm Jefferson is chasing her father’s career path. Being Cheltenham Festival winning trainer, Malcolm had never looked back and Ruth has the same spirit of winning like her father had. She has proved her ability and looking forward to train a big winner for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.

This year, the hopes are really high and expecting the winner from north. The northern trained has high chances of winning in numerous races of Grade one championship.

When the countdown for Cheltenham Festival 2018 has started, the 7 northern horses with winning capability are here –

• Sam Spinner (Stayer’s Hurdle) - Latest price is 5/1. Being the flag bearer for the north, Sam spinner is a choice for the Grade One Stayers Hurdle. In 2008, Inglis Orever was northern trained favourite in Cheltenham’s championship races. After 10 years, Sam Spinner considered to go off the market. Although La Bangue Au Roi, Yanworth Supasundae are big competitions to beat. Latest price: 5/1

• Waiting Patiently (Ryanair Chase) - Latest price is 9/2. Only go for it, if ground is soft or softer. Even still wait can be there for Punches town or Aintree. Brilliant prospect is needed to handle a seven- year old to make straight to Aintree.

• Cloudy Dream (Ryanair Chase) - Latest price is 16/1. As long the ground is decent, cloudy dream is a great choice. Also, considered as lethal on good ground.

• Definitely Red (Timico Cheltenham Gold cup) – Latest price is 16/1. Training in the north and ridden by Danny cook, unfashionable jockey make him overpriced 16/1. However, the victory in the Cotswold chase make Definitely Red a bombproof.

• Testify (Five Entries) - Latest price is 33/1. Unbeaten over fences, Testify is one of Donald McCain’s five entries. In the betting list of Cheltenham Festival 2018, William Hill have Testify for all five races.

• Vintage Clouds (Three entries) - Latest price is 25/1. Positioned fourth in the Welsh National, Vintage clouds is consistent. Although The grand National is his main target, prep race might be given by Sue Smith at the Festival.

• Forest Bihan (Grand Annual Chase) – Latest price is 25/1. Apart from disappointing performance in last few races, allowing Forest Bihan to run in Grand Annual going to be interesting.

The above list of northern horses is going to be beneficial for betting in Cheltenham Festival. Considering these northern horses will definitely going to help you in selection for betting throughout the festival.

8 Things horse owners do in preparation for spring

Race horses will often spend the winter months on a lighter training schedule and will need plenty of preparation in early spring to be ready for the racing season. Owners will be desperate to get their horse back to full fitness as early as possible in preparation for some of the biggest races of the year including the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National.

New or potential race horse owners will need to be made aware of the various steps they will need to take to make sure that their horse is ready for the racing season in order to improve their horse racing odds. An organised owner can be the difference between a horse that is prepared to win the big races and a horse that falls at the first hurdle at the races. We have produced the following list of what race horse owners do in order to prepare their horse in the spring.

The first things owners will be doing is taking their horse to the vets for a check-up to make sure that the horse is healthy enough to begin training. The vet will be looking for any problems that could prevent the horse from competing and aiming to treat them as soon as possible so the horse can make a recovery as soon as possible and can prepare for the racing season.

During the winter, a horse’s hooves can be neglected and the weather conditions, particularly in the UK can cause problems such as thrush and sole abscesses. While the vet can treat these issues, a farrier will be required to correctly shoe the horse to prevent further problems from developing. Thrush and sole abscesses are caused by the wet muddy conditions that winter often brings in the UK and making sure that your horse has clean hooves can help prevent these conditions from worsening.

Checking the horse tack is another important stage of preparation for horse owners as they need to make sure all of the equipment is in good condition and is clean. Wear and tear has the potential to cause injury to both the rider and the horse, which is far from ideal and if the tack is not kept clean then germs and bacteria could get into any accidental cuts to the horse and cause problems.

Over the course of the winter months, damage to the fences of the paddock can become apparent and it is best to repair any fence posts and wires that may have been damaged. Until the fences have been fixed, it is best to not let the horse near that area, as the damaged fences could potentially injure the horse.

As well as checking the fences for damage, the paddock will need to have the grass seeded and the use of fertiliser to encourage the growth of healthy grass. The benefits of this will be that the horse is able to train on a more familiar surface following on from winter and will be able to get back into peak condition much sooner. Removing any poisonous plants that may have grown in the paddock is essential for preventing any mishaps with the horse. 

Encouraging the horse to eat in different areas of the field will help to prevent bald patches from appearing and instead create a more equal appearance.

Creating a schedule is important for preparing the horse for a big race, while being able to slowly bring the horse back to peak condition. Training is important for a horse as too little training will produce a sluggish race from the horse, while if you train the horse too much and too soon then the horse will appear too tired and will be more prone to injuries.

As well as creating a schedule for race preparation, it is also worth slowly reintroducing the horse to running and riding. By taking things steady, the risk of the horse picking up an injury is reduced and the horse can slowly begin to regain its strength and stamina. As the horse begins to return to full fitness, the owner can slowly start to increase the intensity of the training to get the best out of the horse.

Finally horse owners will be looking at changing the horse’s diet to best reflect the change in energy used throughout the day. While the winter months are more relaxing and involve less energy, when spring comes and the training begins, the horse will need to be eating the right foods and the right quantity. If there is a frost during the spring, it is best not to let your horse eat the grass as the frost can give the horse an upset stomach.

Are you ready for Cheltenham? Top each way festival tips

It is still more than a month away, but the racing world is already talking about nothing but Cheltenham. The historic festival gets underway at 1:30PM on 13th March with the Supreme Novice’s Hurdle, and from thereon in, it is action all the way through 28 races in which an estimated £500 million will be wagered.

Forget the favourites

The tipsters are already in full flow and the odds are changing by the day, but one thing that has remained constant from the moment the runners were announced has been the view that Might Bite is the hot favourite for the Gold Cup. However, the bookie’s favourite is not always the tipster’s choice. The racing fanatics at cheltenhamfestival.net have studied the form to bring their experts picks for Cheltenham 2018 and have come up with some compelling each way tips for the showcase races. So set aside the favourites, here are their top choices from a little further down the card.

Gold Cup

Might Bite is becoming just too hot to handle and is now the runaway favourite at 3/2. There has been plenty of talk over whether Sizing John can repeat last year’s heroics, but the tipster’s choice is Native River. The Colin Tizzard trained gelding came in third last year, and has gone from strength to strength. At 10/1, it’s a highly tempting each way shot.

Champion’s Hurdle

There’s a general consensus that Nicky Henderson’s Buveur D’Air only has to turn up to collect yet another trophy for his illustrious trainer, and some bookies are offering just 1/2 on. If ever there was a race where the smart money is on an each way bet, this is it, and there is no better horse to place it on than Melon. The win at Down Royal in November was impressive, and the 8/1 odds are shortening by the day.

Queen Mother Champions Chase

To many, Ladies Day is what Cheltenham is all about, but it is not all hats and finery. The showcase race honours a certain lady who loved nothing more than a bet on the horses, and while Altior is the even money favourite, Great Field has attracted the attention of the tipsters at 14/1. Four wins last season, including a high profile win at Punchestown suggest he could just pull off a surprise, and he is certainly a tempting each way punt.

Stayer’s Hurdle

On to St Patrick’s Day, and after quantum shifts in the early betting, Sam Spinner is now attracting the undivided attention of the bookmakers. Behind him, the field is evenly matched, but when pressed, the tipsters are leaning towards L’ami Serge. Nicky Henderson has a habit of producing winners at Cheltenham, and it is fair to assume that those 12/1 odds will not be around for long.

Whichever way you like

There are 24 other races to bet on over the course of the Cheltenham Festival, so check in with the experts for more of their top tips. And remember, there is more to a race than who comes in first, so leave the rest to fight over the favourites, and keep watching out for those each way opportunities.

The Cheltenham Festival Days and Its History

One of the highlights of the horseracing calendar the Cheltenham Festival will begin in March of this year. Every year a huge sum of over £500 million are placed in bets while more than 200,000 racegoers come for the race. Bringing the best of all horses, it shows the best horsing competition between the Great Britain and Ireland. Its prize money is second only to the Grand National.

Champions Day:

The racing event continues for four days. The first day is the Champions Day at the Festival which begins on 13th March. The Unibet Champion Hurdle grabs mostly the attention of the punters this day.

The famous trainer Nicky Henderson won the race in 2017 with his BuveurD'Air, and perhaps this year will be no different as well. He has already won this race six times making him the most successful trainer in this race. That's why, he will be a center of attention for the bookies.

Ladies Day:

The second day is called the Ladies Day which begins on 14th March. Quite in keeping with the name, you will see many ladies wearing their finest dresses on this day. There is even a prize of £10,000 for the lady who dresses the best that day. Last year's winner for the best dressed lady was Una O'Farrell. On both the Champions Day and the Ladies Day, the doors open at 10.30 am while the racing begins at 1.30 pm.

St Patrick's Thursday:

At the Cheltenham Festival, the St Patrick's Thursday will be celebrated a little earlier even if the actual St Patrick's Day may be a few days later. The celebrations this day has to do with Ireland. You will see Irish music being played everywhere along with a lot of Guinness on offer. This day's main race is the Sun Bets Stayer's Hurdle.

Gold Cup Day:

It is the most important day in the whole event because this day decides the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. A huge sum of money is betted on the results of the races on this day, far more than any of the other three days. Whoever wins goes down in history books and becomes immortalized.

The Timico Gold Cup is the most popular and important race on this day. The most famous names who have won this race include Kauto Star, Dawn Run and Arkle. The last year's champion horse was Sizing John.

The Cheltenham Festival will certainly witness a lot of betting. Therefore, it is a sure thing that the bookmakers, for attracting maximum bettors, will be offering a plenty of free bets. These free bets would not be difficult to find, however the question of where to place all these free bets will be the real challenge.

If you already have a large number of free bets, it is probably best that you use them on any of the four main Championship races instead of using them on the big field handicap races. Use it on any of the Champion Hurdle, the Stayers Hurdle, the Champion Chase or the Gold Cup and hopefully you will see a big return. Although nothing can be said with certainty in these races, yet the factor of probability reduces the risks a great deal. And this year, the probability of Might Bite winning the Gold Cup looks very high who has won many races including the King George VI Chase.

If you are someone who has not got any free bets yet, then you can get all the best online bookmakers on TheBookiesOffers.co.uk. On this site, you will find the best guide to bookies' free bets, betting offers and welcome bonuses. You will get all the Cheltenham 2018 betting offers here on this site. All the mentioned bookmakers get recognition on the site only after a thorough review. If you have always liked Bet365, it will be no sacrifice to compare it with the offers of William Hill, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power. They all have very appealing offers.

History of Cheltenham Festival:

The history of Cheltenham goes back to 200 years when on Nottingham Hill the first flat race meeting took place. After three more years, another meeting on Cleeve Hill was held in August of 1818 which included five races. The following year a grandstand on the side of the hill was constructed and a proper course was also laid. The duration was extended to three days and the first ever Cheltenham Gold Cup was also held which was won by Spectre.

Slowly these races begin to get very popular with the attendance of crowds going above 50,000. Gambling and drinking started becoming part of all these, which drew the ire of Anglican Rector of Cheltenham, Reverend Francis Close. Therefore, the races were moved to Prestbury Park for a little while, but it was moved back very soon to the Cleeve Hill.

As the century was drawing to a close, the popularity of the races were also decreasing very fast. However, the Cheltenham Racecourse's founder Mr W.A Baring Bingham did a lot for saving these races when Prestbury Park was sold to him. The Prestbury Park is now the location where the hugely popular Cheltenham Festival is held every year. 

Tipsters Favourites for Cheltenham 2018

Cheltenham is one of the showcase events of the racing calendar, and with the runners finally announced, it is time to look beyond the Gold Cup and dive into the detail of some of the other races taking place over the four day festival. 

There are 28 races, and organisers estimate that half a billion pounds will be bet on the outcomes. With well over a month to go before the crowds descend on Cheltenham, plenty has already been said about the impending showdown between Sizing John and Might Bite in the showcase event. So let’s see what other runners are taking the fancy of the top tipsters for Cheltenham 2018.

Nicky Henderson, the tipster’s choice 

Those in the know say that if you hang on to the coat tails of veteran trainer Nicky Henderson, you can’t go far wrong. The man from Seven Barrows, Berkshire, has a record that is unparalleled and most of the experts picks for this year are from Henderson’s stable.

Might Bite is the obvious example, but Henderson’s Buveur D’air is hotly fancied to win the Champions Hurdle for the second year in succession on the opening day. Also look out for Henderson’s Alitor in the Queen Mother’s Champion Chase on Ladies Day. 

The Luck of the Irish

The showcase race on St Patrick’s Day is the Stayers Hurdle, and for 2018, this event is attracting more attention from tipsters than any other, due to the open nature of the field. Uknowhatimeanharry was the early favourite, having finished third last year and produced an impressive win at Aintree in November.

However, question marks over his fitness have seen odds slip to around 12/1. Sam Spinner is currently the bookmakers’ favourite, but it is a close one to call, and using the logic of “if in doubt, follow Henderson,” L’ami Serge is a compelling punt at 10/1. 

One to watch in the novice stakes

So much, then, for the showcase events. There are also some compelling novices slated to run at Cheltenham, and few have garnered as much attention Fountains Windfall. Anthony Honeyball’s nine year old gelding was the talk of Kempton when he blew the opposition away in the Handicap Chase on 13 January. Honeyball certainly feels that Fountains Windfall is the real thing, and the tipsters are inclined to agree. The horse will be running in the third race on Wednesday, and the 9/1 odds look highly generous. They are shortening by the day, so grab them while you can.

A word about the Gold Cup

Of course, we can’t ignore the Gold Cup entirely. The Might Bite / Sizing John debate will only get hotter as the day approaches, and if it came down to a choice between the two, most of the experts believe that Might Bite is the stronger. However, it is far from a two horse race, and Coney Island could surprise everyone. The horse was out through injury for almost a year, but came back looking stronger than ever at Leopardstown last month. Bookmakers are currently offering 8/1, but expect those odds to shorten as Cheltenham draws closer.