It’s been a few weeks and the Cheltenham “Trials” meeting and Dublin Racing Festival have come and gone - and it’s only 35 days until the roar goes up for the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival 2025. so, how are my antepost wagers looking?
I put up some long-range suggestions on my old blog site (https://waywardlad.blogspot.co.uk) on 28th March 2024, and there’s been a few winners and losers from that list. Neither FOUND A FIFTY or FACT TO FILE won the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. BALLYBURN has not remained hurdling, and the punt on him winning the Champion Hurdle in March is a loser too. He did win on Sunday at Leopardstown (the old Dr PJ Moriarty Chase over 2m5f) and BALLYBURN does look a 3-mile chaser, but he’s nowhere near as formidable a chaser as he was a hurdler, so I’m not confident he can win at the Festival.
GAELIC WARRIOR flopped again at Leopardstown, but it’s difficult to evaluate the form as SOLNESS was allowed to completely dominate and run away with the race. What the jockeys were thinking is beyond me. As such, the QM Champion Chase looks like being won by JONBON on known form. However, I was impressed with the way MARINE NATIONALE kept on to be a good 2nd. GAELIC WARRIOR possibly has a better chance of success in the Ryanair Chase.
The suggested wager on TEAHUPOO for the Stayers’ Hurdle over 3-mile is one of my successes, as he’s currently 11/10 (from 100/30 on 28/3/2024).
Then there’s GALOPIN DES CHAMPS: he looks head & shoulders the best staying chaser in training, and almost nailed-on to win a 3rd Gold Cup in March. He’s currently 2/5 (from 3/1 on 28/3/2024).
From my 2nd update on 19th December 2024, I suggested STATE MAN at 9/2 for the Champion Hurdle. This isn’t a horse who sets the world alight, but he is a rock solid 160+ 2-mile hurdler. Sure, he won’t be a race-fit CONSTITUTION HILL, but I’m not sure that either of the mare’s - LOSSIEMOUTH or BETTERDAYSAHEAD - will beat him to 2nd place in March.
I then wrote about MAJBOROUGH and BALLYBURN: “I’ve taken and I’m advising a early speculative antepost double: on this pair from Willie Mullins stable: MAJBOROUGH at 5/1 for the Arkle and BALLYBURN at 5/1 for the Brown Advisory - those odds are available from Bet365, and a £5 win double will return £180 if successful”. I’ve written about BALLYBURN above, and at Leopardstown we saw MAJBOROUGH win his “trial” very easily. I’m feeling very confident about this antepost wager.
From my 3rd update on 3rd January 2025, I wrote that I wasn’t overly impressed with the win of BANBRIDGE in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. Sure, the horse loves going right-handed, but he flopped badly in last years Ryanair Chase (won by Protektorat), and I don’t think he shows his best form going left handed.
Finally, I suggested a speculative eachway double on a couple of long-odds selections that are lively to be placed in their races at Cheltenham: HOME BY THE LEE at 10/1 in the Stayers’ Hurdle, and CORBETT’S CROSS at 33/1 for the Gold Cup. HOME BY THE LEE is now 7/1, and CORBETT’S CROSS is 14/1.
As promised, my next blog on the Festival will be looking at the novice hurdlers.
