Look ahead to December meeting
Today marks 13 weeks until the start of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival. In the past week, we have seen plenty of horses staking their claims for the Festival, with the two-mile chasing division looking a lot clearer after wins for Jonbon and El Fabiolo on either side of the Irish Sea.
This week has a relatively new look. Cheltenham’s two-day Christmas Meeting (Friday and Saturday) used to be called the International meeting, named after the big Champion Hurdle trial on Saturday. That race has now moved, as has the Summit Juvenile Hurdle at Doncaster that used to be held on the same day.
Nonetheless, plenty of horses quoted for races at the Cheltenham Festival could be in action this week. Here is a guide to where to find the most indicative performances in the coming week.
Cheltenham ante-post betting tips – 2024
Odds correct at time of publishing and may be subject to change.
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Blood Destiny awaits his fate
Bar One Racing Beginners Chase, Naas, Thursday 11.30am
Two wide-margin wins on his first two starts for Willie Mullins meant that this French import went off second favourite for the Triumph Hurdle in March. That race came a bit too soon for him but he was able to put things right to an extent at Fairyhouse the following month.
Although Blood Destiny was beaten at odds-on, his performance was that of a horse who looks well worth persevering with against the best of his generation.
As a young horse, and one trained by Mullins, who is a great fan of keeping his options open, Blood Destiny naturally has lots of options at Cheltenham as things stand. How he fares on this chasing debut, in which Mullins has previously run the likes of Duc Des Genievres, Capodanno and Gaillard Du Mesnil, ought to tell us plenty about whether he races over hurdles or fences in March.
Selection: Blood Destiny to win the Arkle Trophy @ 25/1 with bet365
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Good practice for Hermes Allen
Cheltenham & South-West Racing Club Novices' Chase, Cheltenham, Friday 12.40
By his trainer’s admission, Hermes Allen would be going to the Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day instead had it still been in existence. As it is, Paul Nicholls needed a next step after this horse ran out an impressive winner on his chasing debut and this looks to be the plan.
Nicholls said after that Newbury win: “Whether I go to Cheltenham in a fortnight with this horse over 2m 4f and then leave him for the Scilly Isles [at Sandown in February], that could be a possibility.”
Hermes Allen has presumably come out of the run well enough to take his chance. This would give him some match practice over Cheltenham's fences before the Festival in March.
Selection: Hermes Allen to win the Turners Novices’ Chase @ 10/1 with bet365
Galvin can stake Cross Country claim
Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase, Cheltenham, Friday 3.00
The entry list for this race could have been for the Cheltenham Gold Cup not so long ago. Conflated was third in the most recent Gold Cup, while Minella Indo won the race in 2021. In between those two years, Galvin was fourth as the 100-30 second favourite.
Galvin is the most established cross-country horse. He was second to stablemate Delta Work at the most recent Cheltenham Festival in March. After blowing off the cobwebs in the cross-country race at the November meeting, this should tell us more about where Galvin is this season.
Of course, a win for Conflated or Minella Indo could also have serious ramifications for the ante-post market for March’s cross-country chase.
Selection: Galvin to win the Cross Country Chase @ 7/2 with bet365
Others to note this week – W/C December 11 2023
A Penny A Hundred Punchestown, Tuesday 2.00
The highly touted Willie Mullins-trained mare takes her first step into Listed company. She is 20/1 for the Dawn Run.
Apple Away Warwick, Thursday 1.55
Won the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree in April and is now running over fences. She is 25/1 for the Liberthine Mares’ Chase and 28/1 for the Brown Advisory.
Shanagh Bob Cheltenham, Saturday 3.00
More a race to watch than a horse to watch, as this Plumpton novice winner could be an interesting runner in the Albert Bartlett. Two winners of this race in the last decade have gone on to triumph in that Cheltenham contest the following March.
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