Cheltenham Festival: Day 4 Tips, Best Bets and Racecards

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A pretty unfortunate day on the whole for yesterday. Some pretty average rides on a couple of my selections resulted in three horses being placed. Harry Skelton had a stinker on Spiritofthegames, as did Paul Townend on Grangee. Fakir D'alene ran a big race in the last to place at a drifted price of 33/1.

1:30 – JCB Triumph Hurdle

I think IL ETAIT TEMPS could be worth playing at an EW price. He made his first start for Willie Mullins at Leopardstown in the Grade 1 won by Vauban, and Fil Dor finishing runner-up. For a stable debut, I think that is as good as you’re going to get in a graded race. Before that he hadn’t been seen for 200+ days, so was entitled to need the run, and based on his performance I think the ground and this track will play to his strengths. I’d be fairly confident that he was under-cooked for that race, with this being the main target, so for him to look tapped for speed, but to stay on again towards the end was eye-catching.

• Advised: Il Etait Temps 10/1 (Each Way) @ The Pools
• ⭕️ 1.30 JCB Triumph Hurdle Preview, Tips and Racecard

2:10 – County Handicap Hurdle

Plenty of horses have chances in this, I wouldn’t stop anyone from backing 3 or maybe 4 in the race, it’s that competitive, but my two plays are: CASK MATE and ECLAIR DE BEAUFEU.

Firstly, Cask Mate has had a weird career to date. He looked like a quite smart novice a few years ago before getting injured. The job that Noel Meade has done with this lad is quite remarkable as he has returned in great style and looks like a horse who could win a nice pot. He has finished 2^nd in a Grade 1, runner-up to Ballyadam, and ran well back in October to finish 2^nd to Zanahiyr in a Grade 2 where he would’ve gotten closer if he didn’t make a few mistakes.

He was then given a break, before running in the Liffey at Leopardstown, which a lot of horses in this race today have used as a springboard, and he ran well for a long way, travelling nicely, before looking very tired in the straight. I think that was a nice prep run for this, and it’s interesting they’ve gone for this race when you consider his profile and how fragile he has been. A mark of 142 could be lenient, and the booking of Denis O’Regan suggests he’ll be ridden quietly, out the back and be delivered late, which can work in this race, due to the often-fast pace which is set.

My second play in the race will come across like another stupid bet, and one which people will question, similar to a few I’ve put up throughout this week, but hear me out. This horse always shows up at the Cheltenham Festival, and his form goes up to another level every time they come here with him, and I expect no different today. He has ran twice in this race in the past, he fell at the last when looking likely to get a place and then he finished 4^th last year, 2.25L behind the winner.

He raced off 139 and 136 in those races, and he races today off 136, which is 133 with Jordan Gainford’s handy 3lbs. On his other attempt at Cheltenham, he finished runner-up in the Grand Annual off a mark of 149. Before he finished fourth in this race last year, he used the Liffey (as he did this year and back in 2019 when he fell in this race) as a prep run, running poorly, but it was clearly a prep run for this. On form he has to prove a lot, but at the prices and his form at the track, he is a definite EW player.

• Advised: Cask Mate 33/1 (Each Way) & Eclair De Beaufeu 40/1 (Each Way) @ The Pools
• ⭕️ 2.10 Mccoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle Preview, Tips and Racecard

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2:50 – Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

IDAS BOY has to improve to get involved in this, and that’s why his odds are as big as they are, but I think he is being a little underestimated. This lad was once a decent bumper horse, and even though he hasn’t quite got his act together over hurdles, I think his most recent run where he finished 2^nd to a nice-looking Gordon Elliott horse is decent enough form. He was beaten by a horse called Gerri Colombe, who was 2/2 in bumpers and is now 2/2 over hurdles, he eventually beat Idas Boy quite well, but he was made to work for the win.

That race had been won in the past by Monkfish, who went from that Novice race at Thurles to win the Albert Bartlett in his very next race. Other winners of that race include First Approach, who flopped at Cheltenham but ran Minella Indo and others to very good races before and after the Festival. The Storyteller is also a noticeable winner of that race, so even though Idas Boy didn’t win, chances are that he bumped into a decent horse, so the fact he wasn’t put to shame, he can potentially run a nice race at big odds.

Also, Churchstonewarrior was back in 3^rd that day, beaten by 6 lengths into 3^rd from the selection, that horse was 8.25L behind Ginto, which is another thing to note.

• Advised: Idas Boy 66/1 (Each Way) @ The Pools
• ⭕️ 2.50 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Preview, Tips and Racecard

3:30 – Cheltenham Gold Cup

I’m gutted that MINELLA INDO ran a good race at Leopardstown last time out as I would’ve been backing him for the Gold Cup no matter what happened in that race, so the fact he looked like he was returning to form has made his odds shorten, and probably by quite a bit.

This horse is a Spring horse and is a horse that relishes Cheltenham. He won the Ablert Bartlett a couple of years ago at odds of 50/1, then ran a belter in the RSA, finishing 2^nd to Champ, and then won the Gold Cup at odds of 9/1.

This horse is a thorough stayer, and though he might lack the quality of some of these, he will stay the trip all day long and if his jumping stays solid, he will be fighting out the finish. His odds aren’t particularly great, but with enhanced places on offer I still think he can be played EW.

• Advised: Minella Indo 9/2 (Each Way) @ The Pools
• ⭕️ 3.30 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase Preview, Tips and Racecard

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4:10 – St James' Palace Hunters' Chase

I’ll probably have an EW poke on DUBAI QUEST as well for trainer T Ellis, who does well went sending horses to Cheltenham, resulting in 3 wins from 9 runners. The Ellis yard have two runners in this but based on the fact Gina Andrews had chosen this one over the other suggests this has the better chance, and I think she could be right. In terms of Hunters’ Chase horses, this horse is lightly raced, with just the 12 runs, two coming over-rules where he’s won both, and he’s 6/10 in PTPs.

The form from the PTPs looks quite strong, as he beat a horse called Omar Maretti, who raced at Cheltenham on Thursday, who comes to the Festival on the back of two good wins, and is a 137 rated chaser. Gina will have this lad close to the pace, and in a big field like this, that’s probably the place to be.

• Advised: Dubai Quest 9/1 (Each Way) @ The Pools
• ⭕️ 4.10 Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase Preview, Tips and Racecard

5:30 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

My first play in this race is going to be BANBRIDGE, trained by Joseph O’Brien, who has had a quiet week at Cheltenham, coming into the week with no standout chances. This horse is priced up similarly to the rest, but I think he has an EW chance.

This trip should be what he wants, and he looked comfortable when they put him over this trip at a certain post last summer, where he beat some okay horses, including The Little Yank, who has improved 20lbs since they met. Banbridge was beating that horse by 4.75L and giving away 12lbs to him. The way he won at Navan was better than what might appear, and it got a decent RPR for a novice hurdle. He beat Au Fleuron convincingly, who reopposes him in this race today. That race has been won by some nice types in the past including, Galvin, Thedevilscoachman, Floueur and Riders Onthe Storm. Now they’re returning to this trip, there’s more to come. The owner, Ronny Bartlett has a good record with his horses at Cheltenham, with 22 of his horses winning or being in the top 4 from 33 runs, including 7 wins.

DECIMATION is my second play in this race, and he could be very well handicapped off his form shown from last year. His second in a Grade 2 last April behind Ashdale bob looks bombproof. The winner is easily a 150+ rated horse, and consistent Grade 2 performer. He ran a belter in the Coral Cup to finish 3^rd behind Commander Of Fleet earlier in the week off a big weight, and has ran some nice races since he met Decimation. Also in that race was Gentlemansgame, who finished runner-up in a Grade 1 behind Galopin Des Champs, he was well beaten, but came ahead of some big names like, Stattler and Tellmesomethinggirl.

Since then, Decimation finished 3^rd, which at the time looked to be a pretty poor run, but in hindsight it was a blinder. The winner, Lifetime Ambition has proven to be a decent chaser. In behind was Fastorslow, who recently finished 2^nd in the Coral Cup this week, Winter Fog was back in 4^th, he finished 4^th in yesterday’s Pertemps. And you have a few others in behind who have franked the form as well. His only run so far this season came at Fairyhouse at the end of February, on the back of a 304-day break. He clearly needed that run, and he'll be primed for this.

• Advised: Banbridge 12/1 (Each Way) & Decimation 18/1 (Each Way) @ The Pools
• ⭕️ 5.30 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle Preview, Tips and Racecard

? EXCLUSIVE GOLD CUP DAY OFFER: Win UPTO £15,203 or get a full refund on our Lucky 15

Cheltenham Day 4 Tips

⭕️ Cheltenham Day 4 Tips and Racecard
⭕️ 1.30 JCB Triumph Hurdle Preview, Tips and Racecard
⭕️ 2.10 Mccoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle Preview, Tips and Racecard
⭕️ 2.50 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Preview, Tips and Racecard
⭕️ 3.30 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase Preview, Tips and Racecard
⭕️ 4.10 Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase Preview, Tips and Racecard
⭕️ 4.50 Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase Hurdle Preview, Tips and Racecard
⭕️ 5.30 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle Preview, Tips and Racecard
⭕️ Cairnzy's Cheltenham Tips: Fil Dor Can Get Punters Off to a Flyer on Friday!

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