2010 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL ANTE-POST ACCUMULATOR TIPS

There is simply so much high-end jumps action ahead of us at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival this year that it can be hard to know where to begin when you’re putting together a few long-term bets. With some very competitive ante-post markets out there with certain top bookmakers, you can really put together a few solid bets that may pay off dramatically come race-time. As usual with ante-post betting you are always taking a bit of extra risk, but if you make your selections smartly enough it will take a lot of bad luck to make your horse a non-runner.
The first priority is to identify the heavy favourites or so-called “bankers” and put them all together one bet. We’re looking at shorter-odds selections here or horses that look notably better than the rest. Since we need several winners in order to ensure a payout, we’ll be spreading them out over entire festival.
Dubguib looks to be a very heavy favourite for the Supreme Novices Hurdle on the opening day. Not a huge amount of value there as he is trading at 11/10 or 5/4 with most major bookmakers. The 7 year-old Irish jumper by Presenting certainly looks a step above the rest with the only real blemish on his record a disqualified win at Punchestown back in April for a banned substance. Put him in your lock list.
If you’re backing a lengthy accumulator, I would steer clear of the Arkle which boasts about 6 plausible winners- fan favourite Captain Cee Bee, the impressive Sizing Europe, as well as Somersby and Tatiano among a few others. You’ll find them in the range of 5/1- 10/1.
It’s a similar story with the Champion Hurdle, you’ve got about 8 possible winners here and this one will be an absolute classic. This one could be hari-kari for your multipliers though and I would definitely give it a miss. It should be one of the most cracking races of the festival though with Zaynar going head to head with Go Native, Solwhit, Binocular, Celestial Halo, Khyber Kim and Punjabi.
Last year’s winner of the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle is the 6 year-old Francophone Quevega. It’s bit some indifferent form since then with a 3rd place finish to Solwhit and a disappointing ninth at Auteuil. Willy Mullins should bring Ruby Walsh back for the trip, but this one is too competitive and I’m sitting it out on my accumulator.
The Neptune Investment Hurdle is one of the most wide-open in the festival and I will be skipping this one on my multipliers.
I am, however, jumping all over my tentofollow selection Punchestowns in the 2010 RSA Chase. He’s trading at 7/2 and looks a step ahead of the other horses in the race. He finished 2nd to Big Bucks in the World Hurdle last year and had a great outing at Newbury in late November. I think he’s rested, he’s ready and he’s well-priced considering his talent. I am tossing Punchestowns onto my accumulator ticket.
Paul Nicholls’ Master Minded is a heavy favourite for the Champion Chase and he was a real disappointment in his only run of the year so far, losing out to Well Chief in the Connaught Chase in mid-November. He is a heavy 7/4 favourite and has beaten some very talented runners and that is reason enough to back him. I think his main challenge is Forpadydeplasterer who trades at 8/1, but I do think Paul Nicholls’ charge is a step above and will play him on my accumulator ticket.
The 2010 Champion Bumper looks too difficult to solve from this far out. Whoever gets this one right is in for a hell of a payday though.
The 2010 Ryanair Chase is set to be a real solid race, but I’m up in the air about this one. This is a race featuring a number of horses that may be pointed at other races so it isn’t the best idea to play an accumulator on this one just yet. It will be between Poquelin, Barbers Shop, Tranquil Sea and possibly Imperial Commander and Forpadydeplasterer. Chapoturgeon will be in there as will Voy Por Ustedes.
I will be skipping the Triumph Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett as there is a bit too many questions remaining over who runs and who doesn’t.
That brings us down to the big one- the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup. You all know where this is going and I’m going to be backing the irrepressible Kauto Star to cap off a wonderful year with another dramatic victory. He’s trading at 5/4 with most major bookmakers and faces stiff competition from stablemate Denman. I anticipate a dramatic stretch drive at the end here, but I think Kauto will find that extra gear and his only real danger (aside from an otherworldly Denman performance) is a fall. I’ll be backing Kauto to cap off my ticket.
My long-term Cheltenham ante-post accumulator is Dunguib x Punchestowns x Master Minded x Kauto Star paying out at 58.47 at Ladbrokes. That’s a great total on four of the biggest favourites at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival!