It’s not long until the eagerly awaited Cheltenham Festival begins. The action starts on Tuesday 14th March, with the big finale taking place on Friday 17th March… and during these action-packed days, there will certainly be plenty of horses garnering attention. However, here are the horses that we think are especially worth a look at.
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase: Gerri Colombe
On Wednesday, we have some serious action happening. However, one racer that stands out because of hos form - and generosity of horse racing odds online, is Gerri Colombe, who is going into the race unbeaten.
He looked super impressive when he ran in Sandown, being the victor of the Grade 1 Scilly Isles. Despite being passed after the third to last fence, he found something down deep and ran out the competitor, taking the win. This horse has been winning even though the distance is a little on the sharp side - and we think he could be even better here.
There is a slight concern over the ground - as he hasn't ever raced on spring ground before… and it doesn’t look like there will be much rain before the festival begins. However, he should be able to get away with it.
Turners Novices’ Chase: Mighty Potter
This is one of the most exciting horses due to appear in the Festival this year… and we’re expecting a little bit of wizardry from the Mighty Potter. This might well be a future Gold Cup contender…
He has a flawless record this season over fences and we can’t forget that he was also a dual Grade 1 winner last season over hurdles. He also won the Down Royal… maybe not as convincingly as we’d have liked, but it was a win nonetheless.
Ever since, he has been super impressive… having won 2 Grade 1s. First coming at Fairhouse, making very light work out of the National Hunt Chase favourite runner, Gaillard Du Mesnil. Then he put on another winning performance at Leopardstown.
He is only 6 years old, with lots of growing to do - and he’s a very exciting star of the future.
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase: Dunboyne
Here we have another horse trained by Gordon Elliot - who also stands a great chance in his race after enjoying a career-best performance in January at Gowran.
He didn’t necessarily get off to the best start in his season in the Beginners Chases, but it wasn’t long before he upped his game and went on to take a convincing win at the Handicap Chase in November.
The slight concern may be that the ground could be a little fast for him as he seems to perform best on ground with plenty of cut in it… however, that means he is probably priced more generously than he should be.
Ultimately, there is a lot to like about this horse and he is definitely worth a punt - especially if you go each way.
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle: Spirit of Legend
The last of our selections is the final race of the festival… and we think that this horse might well be worth the wait.
This beauty is trained by Henry De Bromhead and he started out his life as a winner in November when he ran down Kilbree Warrior, the long-time leader, in the final furlong at Navan.
Over Christmas, he went to Leopardstown - although his lack of experience became apparent. He did well considering, but not well enough to compete against the more experienced racers.
This is going to be an interesting race for him - and he has a great chance of doing well. What’s more, because of the issues surrounding him, he is priced super generously, which certainly makes him value for money. Can he do it? Maybe… possibly, but we definitely think it is worth keeping an eye on - and maybe having a cheeky punt at the end of the festival. It could end up being the perfect finale!
