2023 St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Betting Tips
We’ve got another test of stamina and jumping over the big obstacles when it comes to Race 5 on the final day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, with Vaucelet having been elevated to the head of the betting market after a series of impressive performances. The eight-year-old claimed a victory by a neck over three miles at Down Royal, with that coming on soft ground.
However, Ferns Lock could be a more attractive price to some punters and there was plenty to like about the horse’s most recent performance in a Hunters’ Chase at Thurles Racecourse, with Billaway being beaten by twenty lengths and that came after a similar type of win in a point to point encounter at Fairyhouse.
Winged Leader is no stranger to Cheltenham and finished second to Billaway in this race last year, with the horse only beaten by a neck and perhaps he’s poised to go one better after a smart season thus far. There was a win at Cragmore at the end of January and that was followed by another victory when being sent off at odds-on at Farmaclaffley.
Famous Clermont comes next in the betting and there has also been money for Billaway who was able to win last year for trainer Willie Mullins. However, the horse isn’t getting any better at the age of 11 and it could be worth monitoring the price movements ahead of the off considering that there isn’t any rock solid form to go off right now.
When you look at the best Cheltenham Festival betting odds, you will see that Willie Mullins is the favourite on the Cheltenham Top Trainer betting market. In addition to some of the other big races, the Irish handler also has the betting favourite for some of the other races and it includes this chase race which takes place on Day Four of the meeting.
Patrick Mullins gave the horse a solid spin for his father in a Hunters Chase at Naas Racecourse, with the runner having been sent off as the 2/1 betting favourite for this Cheltenham race twelve months ago only to lose to Porlock Bay by a short head.
The horse ran at Aintree shortly after the Cheltenham meeting, with the runner finishing fifth in the Rose Paterson Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase. The horse also finished second behind Winged Leader when being sent off at odds-on at Thurles and punters will be wary of punting a horse that regularly falls short.
Winged Leader looks a more viable winner and there is better each-way Cheltenham betting odds when it comes to an eight-year-old who has racked up four consecutive wins this season. Beating Billaway by twelve lengths at Thurles was an impressive turnout, with big improvement potentially to come from a runner who is unproven at the Festival.
There are a couple of eleven-year-old runners who are also trading at a bigger price, with Bob And Co one of them. Paul Nicholls will saddle this horse and it was impressive when winning the Irish Daily Star Champion Hunters Chase at Punchestown, with the horse finishing second in the Pertemps Network Stratford Foxhunters Champion Hunters' Chase at Stratford. He’s been wrapped in cotton wool up to now.
Staker Wallace runs in the famous green and gold colours of owner JP McManus and it will be interesting to see why trainer Enda Bolger thinks the horse can run over a long distance and win such a big Cheltenham betting race. The runner finished third in this race last season and could be a good bet.
The Foxhunter Chase is always an exciting race at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, with consecutive winners having been commonplace in the past few years.
On The Fringe was the successive winner in 2015 and 2016, with Enda Bolger getting his charge primed for the big obstacles on both occasions, while Paul Nicholls repeated the trick with Pacha Du Polder in 2017 and 2018.
This race is a real test of stamina considering it takes place over three miles and two furlongs, while the ground is almost certain to have some cut in it considering the winter rainfall.
The fact that amateur riders are on board adds an extra ingredient, although Hazel Hill won the renewal in 2019 and perhaps this horse could be the latest double winner.
Philip Rowley trained this horse to victory twelve months ago and it appears the horse will be sent off as favourite, with the twelve-year-old landing a four-length victory on good-to-soft ground last year.
The horse then returned to Cheltenham a few weeks later and won again at short odds, although Hazel Hill was recently seen off by Minella Rocco at Wetherby and it’s the latter who has to be considered as a lively runner for this event.
The ten-year-old has won on his past two outings and this is a horse that finished second in a Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2017, with Sizing John proving too good for him although that’s an excellent pedigree for those looking to follow this horse.
There have been some tough times for the runner in the ensuing years, although that victory over Hazel Hill along with his Cheltenham class means we’re going to plump for him this time around.
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