2023 Martin Pipe Hurdle Betting Tips
Much depends on the handicaps and which horse is most favourably weighted for this encounter, with Spanish Harlem carrying 11-2 and perhaps this is the runner to back each-way for the Martin Pipe on Gold Cup day. The five-year-old was beaten as the odds-on favourite at Thurles last time out and he was also chinned by Three Card Brag before that.
Perhaps Three Card Brag is the horse to therefore consider and Gordon Elliott has a stack of horses who are competing in this finale, with the six-year-old having multiple entries although his price is sure to shorten significantly if the runner is able to produce the same level of performance that we saw at Fairyhouse.
American Mike hasn’t been outside the top four in any of his four races this season although he was second last to Hunters Yarn at Navan in mid-February, with the horse struggling to build on an impressive second to Facile Vega in last year’s Cheltenham Festival Bumper, with other Gordon Elliott-trained runners preferred.
These include Cool Survivor who has landed a couple of wins this year and the horse ran a relative blinder when finishing fourth at 25/1 in the Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, with there being more to come from a runner who looks a decent each-way shout at the early prices. Make sure you compare the latest racing odds before going ahead with your wagers.
Langer Dan is a six-year-old who hasn’t been seen at a racecourse this season and that adds an element of doubt as to how he will perform. On the flip side, the horse won the 2021 Imperial Cup at Sandown Park before coming narrowly close to securing a big million double in the Martin Pipe and Skelton appears focused on trying to make this happen in 2022.
This is only a little horse who was able to win the Imperial Cup by four and a half lengths, with the runner being desperately unlucky to run into a horse like Galopin Des Champs considering that the latter has gone from strength to strength during the 2021-22 National Hunt season.
Chemical Energy runs for Gordon Elliott and there is plenty to recommend a horse that was last seen at a racecourse when claiming a Fairyhouse victory in a Novices Hurdle over the festive season. That was over two miles and four furlongs, with the horse being a potentially strong each-way bet to land the spoils here.
Saint Felicien is another interesting contender and it will be good to get enhanced place terms when it comes to the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle. This is a five-year-old who has no Cheltenham experience, although the horse could only finish second to Darasso in the BetVictor Limestone Lad Hurdle.
If you haven’t backed any winners at the Cheltenham Festival 2020 at this point, then you only have one chance left and that comes in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
This is the final race of the 2020 meeting, with the race having been in operation since 2009, with Andytown winning the first ever heat, while recent winners have been Champagne Classic, Blow By Blow and Early Doors.
The hurdle race takes place over two miles and four furlongs, with Willie Mullins proving the most successful trainer thus far thanks to saddling Sir Des Champs, Don Poli and Killultagh Vic over the years.
Trainer Gavin Cromwell had a winner for JP McManus last year and perhaps it will be the same story this time around, with Ilikedwayurthinkin likely to trade among the favourites and the six-year-old put on an impressive showing at Leopardstown over Christmas.
The horse finished fifth on soft ground against a decent field of horses, with Barry Geraghty likely to be on board and the big question is to how the runner is going to adapt to Cheltenham considering he has never run there before.
Column Of Fire runs for Gordon Elliott, with the six-year-old having enjoyed a successful season and the latest performance saw the horse finish third out of a field of twenty-eight horses.
Jack Kennedy was on board the 5/1 favourite at the time, with Davy Russell having previously won at even money when landing a Maiden Hurdle victory over two miles and four furlongs at Punchestown.
There are other horses that could be in contention, with The Bosses Oscar another Gordon Elliott charge who is five-years-old and the horse hasn’t been out of the top two this season.
A victory at Leopardstown during the Christmas break was a highlight and that Maiden Hurdle win was followed by a second-placed finish in a Novice Hurdle at Thurles.
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