Tips For Cheltenham Races

With Cheltenham Trials Day just passed, now is the time to take a look at the ante-post markets for the four Championship races at the Cheltenham Festival which have all taken on a very competitive nature for once.

The Champion Hurdle this year looks to be one of the more competitive for a while with at least four leading contenders and several lively outsiders that it would be folly to write off. The defending champion Binocular comes here on the back of a smooth win in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and he must have a leading chance of defending his crown, he’s already proved his ability around the course and it will be a surprise if he doesn’t make a bold bid to retain his crown and give trainer Nicky Henderson a sixth Champion Hurdle trophy.

There are a couple of new kids on the block though in the shape of Peddlers Cross and Menorah, the latter who won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner from last year and he is unbeaten in three starts at Prestbury Park. However you have to go back to 1971 for the last Supreme Novices’ winner to come on and win the Champion Hurdle in the following year.

No less competitive will be the Queen Mother Champion Chase where the big question will be can the winner in 2008 and 2009, Master Minded, regain his crown after finishing fourth last season. His main rivals will be his conqueror last year in Big Zeb who overcame his jumping problems last season to land this prize. A recent defeat of Big Zeb will give Golden Silver’s supporters hope of beating him again in the main event but Big Zeb will be much better suited by the better ground expected at the Festival and anyone looking to bet on Cheltenham 2011 should remember this.

Thursday and the World Hurdle looked to be completely in the control of Big Bucks who has won his last 10 hurdle races including the last two runnings of the race. His opposition looked mere pretenders – that was until the emergence of Grand Crus from the David Pipe stable. Kept away from the Festival last year he has now won all of his races last year and by winning the Cleeve Hurdle (a recognised trial for the World Hurdle) in stunning fashion by an eased down 10 lengths at Cheltenham Trials Day he has stamped himself a worthy contender to Big Bucks. Their showdown on the third day of the meeting could well prove one of the highlights of this year.

Finally, the Championship events will conclude with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, all of last year’s main protagonists will be returning and at the moment the reigning champion