2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday Tips by Dave Stevos
2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday Tips and Preview
Thursday was a frustrating day but we did land a few places. Darver Star was run off his feet in the opener and never got involved. Ask Dillon was given a huge amount to do but he at least grabbed sixth at 28/1 (advised for 7 places). Fury Road disappointed but Beacon Edge ran a blinder, finishing 4th at 10/1 (advised for 4 places at 18s). Champagne Court and Pont Aval were poor but Go Another One ran a nice race for us to grab place money in 6th (advised 6 places e/w 33/1). He got there far too soon and he should have finished much closer. Let’s hope we can finish with a winner or two on the final day. Check out Dave Stevos’ 2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday Tips below…
1.20: Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
The Triumph Hurdle will be contested by only eight horses this year. It is the smallest field in the last 20 years and the bookies make it a three horse race. Zanahiyr, Tritonic and Quilixios (and Haut En Couleurs) all bring unbeaten records into the race and someone’s 0 has got to go. Zanahiyr is the favourite for Sneezy Foster (aka Gordon Elliott) with Jack Kennedy in the plate. He is 3/3 over hurdles and Saint Sam did the form of his Graded wins at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown last time out no harm with a fine 2nd in the Boodles during the week.
The home challenge will be headed by Tritonic. He went into a lot of notebooks after his impressive win at Kempton (16f gd). He beat the 133 rated Casa Loupi by 10L and Alan King has been bullish about his chances for this race ever since. The worry for his supporters is that the Irish form just seems to be working out much better at this year’s festival.
Blackmore Magic
The star of the week so far has been Rachael Blackmore. She has had three Grade 1 winners already and she gets the leg up on Quilixios here. He too has form with Saint Sam, who he beat by 5.5L at the Dublin Racing Festival. His 13L romp on yielding ground on his Irish debut at Punchestown suggests that faster ground should be absolutely fine for him. He might represent the best value of those at the top of the market.
Can Adagio string them along? Well, he may be a double figure price but one thing he has in his favour is winning C&D form. He landed a Group 1 at Chepstow (16f sft) last time out and he has winning form on good ground too. Haut En Couleurs and Tax For Max represent Willie Mullins and both are totally unexposed. The former is an ex French winner who has yet to be seen in public since moving to Clonsutton.
Tax For Max is an interesting sort. He has some really good form in the book on the level in Germany. The son of Maxios was only 0.5L behind 116 rated Godolphin horse Secret Advisor in a Group 1 on his final start before he was picked up at the sales for a cool £200k. He is from a family that Mullins knows well. He trained his brother, Tiger Tap Tap, and he finished 9th in this race back in 2019.
Take It To The Max
At the prices I am going to take a chance on Tax For Max. He pulled extremely hard throughout his entire Irish debut but he still managed to finish 2nd in a Grade 3. He has quality flat form in Germany and his Group 2 4th on good ground proves he will handle today’s conditions. A slightly bigger field and the likely stronger pace should enable him to settle better. If he does, he most definitely has the engine and class to figure. His flat form is arguably better than Tritonic, is definitely better than Zanahiyr’s and at odds of 50/1 I’ll be having a small e/w bet.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday Tips: Tax For Max e/w @ 50/1
1.55: County Hurdle (Grade 3)
I have already posted an ante-post each way tip for this race, Getaway Gorgeous. I am very happy to see Bryan Cooper in the plate and the ground has come right for her. You can read my reasons for fancying her here. With 26 runners it makes sense to back another one in this battle charge because a degree of luck will be required for whatever horse wins it. After seeing how well Bear Ghylls ran yesterday, I think Gowel Road is potentially very well treated off a mark of just 137.
Nigel Twiston-Davies charge ran a mighty race on his debut behind Nicky Martin’s charge. He was getting 6lb from Bear Ghylls but that horse had the benefit of a previous run and he pushed him all the way, beat just 1.5L into 2nd (16f sft).
After finishing 4th on his next start at Newbury he has since won two novices at that track. The first one came on heavy by 5L. He then showed he could handle a sounder surface when following up on good to soft. He has finished off his races really well the last twice and this sort of a race should really suit him.
His lack of big handicap experience is a negative and he still looked a shade green last time out. However, the first time cheekpieces should help in that department. 16/1 for 6 places at 1/4 odds with Bet365 looks more than fair and an each way bet is recommended.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday Tips: Getaway Gorgeous e/w @ 33/1; Gowel Road e/w 16/1 (6 Places Bet365)
2.30: Albert Bartlett Hurdle (Grade 1)
A field of 17 staying novice hurdlers will fight it out for Grade 1 glory in this year’s potato race. This is a contest that has a habit of throwing up shock results. Monkfish won it at 5/1 last year but the three previous renewals produced winners at 50/1, 33/1 and 16/1. Of the more fancied horses, I think Fakiera is extremely interesting tackling this distance for the first time. He has shaped like an out and out stayer on his last three starts over 20f/22f. So, 24f could be right up his street. He has solid good ground form in the book too and I think he has strong claims.
I had my eye on Streets Of Doyen for this race but he has already been very well backed. I would have put him up at 16s or bigger but he is into as short as 10/1 now. Instead, I am going to take a chance on N’Golo at a decent each way price. This horse comes here on the back of two terrible runs at Leopardstown behind Appreciate It on soft ground. However, two runs back he was a big eye-catcher when chasing home Ballyadam and Cask Mate in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse.
He finished with a wet sail that day after pulling hard and I was surprised that Willie Mullins opted to stay at 2 miles subsequently. N’Golo has won three races over timber, all on soft ground. This will be his first start over hurdles on ground with good in the description. He is by Galileo so you would imagine it will suit him. Also, his half-brother Successor’s three jumps wins all came on nice ground. With 5 places on offer from Betfair, N’Golo is worth backing each way at 20/1.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday Tips: N’Golo e/w @ 20/1 (5 Places Betfair Sportsbook)
2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday: 3.05 – Gold Cup (Grade 1)
Al Boum photo will bid to follow in the hoofsteps of Kicking King, Golden Miller and Arkle by winning three Cheltenham Gold Cups in a row. It seems like he has been around for years but he is still just 9 years old. His sole defeat in his last six starts came at Punchestown in 2019. He was likely feeling the effects of his heroic effort at Cheltenham on that occasion. In 2020 he had a pipe opener at Tramore before regaining his crown, just like in 2019. Willie Mullins has followed the exact same blueprint this year and he is the deserved favourite.
A Plus Tard announced his arrival as a real Gold Cup contender at Leopardstown over Xmas. He stayed on dourly to land the Savills Chase, beating Kemboy by half a length. Allaho was 20L back in 4th and while he certainly didn’t give his running, it is rock solid form. A Plus Tard showed real staying power that day but he has a turn of foot too, a vital ingredient for any horse with notions of becoming a Gold Cup. He beat Chacun Pour Soi over 16f back in 2019 and he was only a length behind Min in the Ryanair last season. On fire Rachael Blackmore takes over from Darragh O’Keefe in the saddle and he is one of the biggest dangers.
Will Champ Live Up To His Name?
Champ is another horse that has the perfect mix of speed and stamina required for this race. He won the RSA last year, beating Minella Indo and Allaho. That showed he stayed at least 24f and he displayed a lovely turn of foot when chasing home the speedy Sceau Royal over 2 miles on his prep run for this race at Newbury. The one chink in his armour is his tendency to throw in the occasional wayward jump. If he does that in the latter stages of this race, it could be his undoing. However, he does tick a lot of the right boxes and with a clear round he should be bang there.
Minella Indo is next best in the betting and he has a length to find with Champ on their meeting last year. He has been bitterly disappointing on his last two starts, falling and then finishing 6th behind Kemboy. Connections will be hoping the return to Cheltenham and better ground sparks a revival in his fortunes. Things haven’t gone to plan for last year’s runner up Santini either. Like Native River, he would probably prefer much softer ground as he lacks gears.
Lost Could Find Form
I think the top three in the betting deserve to be there but if one of more of them misfires, Lostintranslation could sneak into the frame at a big price. Colin Tizzard has already picked up a couple of nice places this week and this fella is the forgotten horse of the race. He ran a cracker when 3rd in this last season and he was only 1.5L behind Al Boum Photo. He was well beaten on his comeback at Haydock when heavy ground was against him.
Lostintranslation was then pulled up in the King George, after which he was sent for a wind-op. He shaped better than the distance he was beaten suggests last time at Newbury. It can sometimes take a run for a horse to realise they can breathe properly again after they get wind surgery. So, he may well improve massively with that outing behind him. It is important to note that the Tizzard yard was badly out of sorts all winter too, but their string has definitely turned the corner. I think Al Boum Photo is the most likely winner and he is the NAP at 10/3. And with 4 places on offer, 40/1 about Lostintranslation is too tempting to resist.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday: Al Boum Photo win @ 10/3 NAP; Lostintranslation e/w @ 40/1 (4 Places Bet365)
2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday – 3.40: Hunters’ Chase (Grade 3)
I won’t bore you with my analysis or thoughts on this race. Like the bumper it is a contest that I rarely have an interest in. I’d love to see It Came To pass win it again for the O’Sullivans. I think that he has a great chance to retain his crown on ground he will like. Billaway, Bob And Co and Staker Wallace look to hold obvious chances too but as I said, I’ll be keeping my powder dry. No bet.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday Tips: No Bet
4.15: Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)
This is a new addition to the Cheltenham Festival, a Grade 2, 20.5f chase for the mares. Elimay is the odds on favourite for Walsh, Mullins and JP McManus. This mare chased home Allaho on her penultimate outing, form that has been well franked this week. She then took care of Shattered Love at Naas over 16f, the perfect preparation for her seasonal target.
Good ground should be fine for her (won her maiden on similar). However, it has to rate as a worry that she ran well below her best on her last visit to Prestbury Park. There is no doubt she has the best form. But, given how she flopped at The Festival in 2019, I wouldn’t be steaming in at skinny odds.
Blackmore Could Get A Tune From Cabaret
Rachael Blackmore picks up the ride on Cabaret Queen and I think she could get a good tune out of her. This mare has run poorly on her last three starts, all on heavy ground. She has won on that type of ground before, but the majority of her best form has come on a sounder surface. She made all to win the Kerry National on soft at Listowel back in September. Willie Mullins’ mare than ran a cracker when 3rd at the Galway Festival. That was her last start on ground with good in the description.
Her two previous runs at Cheltenham have come on soft ground at 3 miles plus. She never figured after an early mistake in 2020 but she made a bold bid when she ran here in 2019. She just ran out of puff in the closing stages and she should have a much better chance of getting home over this 6f shorter distance. Cabaret Queen is as big as 28/1 with William Hill. At those odds, a small each way interest is advised.
2021 Cheltenham Festival Friday Tips: Cabaret Queen e/w @ 28/1
4.50: Martin Pipe Hurdle (Class 2)
This used to be the Grand Annual slot but this year the Martin Pipe Hurdle closes the show. A maximum field of 24 will go to post and I am going to take a chance on Dallas Des Pictons at a massive price. This horse was an excellent 2nd in this race back in 2019 and he will relish the drying ground. He has had just four runs this season, all on soft/heavy and he has been beaten out of sight. He has won a couple of bad races on that type of ground but he is a much better animal when there is good in the description.
It was good to soft when he ran so well in this race last year and his career form figures on good/good to soft read 242111. This will be his first run on that sort of ground since his gallant effort here 2 years ago. He didn’t take to chasing last season and surely his connections earmarked a repeat bid in this race once they decided to return to hurdling.
Fergus Gregory, Olly Murphy’s conditional jockey, has had 12 rides for Gordon Elliott in the UK, yielding 2 wins and 5 top 4 finishes. He finished 6th on Cartwright in this contest in 2019 and while he has never won at this course, he is one of the most experienced jockeys in the field with 52 career wins. The blinkers that were on for his best chase run replace the cheekpieces that were on for his last three hurdle runs. If they spark this fella back to form he could easily outrun his odds of 25/1.
