2021 Cheltenham Handicap Tips by Dave Stevos
2021 Cheltenham Handicap Tips
The weights were released for the handicaps at Cheltenham on Wednesday. Some trainers will be very happy with the marks their horses have been allocated. However, plenty of others won’t be best pleased. Dave Stevos has had a look through the fields and he thinks a couple of horses are potentially well treated and overpriced. Check out his 2021 Cheltenham Handicap tips below…
The Ultima Handicap Chase
The first handicap of the week at Cheltenham is the 25f Ultima Handicap Chase. The one I like off a mark of 142 in this race is Kauto Riko. Tom Gretton trains this son of Ballingarry who is out of a half-sister to the mighty Kauto Star. This 10yo is relatively lightly raced for his age. He was last sighted running a blinder over 20f at Cheltenham back in November.
He stayed on in eye-catching fashion off 142 to finish 4th, just over 5.5L behind Coole Cody. It was his first run back after a wind-op and it was an extremely pleasing effort.Given this horse’s good record when fresh, connections opted to put him away after that run. He ran in a 20f handicap at the festival last season, just 13 days after he chased home Definitly Red on heavy ground at Newcastle. It looked like the run came far too soon. Also, he had his wind op after that effort and that may have been another contributing factor to his below-par display. However, in 2019 he ran much better at the festival off 145, staying on late to finish 8th, again over 20f.
Top Notch Effort
The effort that indicates this fella may be decently handicapped is his Grade 2 Huntingdon 2nd to Top Notch. He stayed on strongly to be beaten less than a length and even though he was getting 4lb, it was still an excellent performance against a 161 rated horse. He was fresh for that run, returning from a 269-day break, and he will be fresh for this race too.
Kauto Riko hasn’t won at Cheltenham but that last run at least showed that he relishes the uphill finish. He looks absolutely laid out for this and he showed he could be very competitive off this rating last time out. At odds of 33/1 he could give his small yard something to shout about. With 5 places and NRNB available, Kauto Riko is worth backing each way.
2021 Cheltenham Handicap Tips: Ultima Chase – Kauto Riko e/w 33/1 NRNB Betfred (5 Places)
2021 Cheltenham Handicap Tips: County Hurdle
I have had my eye on a horse for this race for some time and I am very happy with the mark the handicapper has given her. If the ground is anyway decent I think Getaway Gorgeous is capable of running a massive race.
She is one of 15 entries for Willie Mullins, the trainer that has won this race five times since 2009. He sent out Saint Roi to score off 137 last year and he was the 11/2 fav. However, the prices of his other four winners during that period were 20/1, 10/1, 25/1 and 20/1 so it isn’t always the most obvious one that gets the job done for him.
Listowel Form Looks Solid
The run that makes this mare of huge interest is her excellent 2nd to Drop The Anchor at Listowel. Getaway Gorgeous, a half-sister to the very talented Rock The Kasbah, was beat a short head that day off a mark of 125. She was conceding 8lb to Drop The Anchor (then rated 122) when Simon Torrens’ 5lb claim is considered and that horse went on to win a massive pot off 131 at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
Drop The Anchor has been handed a rating of 146 by the assessor for this race. Getaway Gorgeous is in off 136. That represents a huge 18lb swing on their Listowel run and she is surely capable of reversing that form. Her last three efforts have not been as good admittedly but I am hoping to see a much better mare on a bit of nicer ground. Drop The Anchor is 14/1 and Getaway Gorgeous is as big as 33/1. At those odds, Getaway Gorgeous looks well worth backing e/w with NRNB and 5 places available.
