Sports Betting Blog: Cheltenham Festival Day Four betting preview, 13/03/15

Gold Cup favourite Silviniaco Conti is bidding to make it third time lucky in the day’s big feature race while the retiring A.P. McCoy will be seeking to make the festival end with a bang in the final race of the day.

Below we take a look at where the money is going for all the races on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.

1.30pm – JCB Triumph Hurdle
Nicky Henderson holds a strong hand in the first off on the final day with fancied Hargam at 13/2 and Top Notch at 7/1 as well as the favourite Peace and Co at 11/4.
The latter leads the betting after victory in the Finesse Hurdle at Cheltenham Trials Day and a win at a Grade 2 at Doncaster before that.
Hargram recorded a second and first at Cheltenham at the end of last year while the promising Top Notch has yet to taste defeat.
This trio may be the leading contenders, but at Spreadex the bigger money has come in behind 13/2 shot Beltor and 9/1 priced Petite Parisienne.

2.05pm – Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle
Last year’s Fred Winter winner Hawk High has been attracting interest from Spreadex punters and would appear to offer some value at 25/1.
The Tim Easterby trained runner is also available at 4/1 to finish in the top four in our Place Only market.
Heading up the betting is Quick Jack, but a long rest since a third place finish in the Cesarewitch in October seems to have caused betters to keep their distance, while Spreadex punters also seem to be favouring Princely Conn more than fellow 9/1 shot The Game Changer.

2.40pm – Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle
Willie Mullins-trained Black Hercules is the 4/1 favourite for the Albert Bartlett but Spreadex clients have been showing support for Blacklion further down the field at 12/1.
The six-year-old, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, won at Cheltenham in a Grade 2 in December and was just caught by Caracci Apache at the same level at Doncaster in January.
It can be backed at 10/1 in our 3 Place Insurance Market, meaning you get your money back if it finishes second or third.
If Black Hercules is being overlooked here then Mullins will be hoping one of his four other runners in the same race can pull something out of the bag in the shape of Arbre De Vie at 14/1 and Milsean at 33/1 as well as longer shots Measureofmydreams at 66/1 and Avant Tout at 80/1.

3.20pm – Gold Cup
Siviniaco Conti has his doubters having failed to win in two previous Gold Cups when in promising positions, but still has an incredibly strong past record of two King George’s, a brace of Betfair Chases, a Betfair Bowl, Charlie Hall and Denman Chase.
The strong pedigree, coupled with the successful treatment of stomach ulcers over the summer and the application of cheekpieces, is perhaps what has seen Spreadex punters showing support for Paul Nicholls’ nine-year-old, shortening the favourite into 7/2.
Of the rest of the field, much has been made of how the softening ground could favour Many Clouds, however we’ve seen more support for 7/1 Djakadam, 9/1 Coneygree and 10/1 Holywell for potential party-poopers to Silviniaco Conti.

4pm – St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase Challenge
If Spreadex clients aren’t showing great support for Many Clouds in the feature race, they do seem to be attracted to similarly named Paint the Clouds in the following race.
The 10-year-old, trained by Warren Greatrex – who saw success in the World Hurdle with Cole Harden – has been beaten just once in its last nine starts dating back to March 2011 and is the 4/1 favourite for this one.
Among the field is a two-time previous winner of this race in the form of Salsify, priced at 10/1 while second favourite On The Fringe at 15/2 was third in this race last year.
There have also been some each-way nibbles of Aerial at 12/1 or priced at 7/2 to finish in the top three in our Place Only market.

4.40pm – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap
Full Shift has been the big mover in the betting for this one, shortening in from 16/1 to 9/1 behind Roi Des Francs at 9/2 and Le Mercurey at 8/1.
The Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old has won two hurdles and a point-to-point but was disappointing to say the least when 11th out of 24 behind eventual winner Don Poli in this race at the festival last year having set off as 9/2 favourite.
The favourite, Roi Des Francs trained by Willie Mullins, won in a Grade 3 at Clonmel last month and has seen some money from Spreadex clients while Macnicholson has attracted each-way cash at 20/1 or 4/1 to finish in the top four in our Place Only markets.

5.15pm – A.P. McCoy Grand Annual Handicap Chase
The final race of the festival is newly-named in honour of retiring champion jockey A.P. McCoy – so what are the chances of the 40-year-old bowing out with a fairy-tale victory?
Well, McCoy’s ride Ned Buntline is the 9/2 favourite after finishing second in this race last year and should this come home the festival would certainly end on an explosion.
Looking at our Betting Without Ned Buntline market, Blood Cotil leads the way at 6/1 (15/2 on our full market) after victory in its last outing at Naas last month.
We’ve seen some money for 12/1 chance Grumeti, who has ridden in the Champion Hurdle and Triumph Hurdle at the festival in the past. However, Spreadex clients will be joining no-doubt the rest of the betting nation in hoping McCoy can provide a memorable finale to a fine week of racing.


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Cheltenham Festival Day One betting preview
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