CHELTENHAM PREVIEW STATS FOR FRIDAY MARCH 15TH, 2024
1.30PM – JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE
2M179Y, NEW COURSE
IRELAND HAS WON 7 OF THE LAST 10
THERE HAVE BEEN 5 WINNING FAVS IN THE LAST 9 YEARS, INCLUDING THE LAST TWO – LOSSIEMOUTH (11/8) AND (VAUBAN, 2022, 6/4)
3 OF THE LAST 10 WINNERS HAVE BEEN 10/1 OR BIGGER
7 OF THE LAST 11 WINNERS HAVE BEEN 9/2 OR SHORTER
OUR MARKETS FOR FRIDAY’S CHELTENHAM CARD CAN BE FOUND HERE
2.10PM – COUNTY HURDLE
2M179Y, NEW COURSE
8 OF THE LAST 15 WINNERS HAVE BEEN 20/1 OR BIGGER, INCLUDING FAIVOIR (33/1) LAST YEAR
THERE HAVE BEEN THREE 33/1 WINNERS IN THE LAST 6 YEARS – BELFAST BANTER (2021) AND MOHAAYED (2018) ARE THE OTHERS – ARCTIC FIRE WAS 20/1 WHEN HE WON IN 2017 AND WICKLOW BRAVE WAS 25/1 WHEN WINNING IN 2015 – FIVE OF THE LAST 9 WINNERS HAVE BEEN RETURNED AT 20/1 OR BIGGER
IRELAND HAS WON 9 OF THE LAST 15
WILLIE MULLINS HAS WON 6 OF THE LAST 14
DAN SKELTON HAS WON 4 OF THE LAST 8
6 OF THE LAST 15 WINNERS CARRIED 11ST OR MORE TO VICTORY
PAUL TOWNEND HAS WON THREE OF THE LAST 9
BRIDGET ANDREWS HAS WON 2 OF THE LAST 6
HARRY SKELTON HAS WON 2 OF THE LAST 8
THERE HAVE BEEN TWO WINNING FAVS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, BUT THEY HAVE COME IN THE LAST 4 YEARS, BOTH TRAINED BY WILLIE MULLINS (STATE MAN, 2022) AND SAINT ROI (2020)
2.50PM – ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES’ HURDLE
2M7F213Y, NEW COURSE
JUST ONE WINNING FAV IN THE LAST 11 YEARS – AT FISHERS CROSS, 2013
8 OF THE LAST 10 WINNERS WERE RETURNED AT 14/1 OR BIGGER
6 OF THE LAST 10 WINNERS WERE 16/1 OR BIGGER, INCLUDING TWO 33/1 CHANCES AND A 50/1 WINNER
3.30PM BOODLES CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP
3M25F170Y, NEW COURSE
WHAT A RACE!
LAST YEAR’S WINNER, GALOPIN DES CHAMPS – TRAINED BY WILLIE MULLINS, HE’S FAV THIS YEAR, LIKE HE WAS LAST YEAR
AMONG HIS OPPONENTS…
BRAVEMANSGAME – THE 2022 KING GEORGE WINNER WHO FINISHED SECOND IN LAST YEAR’S GOLD CUP AFTER A FURIOUS BATTLE WITH GALOPIN DES CHAMPS
HEWICK – WHAT A STORY HIS CAREER HAS ALREADY BEEN – HE FELL WHEN IN CONTENTION LAST YEAR
FASTORSLOW – HE BEAT GALOPIN DES CHAMPS IN LAST YEAR’S PUNCHESTOWN GOLD CUP AND HAS HAD A WIND OP SINCE HIS LAST RUN
GERRI COLOMBE – THIS SEASON’S DOWN ROYAL CHAMPION CHASE WINNER
L’HOMME PRESSE – HE IS UNBEATEN IN TWO RUNS AT CHELTENHAM (HE WON THE BROWN ADVISORY AT THE 2022 FESTIVAL) AND LOVES SOFT GOING
5 WINNING FAVS IN THE LAST 11, 3 IN THE LAST 4
JUST 2 OF THE LAST 11 WINNERS WERE BIGGER THAN 9/1
IRELAND HAS WON THE LAST 5 AND 7 OF THE LAST 8 AND, INDEED, 8 OF THE LAST 10 – AND THEY’VE HAD THE FIRST 2 IN 5 OF THE LAST 10 AND THE 1-2-3 IN 2 OF THE LAST 8
4.10PM – ST JAMES’S PLACE FESTIVAL CHALLENGE CUP OPEN HUNTERS’ CHASE
3M25F170Y, NEW COURSE
IRELAND HAS WON 6 OF THE LAST 11
THE UK HAS WON 5 OF THE LAST 7 AND WERE ALSO 2ND IN 2020 AND 2021
4 WINNING FAVS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS
ONLY THREE 6YOS HAVE WON THE RACE SINCE 1950
8YOs HAVE WON 9 TIMES SINCE 1971 BUT THERE ARE SOME VERY GOOD ONES AMONGST THEM, INCLUDING ELEGANT LORD, GRITTAR, ELIOGARTY, LOVELY CITIZEN, CREDIT CALL AND SALSIFY
THERE HAVE BEEN TWO 66/1 WINNERS IN THE LAST 4 YEARS
5 OF THE LAST 7 WINNERS WERE RETURNED AT 16/1 OR BIGGER
A HORSE AGED 10 OR 11 HAS WON IN THE LAST NINE YEARS
THIS CENTURY (23 RUNNINGS) HAVE SEEN WINS FOR THE FOLLOWING AGES:
6YO – 1
7YO – 2
8YO – 2
9YO – 5
10YO – 8
11YO – 4
12YO – 0
13YO – 1
4.50PM – GRADE 2 MARES’ CHASE
2M4F127Y, NEW COURSE
THIS RACE HAS ONLY BEEN RUN THREE TIMES AND WILLIE MULLINS HAS WON IT TWICE, AND HE FINISHED SECOND LAST YEAR
EVERY WINNER SO FAR HAS BEEN THE SECOND FAVOURITE FOR THE RACE
5.30PM –
THE MARTIN PIPE CONDITIONAL JOCKEYS’ HANDICAP HURDLE
2M4F56Y, NEW COURSE
THERE HAS BEEN NO WINNING FAV SINCE SIR DES CHAMPS IN 2011 (9/2) BUT 8 OF THE LAST 10 WINNERS HAVE BEEN RETURNED AT 12/1 OR SHORTER
GORDON ELLIOTT HAS WON 2 OF THE LAST 7 (AT SPS OF 11/1 AND 12/1)
PAUL NICHOLLS HAS WON 2 OF THE LAST 11 AND WILLIE MULLINS HAS WON 3 OF THE LAST 10
WINNING SPS IN THE LAST 11 (MOST-RECENT FIRST) – 6/1, 12/1, 8/1, 25/1, 5/1, 11/1, 12/1, 14/1, 7/1, 12/1 AND 16/1
13 OF THE LAST 15 HAVE BEEN WON BY A 5YO OR 6YO – THE OTHE TWO WERE 7YOS
CONDITIONAL JOCKEYS BASED IN IRELAND HAVE WON 6 OF THE LAST 10
THE LAST WINNING FAV OF THE RACE WAS IN 2011 BUT 8 OF THE LAST 10 WINNERS WERE RETURNED AT 12/1 OR SHORTER AND 9 OF THE LAST 11 WINNERS WERE AGED 5 OR 6
SOMETHING TO SAY IS THAT THE ONLY THREE WINNERS AMONG THE LAST ELEVEN TO HAVE WON THIS RACE HAD RUN LESS THAN 7 TIMES – GALOPIN DES CHAMPS AND DON POLI ARE TWO OF THEM, WITH THE OTHER ONE BEING LAST YEAR’S WINNER IROKO