15:40 Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase Odds & Tips: Cheltenham 2021 – 18th March 2021

Can The Shunter land his big £100k by winning the Paddy Power Plate?

Horse Racing Betting

Race 5 on Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival is the Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase, a Grade 3 fixture.

This is an extended 2m 4f trip for those getting in on the action, and it is one of the bigger fields of the festival.

There are 23 runners declared and it’s THE SHUNTER who is currently the race favourite.

Last year’s winner of this testing fixture was SIMPLY THE BETTS from a 10/3 SP (G Sheehan / H Whittington).

Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase Odds

The Shunter 15/4
Farclas 5/1
Caribean Boy 15/2
A Wave Of The Sea 10/1
Fils D’oudairies 11/1
Suly D’oc Aa 12/1
Happy Diva 16/1
Mister Whitaker 14/1
Assemble 16/1
Oldgrangewood 22/1
Champagne Court 28/1
Dead Right 33/1
Coole Cody 28/1
Paddy’s Poem 22/1
Kiltealy Briggs 40/1
Huntsman Son 33/1
Top Notch 28/1
The Unit 40/1
Eamon An Cnoic 40/1
Smarty Wild 50/1
Lakalin 50/1
Two Taffs 55/1
Maypole Class 80/1
* (betting odds recorded at 23:48 GMT on March 17th at Paddy Power)


Horse Racing Betting at Paddy Power

The Shunter is the 15/4 FAV for Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase

THE SHUNTER could write one of the big stories of the Cheltenham Festival 20201. There is a £100k bonus on the line for him this one after his win at the Morebattle Hurdle earlier this month at Kelso.

He is in very good form with two wins in his last three runs. The first of those was in the Greatwood Hurdle here at Cheltenham, before getting that Kelso score.

In between those two runs, he collected solid third place in a Leopardstown handicap chase, shaping very well in that one. He was beaten by Wave Of The Sea in that fixture.

So there is strong form there from The Shunter to suspect that he will handle himself in this big field on Thursday. There is a 7lb conditional on his back as well.

Happy Diva
16/1 e/w

Paddy Power

Farclas could upset the favourite

Another of the strong Irish challengers in this field is FARCLAS who goes at 5/1* (betting odds recorded at 23:48 GMT on March 17th at Paddy Power).

He won the 2018 Triumph Hurdle at the Festival and has been in very good shape on home turf this season as well.

Farclas is on a very appealing mark and has run very well in defeat in three extremely strong handicaps in Ireland for this campaign.

He looks pretty close to landing something big and he may just have enough to upset the bonus-bid of The Shunter around Cheltenham.

Wave Of The Sea goes on the shortlist

We have to consider WAVE OF THE SEA for the shortlist as well in Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase betting.

He took that win at Leopardstown last month over The Shunter. That means that he needs to be respected.

This action at Cheltenham does represent a stiffer test for Wave Of The Sea, but he most certainly isn’t without some place claims.

That’s two wins in his last five runs he has earned and the Grade 1 winning hurdler will probably relish stronger conditions.

Wave Of The Sea is a 10/1 quote to win the race* (betting odds recorded at 23:48 GMT on March 17th at Paddy Power).

 

Last 10 Supreme Novices’ Winners (age, trainer, jockey)

  • 2020 Simply The Betts, 7, H Whittington, Gavin Sheehan
  • 2019 Siruh Du Lac, 6, N Williams, Lizzie Kelly
  • 2018 The Storyteller, 7, G Elliott, Davy Russell
  • 2017 Road To Respect, 6, N Meade, Bryan Cooper
  • 2016 Empire Of Dirt, 9, Colm Murphy, Bryan Cooper
  • 2015 Darna, 9, K Bailey, David Bass
  • 2014 Ballynagour, 8, D Pipe, Tom Scudamore
  • 2013 Carrickboy, 9, V Williams, Liam Treadwell
  • 2012 Salut Flo, 7, D Pipe, Tom Scudamore
  • 2011 Holmwood Legend, 10, P Rodford, K Burke

 

Fils D’oudairies to impress on handicap début?

Making his first foray into handicap is FILS D’OUDAIRIES who could arrive in good heart. After scoring at Navas he has since gone on to meet the top company in his following two.

In his penultimate race, Fils D’Oudairies found only Envoi Allen too good on the day in an impressive showing again.

He followed that up with a Leopardstown effort in which he laid down too much too early and couldn’t stick in there.

However, these are looking like ideal conditions for his run at Cheltenham and Fils D’Oudairies is an 11/1 contender in Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase betting* (betting odds recorded at 23:48 GMT on March 17th at Paddy Power).

Caribean Boy to make his presence felt?

Another with a reasonable shot at taking this is CARIBEAN BOY for Nicky Henderson. He kicked off the season with a Grade 2 win at Newbury in November.

He will be needing a little bit more in this one after coming up a little short on a Sandown 1m 7f trip last time out in chasing.

Caribbean Boy battled really well but just couldn’t do anything about those in front of him and took fourth place, six lengths behind the winner.

He’s not to be written out of this at 15/2* (betting odds recorded at 23:48 GMT on March 17th at Paddy Power).

Others to note

Nicky Henderson’s TOP NOTCH returned a sixth-place finish in Peterborough here in December. That was after nearly a year away. He is back after a wind op and has reasonable enough claims to get very close on what is his handicap debut. The cheekpieces are on for the first time as well.

MISTER WHITAKER is another to potentially keep on side. He has a good record at Cheltenham and was third in last year’s edition of the Plate from a 2lb higher rating as well. He has taken things lightly in the last year and a big run wouldn’t be a surprise.

If HUNTSMAN SON is back in the kind of form that saw him impress in a Weatherby Listed handicap chase win on his reappearance, then he can have a say. He was storming along in his follow up as well here at Cheltenham in December before pulling up. Huntsman Son was shaping with a lot of promise though.

HAPPY DIVA is another that warrants some respect on Thursday. She won the Paddy Power Gold Cup here in 2019 and earned second place in last year’s edition of this. That was from a higher mark as well. It’s been back to back third-place finishes for her this season, the second of those a poor run at Warwick. Claims are there.

Predictions & Tips for Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase Betting Odds

This is some field to try and pick through really. We will start at the top where there are obvious strong claims from the 15/4 favourite THE SHUNTER* (betting odds recorded at 23:48 GMT on March 17th at Paddy Power).

He’s been showing some nice strong form this season to be fair and he looks as if he is primed to launch a big attack on this.

This field is stacked with claims. We are going with a 28/1 each-way punt on TOP NOTCH next* (betting odds recorded at 23:48 GMT on March 17th at Paddy Power). He has a lot on his plate with the racing but has Festival form and cheek pieces and a wind op could help out.

The other for the shortlist is going to be HAPPY DIVA, another with a good Cheltenham record. There’s a big chance that she will get closer than she did twelve months ago when she was up in the ratings.

She disappointed last time out, but that was an exception to the rule. There’s interest there from 16/1* (betting odds recorded at 23:48 GMT on March 17th at Paddy Power).

Paddy Power £5 Free Bet Cheltenham Offer

Customers at Paddy Power can claim one £5 Free Bet to use on Thursday’s day of racing at the Festival.

To get it, just opt in via the promotional banner on the Paddy Power homepage and click the CLAIM button on the promotion’s page.

That’s it, then receive a £5 Free Bet to use on any of the day’s racing from Cheltenham on Thursday 18th March 2021

The offer is open to both new and existing customers, but check the full terms and conditions for deposit requirements.

18+ Please Gamble Responsibly. See bookmaker for full T&Cs

Key Terms & Conditions

The promotion is available for new and existing customers with registered Paddy Power accounts, aged 18 or over. Offer Applies to residents of UK & Ireland only
Customers must have previously deposited with a debit card, Apple Pay or Paysafe previously to avail of the offer. PayPal customers after 14th March date are not eligible for the promo

Opt in via the promo banner on the PP homepage to claim the free Bet. Offer applies from 1:00pm 16th March. One £5 Free Bet per customer. Free Bet can be used on any race at Cheltenham on Thursday 18th March 2021. Free bet will be available Tuesday 16th March 2021.