Cheltenham 2019 Day Two Preview – Horse Racing Betting March 13

Uradel looks to have been laid out for Coral Cup

Cheltenham Festival

If there is such a thing as a day for favourites at the Cheltenham Festival, then Wednesday is the day.

Punters won’t get rich on a couple of races and there is also the 26-runner Coral Cup to throw into the mix but Day Two is traditionally the day that punters fight back against the bookmakers, with vital information about the state of the going and the form of stables established on Day One.

The Betway Queen Mother Chase is the feature race on Day Two but everyone is pretty much in agreement that ALTIOR is as near a certainty as one gets at the Cheltenham Festival if he arrives at the top of his game. The odds about Nicky Henderson’s champion are reflective of that fact, however, as he is only a general 2/5. The nine-year-old beat his only serious rival Min by seven lengths in the race last year and finished streets ahead of Saint Calvados and Sceau Royal in the Tingle Creek on this season’s reappearance. Now 12-12 over fences and a three-times Festival winner, it’s impossible to oppose the favourite.

The day’s big betting race is the Coral Cup but there has even been a substantial gamble in this with a flood of money coming for Willie Mullins’ URADEL.

Coral Cup Current Best Odds

Uradel 5/1, Brio Conti 11/1, Cracking Smart 12/1, Farclas and Diamond Cauchois 14/1, Canardier, Erick Le Rouge and Vision Des Flos 16/1, Scarpeta, Tully East, Wicklow Brave,  Knight In Dubai, Calie Du Mesnil and Killultagh Vic 20/1, Ballyandy, Apple’s Shakira, Bleu Berry and Dancing On My Own 25/1, Burbank, Lil Rockerfeller, Eragon De Chanay and William Henry 33/1,Joke Dancer (25/1), Lil Rockerfeller, Monbeg Theatre and Oscar Knight 40/1

(Odds correct at 10.30am March 12)

A staying-on fifth over 2m at Leopardstown when the distance was clearly too short, the eight-year-old was a much-improved stayer on the Flat last year. He won a very competitive handicap over 2m1f at the Galway Festival last summer and only found better-fancied stablemate Low Sun too strong in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket in October. That latter race is over 2m2f so the 2m5f of the Coral Cup should be right up his street and he’ll be fresher than most. Mullins has five others in the race but Ruby Walsh rides the favourite (a general 5/1) so he’s the one to be on, though will require a little luck in-running in a race that always provides plenty of talking points. Kempton rivals Brio Conti (a general 11/1) and Ballyandy (a massive 25/1 with William Hill) are among the possible dangers.

Coral Cup Winners Since 1993

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer
2018 Bleu Berry 7 M Walsh W Mullins
2017 Supasundae 7 R Power J Harrington
2016 Diamond King 8 D Russell G Elliott
2015 Aux Ptit Soins 5 S Twiston-Davies P Nicholls
2014 Whisper 6 N De Boinville N Henderson
2013 Medinas 6 W Hutchinson A King
2012 Son Of A Flicka 8 J Maguire D McCain
2011 Carlito Brigante 5 D Russell G Elliot
2010 Spirit River 5 B Geraghty N Henderson
2009 Ninetieth Minute 6 P Flood T Taaffe
2008 Naiad de Misselot 7 D Russell F Murphy
2007 Burntoakboy 9 S Jones R Newland
2006 Sky’s the Limit 5 B Geraghty E O’Grady
2005 Idole First 6 A O’Keeffe V Williams
2004 Monkerhostin 7 R Johnson P Hobbs
2003 Xenophon 7 M Fitzgerald T Martin
2002 Ilnamar 6 R Greene M Pipe
2001 NO RACE
2000 What’s Up Boys 6 P Flynn P Hobbs
1999 Khayrawani 7 F Berry C Roche
1998 Top Cees 8 B Fenton L Ramsden
1997 Big Strand 8 J Evans M Pipe
1996 Trainglot 9 M Dwyer J Fitzgerald
1995 Chance Coffey 10 G O’Neill P O’Donnell
1994 Time for a Run 7 C Swan E O’Grady
1993 Olympian 6 P Scudamore M Pipe

MISTER MALARKY has possibly been underestimated in the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase at a general 16/1 given he beat Now McGinty and Top Ville Ben when coming off  a fast pace at Ascot. His jumping is generally good and he’s only been beaten once so far over fences so has found his true calling. It’s not difficult seeing him pick off many of the others on the final circuit, though the unlucky-so-far Topofthegame (a general 7/2) is greatly feared.

TIGER ROLL won the Glenfarclas Chase over the cross-country fences last year before going on to win the Grand National. Aintree is his target again but Gordon Elliott’s nine-year-old looked in rude health when running away with a Grade 2 hurdle at Navan recently when he supposedly needed the outing. He’s got an incredible record at The Festival and another huge cheer will greet him if he comes out on top again, though is only a best 6/5.