Hello and a very warm welcome to my FREE tipping service for the Cheltenham Festival. I'm Target's pooch punter, Winston, the dog that 'nose' the form and loves a flutter.
This year I will be placing charity bets each day with any returns at the end of the week donated to T-Day 2011 (www.tday.co.uk), Gloucestershire’s only dress down day that raises funds exclusively for children’s charities in the county.
All bets that I recommend will be placed with Paddy Power (www.paddypower.com) who are offering best odds guaranteed on all races. This means that if you back a horse at 4/1 and it wins at 6/1 then you get paid out at the higher price.
As past performance is always a good guide to future performance I will be looking at previous trends and form to come up with some good value tips, although sometimes I may just follow a hunch!
Here are my suggestions for Day 1, Tues 15 March - Centenary Day:
1.30 Supreme Novices Hurdle
MAGENS STAR £2.50 each way at 20/1 (money back if Cue Card wins)
Cue Card is very well fancied and could be a superstar. However, short priced favourites have a terrible record in this race. Magen’s Star has positive trends in being an Irish trained, unbeaten mare and could go well at a long price. If Cue Card wins we get our money back!
2.05 Arkle Chase
MEDERMITT £10 win @ 11/4
In the last ten years, the highest rated hurdler has won this race on five occasions. Medermitt is the highest rated hurdler by a long way and is a confident selection to give Alan King his third Arkle winner.
2.40 Spinal Research H’Cap Chase
SUNNYHILLBOY £5 win @ 6/1
Well fancied runners carrying less than 11 stone do well in this race, as do Jonjo O’Neill’s runners, so I have plumped for Sunnyhillboy who has also has good course form.
3.20 CHAMPION HURDLE – Feature race of the day
OSCAR WHISKY £5 each way @ 7/1
Last year’s winner and favourite Binocular was withdrawn on Sunday, taking the gloss off this race, although it should still be a cracker. I think Oscar Whisky is great value to give Nicky Henderson his third successive win in this race. Both his wins have been very impressive this season, including a win at Cheltenham in January.
4.00 Cross Country Chase
GARDE CHAMPETRE £10 win @ 9/2
He has won five times over this course & distance, and whilst he is getting on in years like my master, he is capable of winning this race for the third time.
4.40 David Nicholson
L’ACCORDIANISTE £2.50 each way @ 10/1
Quevega is a hot favourite to complete a hat trick of wins in this race, but there is value each way with L’Accordianiste trained locally by Nigel Twiston-Davies
5.15 Centenary Novice H’Cap Chase
TULLAMORE DEW £2.50 each way @ 9/1
A really tricky novice chase to end the day. Tullamore Dew was second in last season’s Coral Cup and has never been out of the first two in her four novice chases this season.
Good luck!
More from me tomorrow
Winston
