The Ladbrokes World Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase were the highlights on the third day at Prestbury Park.
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By Barry McEneaney
Final Dispatch
With one day remaining, the race for the leading rider award is all but over. Ruby Walsh’s victory on Big Buck’s in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle moved him on to five winners for the week and his nearest rival is Barry Geraghty, who recorded a double on the opening day of the Festival.
The title of leading trainer will be a much closer affair as a double for Paul Nicholls’ double courtesy of Chapoturgeon and Big Buck’s saw him draw level Willie Mullins on three winners for the week. Venetia Williams was the other big winner on the second day as she bagged a brace with handicappers Something Wells and Kayf Aramis.
Bookmakers emerged on top on an afternoon that saw all six favourites turned over, including Ryanair Chase hotpot Voy Por Ustedes (4-5) and Ladbroke World Hurdle banker Kasbah Bliss (10-11).
While Thursday’s battle went the way of the layers, the war hangs in the balance, with punters still ahead thanks to a number of massive results on Wednesday.
Luck Friday the 13th will almost certainly prove unlucky for one side of the great divide.
4.40 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
The amateurs contest the last and Ferdy Murphy saddles the favourite in the shape of Poker De Sivola. Nina Carberry looks a significant jockey booking and the stable have a reputation of rarely being far away when the money is down. The range of ability in the amateur division is far greater than in the paid ranks and punters need to be aware of that when placing a bet. Carberry is the one of the greatest female riders ever and also one of the beat amateurs.
Poker Di Sivola is trading at 4-1, Nicky Henderson’s Shouldhavehad that is 6-1, the Twiston-Davies father and son combo are represented by 10-1 shot Irish Raptor and Alexanderthegreat is available at the same price.
Brooklyn Breeze, Newbay Prop and Le Duc could go well at bigger prices.
Prices at the off: Poker Di Sivola 7-2, Shouldhavehadthat 6-1, Irish Raptor 10-1, Alexanderthegreat 10-1, 16-1 bar
Character Building (16-1) outclasses his rivals to land the day’s finale. Pretty Star (16-1) Newbay Prop (20-1) and Bowleaze (16-1) fill the places.
Next stop for Jimmy Quinn’s grey will be Aintree and the Grand National. The 33-1 is being hovered up and the horse could end up a 14-1 shot before the day is out.
The winning distance may have only been a length, but that reveals little of the horse’s superiority. Jamie Codd was still motionless on the winner after jumping the last and it was clear the others were merely fighting for place money.
Regarded as a tricky customer in the past, Codd played to the horse’s strengths by keeping a tight rein on his mount and only asking for a major effort yards from home.
Character Building (Mr J J Codd) 16-1
Pretty Star (Mr D R Cook) 16-1
Newbay Prop (Mr K E Power) 20-1
Bowleaze (Mr S Allwood) 16-1
4.00 Freddie Williams Festival Plate
This Handicap Chase is being run in memory of ‘Fearless’ Freddie Williams, the famous Cheltenham bookmaker who died of a heart attack last year. Williams duels with JP McManus are the stuff of legend and the Scottish layer has been sorely missed.
This is one of the trickiest betting heats of the week with five horses battling for favouritism. Three Mirrors, Clarified, Perce Rock, Ping Pong Sivola and Notable D’Estruval are trading around the 8-1 mark.
Favourites have a dreadful record in this race as do horse carrying over 10st 11lb.
Favourites have a dreadful record in this race as do horse carrying over 10st 11lb. There has only been one Irish-trained winner since 1951.
Betting at the off: Ping Pong Sivola 13-2, Perce Rock 15-2 Notable D’Estruval 8-1, Clarified 17-2 Three Mirrors 9-1, 10-1 bar
Something Wells (33-1) gives Venetia Williams a second winner on the day. The ‘Black Witch’ completes the forecast as her favourite Ping Pong Sivola (13-2) was a close second, with Notable D’Estruval (8-1) third and Three Mirrors (9-1) fourth.
Mark Bradstock’s Cossack Dancer (100-1) was fifth, so don’t throw away that winning slip.
Tony McCoy suffered a nasty fall of Fozzy Stack’s Perce Rock.
Something Wells (Mr W Biddick) 33-1
Ping Pong Sivola (L Treadwell) 13-2 Fav
Notable D'Estruval (D N Russell) 8-1
Three Mirrors (G Lee) 9-1
3.20 Ladbrokes World Hurdle
Francois Doumen’s Kasbah Bliss is being backed to the exclusion of almost all the other runners and accounts for 66% of the market on Betfair.
Tommo has been interviewing Inglis Drever’s owner, Graham Wylie, who is represented by No Refuse this afternoon. Wylie made a fortune from computer software and reportedly spent £100, 000 for Ronan Keating to sing at his wedding. Fools and their money…
Kasbah Bliss looks like going off odds on, but the 3 mile trip would be the very limit of his stamina range, while the ground is softer than ideal.
Betting at the off: Kasbah Bliss 10-11, Punchestowns 10-3, Big Buck's 6-1, 14-1 bar
Big Buck's (6-1) prevails in a driving finish under Ruby Walsh, Punchestowns (10-3) finished second and Powerstation (25-1) nabbed third.
Staying is the name of the game and Kasbah Bliss was outstayed by three more stoutly bred runners.
The victory puts Walsh into the record books. His 22nd Festival win sets the record for a jockey still riding.
Big Buck's (R Walsh) 6-1
Punchestowns (B J Geraghty) 10-3
Powerstation (A J McNamara) 25-1
2.40 Ryanair Chase
Discussion on the week’s bankers focused on Binocular, Kasbah Bliss, Master Minded and Kauto Star, but Voy Por Ustedes looks more than worthy of a place in that list. Alan King’s star has already won twice at the Festival and would have been a mightily impressive winner of last year’s Champion Chase but for a certain Master Minded.
Choc Thornton’s mount is trading at 10-11, with Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Imperial Commander a 6-1 shot. Tidal Bay (7-1) could pose a threat if returning to form.
Paul Carberry has been transferred to Cheltenham General hospital after breaking a rib and puncturing a lung following a fall from Jaamid in the first.
If you don’t have access to a Television you’re not missing much at the moment. Two members from the Women’s Institute are being interviewed by the vacuous Marietta Doran.
Betting at the off: Voy Por Ustedes 10-11, Imperial Commander 6-1, Tidal Bay 13-2, 9-1 bar
Imperial Commander (6-1) and Paddy Brennan repel the challenge of Schindler’s Hunt (22-1) with Voy Por Ustedes (4-5) third.
The winner is Twiston-Davies’ second of the meeting and his horses’ are retuning to form with a vengeance after a spell in the doldrums.
Voy Por Ustedes jumped poorly and never travelled with his customary ease.
Imperial Commander (P J Brennan) 6-1
Voy Por Ustedes (R Thornton) 4-5 Fav
Schindlers Hunt (P W Flood) 22-1
2.05 Pertemps Final
This 24-runner handicap looks like a bit of a betting minefield, but I think Synchronised and Irish raider P’Tit Fute have outstanding claims.
Both horses have been targeting this race for some time and the hold-up tactics likely to be used on both horses should serve them well in a race that looks certain to be run at a frantic pace from the off. Venetia Williams charge Kayf Aramis looks progressive and could run well at a big price.
Phillip Hobbs saddles Ballydub who is trading as the 7-1 favourite, with the promising Rhys Flint taking the ride.
Betting at the off: Ballydub 7-1 Don’t Push It 8-1, Pennek 9-1, Synchronised 9-1, 11-1 bar
Kayf Aramis wins his third race on the bounce returning at 16-1 giving Aidan Coleman his first Festival win.
The progressive seven-year-old returned a Betfair SP of 20, having been backed at over 45-1 on the ‘machine’.
David Pipe’s Buena Vista (10-1) claimed second, with Pennek (9-1) third and The Sliotar (33-1) fourth. If you were betting each-way, it should have been a firm paying the first five home. Green Mile finished fifth.
Kayf Aramis (A Coleman) 16-1
Buena Vista (T Scudamore) 10-1
Pennek (R Thornton) 9-1
The Sliotar (Mr D R Cook) 33-1
1.30 Jewson Novice’s Handicap Chase
The official going at Cheltenham this afternoon is Good to Soft, but punters should be aware that results from Tuesday’s card would suggest the ground is riding softer than described.
Jonjo O’Neill’s heads the market as the 7-1 favourite in this ultra-competitive handicap. Ferdy Murphy’s Naiad Dun Misselot, Eddie O’Grady’s Tranquil Sea and the Nicholls horse, Chapoturgeon, are disputing second favouritism.
Tony Martin’s Northern Alliance, the mount of Ruby Walsh, is proving friendless in the market. Nicky Henderson ahs an outstanding record in Festival handicaps and his Au Courant looks overpriced at 20/1.
Betting at the off: Kia Kaha 15-2, Tranquil Sea 8-1 Chapoturgeon 8-1, Northern Alliance 8-1, Naiad Du Misselot 8-1, 11-1 bar
Chapoturgeon (8-1) hacks up under Timmy Murphy, while Isn’t That Lucky (11-1), Crescent Island (25-1) and Northern Alliance (8-1) fill the places.
Chapoturgeon (T J Murphy) 8-1
Isn't That Lucky (R McGrath) 11-1
Crescent Island (P J Brennan) 25-1
Northern Alliance (R Walsh) 8-1
Maximizing your profits and minimising your losses is vital to successful punting. Barry McEneaney offers his view in his Odds & Pursuit of Value column.
Tony O'Hehir's Day 3 selections.
