Cheltenham Festival Preview March 15-18, 2016

Published on: 11/03/2016

Cheltenham Festival Preview March 15-18, 2016

The 2016 Cheltenham Festival is nearly here and its time to start looking at the main contenders at this year`s event.

The four-day festival is one of the most popular horse racing gatherings in the world and features 27 races including the four big major Championship races: The Champion Hurdle, The Queen Mother Champion Chase, The World Hurdle and The Cheltenham Gold Cup.

As usual the action will begin with the Supreme Novices Hurdle, accompanied by the famous Cheltenham roar. The curtain-raiser always attracts a huge amount of betting interest form the punters. So let`s take an early look at some of the mover and shakers who will be gracing the Cheltenham turf in the key races this year.

Supreme Novices Hurdle

The opening race is always greeted with an explosion of noise and a flurry of betting activity as the tape rises and the festivities finally get under way.

Trainer Willie Mullins will be looking to bag his fourth winner in four years in this race when he saddles French import Min on Tuesday. The five-year-old has been backed well since his inclusion was announced and impressed in two recent triumphs in Ireland under jockey Ruby Walsh.

Min can be backed at 2/1 with Bet365.

The Champion Hurdle

A Willie Mullins-trained horse will once again feature as the favourite in the first of the big four races. His mare Annie Power has been drafted in as a supplement for last year`s winner Faugheen who will be out of action for the rest of the season.

However, Mullins also has another hot contender on his hand with Nichols Canyon who should attract a lot of betting interest after toppling Faugheen at Punchestown.

Nicky Henderson could provide the biggest challenge to Mullins with a quintet of entrants including the well-fancied My Tent or Yours.

Annie Power can be backed at 2/1 with Bet365.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase

This last three winners of this race have been confirmed as runners in next week`s renewal. However, Sprinter Sacre (2013), Sire De Grugy (2014) and Dodging Bullets (2015) will all slot in behind this year`s favourite Un De Sceaux in the betting ranks.

Of those three, it is the Nicky Henderson-trained Sprinter Sacre who is looking in the best shape to mount a serious challenge.

Un De Sceaux can be backed at 4/6, while Sprinter Scare can be backed at 4/1 - both with Bet365.

The World Hurdle

Thistlecrack has been installed as favourite for the World Hurdle ahead of last year`s winner Cole Harden.

The Colin Tizzard-trained horse impressed over the hurdles at Newbury and Ascot before easily winning the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham back in January.

Thistlecrack can be backed at Evens with Bet365.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup

Highly-rated chaser Don Cossack is leading the early betting for Fridays big race, but last year`s runner-up Djakadam is not too far behind. However, shrewd punters will be waiting on news of the surface conditions before wading in big on either of those two.

Firmer ground will favour the Gordon Elliott-trained Don Cossack, while softer conditions could play into the hands of Djakadam according to jockey Noel Fehily.

Don Cossack can be backed at 4/1, while Djakadam is available at 5/1 - both with Bet365.

Neil Morris

Published on: 11/03/2016

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (11/03/2016 15:33:40) but are subject to change.