Cheltenham Festival, Wednesdays Betting Tips, Day Two

By Carl Harris @ Cheltenham

It’s Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival with the feature race being the Queen Mother Champion Chase.  We could see a little piece of history today as Master Minded goes for his third successive Champion Chase.

The ground is absolutely perfect and another top class day of racing is in store. I am loving it and remember you can hear us LIVE on SunTalk Radio from The Cheltenham Festival, between 10am and 2pm.

Here are your Free Horseracing Tips for Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival 2010;

2:05 Cheltenham, Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle

This is a very difficult race to solve in my view. The prize went to ireland last season with the well backed Mikael D’haguenet, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh winning.

The betting has another Irish runner at its summit, Dermot Weld’s Rite of Passage, who I am going to take on. I don’t think he has competed at a level high enough to justify such a short price.  I am more than happy to have the field against him here at the current prices. Rite of Passage is a lay for me.

Ten of the last eleven runners finished first or second last time out, so an inform performer holds sway here.  The one I really like here is Peddlers Cross who at the 8/1 quoted on Monday is my bet here. At Haydock last time he won a grade 2 race in some style indicating that he could be a very decent sort. I have backed Peddlers Cross each-way and think I will get a good run for my money here.

Finians Rainbow is one I made a note of last time out having backed him at Ascot but I will stick with Peddlers Cross.


Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle Betting Advice;

• Rite Of Passage- Lay
• Peddlers Cross- Each-way

2:40 Cheltenham, RSA Chase (Grade 1)

This is a great race, in many ways one of the best of the meeting. It was another Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins win last year with Cooldine but I don’t think the Irish will get much of a look in here. Nicky Henderson holds all the aces in the 2010 RSA Chase with the two leading fancies.

Long Run has taken over at the head of the market, he was a good winner at Warwick last time out, but it was the reported set back by Punchestowns that cemented his position as RSA Chase favourite.

I am and always have been a Punchestowns fan. If he is right, and I don’t think Nicky would run him if he wasn’t, then I will be a mojor backer. Punchestowns is one of my bankers of the meeting. He was a close second to Big Bucks in the World Hurdle last year and has looked a very high class chaser. Last time at Sandown he made his first jumping error, it was a shocker, but he came back to win and win well.

Punchestowns second to Big Bucks in the World Hurdle

Barry Geraghty takes the mount, he has not had to choose as the owners son, a decent amateur, but an amateur nonetheles, takes the ride on Long Run. If there is nothing between the horses then there is no contest with the jockeys. In my view Punchestowns will win the RSA Chase.

One horse I do like is Diamond Harry who is thrid favourite here. He may just be short of top class but i would like to see him run well and get in the places. Although I like Diamond Harry there is no room for sentiment and Punchestowns is where my money is going in this RSA Chase.


RSA Chase Betting Advice;

• Punchestowns- Win

Here is the Nicky Henderson Stable Tour….

3:20 Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)

This is all about Master Minded. Paul Nicholls’ horse has won two Champion Chases already and goes for three in a row here. It will be a major story should he win and similarly should he get beaten. So will Master Minded win the Champion Chase.

Yes.

Okay, perhaps it is not quite that simple but the evidence of his last run in the Game Spirit Chase at Sandown suggests he is back to his best and at his best he is way better than anything in this field. Master Minded is a short price but is the winner in my book.

How did Ruby Walsh say on Master Minded?

Some will point to his defeat on his penultimate start. There was a genuine excuse there, he has a fractured rib but despite that being found some will take that form at face value. Anyone doing that is an idiot. Having recovered from that Master Minded came back at Newbury and won despite a shocking error at the last.

Some will say that Master Minded is all of a sudden a suspect jumper. Again they are the words of an idiot. Ruby Walsh immediately owned up to it being his fault. A big man who takes the ride again and for me is the safest bet of the week. Master Minded will land his third Champion Chase.

Kalahari King is a good horse for the each-way money, but not in the class of Master Minded. Even on official ratings Master Minded is way ahead of the field.

Champion Chase Betting Advice;

• Master Minded- Win.

Here is the Paul Nicholls stable tour…

4:40 Cheltenham, Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle

This is always a tricky race to solve. Last year Silk Affair was a decent winner at 11/1. All of the last five winners have had an official rating of 124 or above. This indicates that class comes to the surface and knocks out a horse I really like in Bothy for Yorkshire trainer Brian Ellison.

Notus De La Tour look to have a decent chance. He looks well weighted and is a rightful favourite but at the prices I am going to have a small wager on Bothy. One thing you can be assured of is that he will be as fit as a fiddle and Keith Mercer will be giving everything from the saddle.

A big heart may reward our support, so each-way on Bothy is my small stakes bet.

Fred Winter Hurdle Betting Advice;

• Bothy- each-way

5:15 Cheltenham, Weatherbys Champion Bumper

Last season the Cheltenham Festival bumper was won by Dunguib. Are there any future stars in this field. The honest answer is we won’t know until something if anything does what Dunguib did last season.

Ireland has a monopoly on the Champion Bumper. Irish horses have won this 9 of the last 10 years, with Willie Mullin having won this six times, but interesting four of those were from his only runner. The market always offers a very good guide, certainly last year Dunguib went from 13/2 to 9/2, so watch the market here is one and maybe the best tip I can give you.

I couldn’t advise a bet here, I don’t know enough about them and I will be watching the market!

Very Impressive Dunguib in 2009

Get a £25 Free Bet Today for Cheltenham….

The ATR team look at the Champion Chase….