Cheltenham Handicaps Special

Producer Daniel Hussey summarises all the bets in our Cheltenham Handicaps Special as Tom Stanley was joined by Matt Tombs, Steve Jones, Dan Overall and Micheál Deasy…

What a fun one this was!

Our Annual Cheltenham Handicaps Special was back with a bang, with some big prices put up by all.

We went through all the handicaps, plus the non-Grade 1s (Hunters’ Chase aside!).

Best of luck if having a bet or two at the Festival!

"I saw a picture he put up pretending to be the Racing Post"@_tomstanley_ was ICY'd earlier 👀

Full 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 in your podcast feed shortly 🎧 pic.twitter.com/eGXZ2xFrI9

— Matchbook Betting Exchange (@TeamMatchbook) March 9, 2023

Tuesday – Ultima Handicap Chase

Every winner this century had run over at least 3m over fences, (9 had run over a marathon trip)

Tom – Lord Accord (if ground has ‘good’ in it)
Matt – Corach Rambler
Steve – Oscar Elite
Dan O – Lord Accord
Deasy – Corach Rambler, Cloudy Glen

Tuesday – Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

Horses that began in French national hunt races (inc AQPS) are 7/79 – 49pt (61%) profit

Steve – Bad
Dan O – Risk Belle
Deasy – Jazzy Matty (0.25 Win/0.75 Place)

Tuesday – National Hunt Chase

Horses that had run 8 or more times over fences are 6/36 – 21pt (58%) profit since the race was at level-weights

Tom – Gaillard Du Mesnil
Matt – Churchstonewarrior
Steve – Tenzing (w/p)
Dan O – Gaillard Du Mesnil
Deasy – Lay Gaillard Du Mesnil

Bet Now

Wednesday – Coral Cup

6 Cesarewitch winners have run at the Festival this century. Detroit City got closest to the winner when 19l 6th as 2.5 favourite for the Champion Hurdle

Tom – Au Fleuron / Historique Reconce
Matt – Langer Dan (producer Dan will be on him too!!)
Steve – HMS Seahorse
Dan O – San Salvador, An Epic Song (if soft)
Deasy – Beacon Edge

Wednesday – Cross Country

14 of the 18 winners, including 6 of the 7 at level-weights, have come from the front 3 in the market

Tom – Delta Work
Matt – Delta Work
Steve – Galvin

Wednesday – Grand Annual

Last year 7 British horses ran in handicaps having been dropped 10lb+ from mark they had when either (1) last running the previous season (20/21) or (2) first running in that current season (21/22) – Global Citizen (29.0) & Third Wind (26.0) won, Didero Vallis was third (67.0)

Tom – Andy Dufrsene
Matt – Sizing Pottsie (if really soft) & Rouge Vif (if sound surface)
Dan O – Andy Dufresne, Red Rookie
Deasy – Global Citizen, Dads Lad

Wednesday – Champion Bumper

The top 2 in the BHA ratings are 8/33 since they began in 2008 – 18pt (55%) profit

Tom – Chosen Witness if testing ground
Matt – Encanto Bruno
Steve – Fun Fun Fun
Dan O – Western Diego
Deasy – Western Diego (small win/place)

Cheltenham Handicaps Special is out NOW wherever you 👂 to your podcasts 🎧@_tomstanley_ is joined by @mdeasy85 @sjracingmedia @thespieler and @OverandClear to share all their handicap picks for the Festival 👍

🎥 https://t.co/taLwp9Ji9V https://t.co/7qUZQ1lImD

— Matchbook Betting Exchange (@TeamMatchbook) March 9, 2023

Thursday – Pertemps

The 10 runners from Cullentra House (Gordon Elliott’s) finished 2121512354 in the 6 renewals between 2016-2021

Tom – Bear Ghylls
Matt – Good Time Johnny
Steve – Bear Ghylls
Dan O – Shoot First
Deasy – Thanksforthehelp, Bear Ghylls (If soft/heavy)

Thursday – Plate

Venetia Williams is 3/26 this century – 72pt (277% profit)

Tom – Fusil Raffles / Frero Banbou / Fastorslow
Matt – Frero Banbou
Steve – Stolen Silver
Deasy – Fusil Raffles

Thursday – Mares Novice

Having won the first 5 renewals Willie Mullins’ horses in the subsequent 2 renewals have finished 6000358900, half going off 9.0 or shorter

Tom – You Wear It Well
Matt – Magical Zoe & Halka Du Tarbet
Steve – Magical Zoe (w/p)
Dan O – Lot of Joy
Deasy – Ahorsewithnoname, Princess Zoe

Thursday – Kim Muir

8 of the last 12 winners came from the front 3 in the SP market, going off 10.0 or shorter

Matt – Angels Dawn
Dan O – Dr Kananga
Deasy – Anightinlambourn, Rapper

Bet Now

Friday – County Hurdle

Runners from the Liffey Handicap Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival are 4/43 in the last 15 renewals – 51pt (119%) profit

Tom – Pembroke, Path D’oroux
Matt – Ballyadam, Gin Coco
Steve – Fil Dor
Dan O – Sharjah
Deasy – Aucunrisque, Hunters Yarn (if he runs)

Friday – Mares Chase

No trend as new race

Matt – Jeremys Flame
Steve – Impervious

Friday – Martin Pipe

Horses that had won over the furthest they’d run over over hurdles (minimum 2m5f) are 6/52 – 39pt (74%) profit

Tom – Historique Reconce
Steve – Sa Fureur
Dan O – Three Card Brag (if he runs, seems unlikely), Iroko
Deasy – Blue Sari

Best Cheltenham Handicap Long-Shot

Tom – Frero Banbou (Plate)
Matt – Good Time Johnny (Pertemps)
Steve – Bear Ghylls (Pertemps)
Dan O – Iroko (Martin Pipe)
Deasy – Cloudy Glen (Ultima)

Best Cheltenham Handicap Place Lay

Tom – So Scottish (Plate)
Matt – Run For Oscar (Coral Cup)
Steve – Shoot First (Pertemps)
Dan O – Camprond (Coral Cup), Spanish Harlem (Martin Pipe)
Deasy – Stumptown (Kim Muir)

Best Cheltenham Handicap Bet

Tom – Frero Banbou (Plate)
Matt – Frero Banbou (Plate)
Steve – HMS Seahorse (Coral)
Dan O – Sharjah (County)
Deasy – Corach Rambler (Ultima)

Watch Our Weekend Racing Preview:

Subscribe to the Matchbook Betting Podcast here
Subscribe to the Matchbook YouTube channel here