'A big contender' - where is the ante-post value for Cheltenham's major chases?

The first step on the road to the Cheltenham Festival was made on Tuesday when entries were revealed for the three major chases in March – the Champion Chase, Ryanair and Gold Cup. The betting markets firmed up after the news emerged but where does the ante-post value lie with two and a half months to go?

Noble Yeats

Race: Cheltenham Gold Cup
Odds: 9-1

By Adrian Wall, tipster

As the season progresses, Noble Yeats is starting to look like a big Gold Cup contender. A Plus Tard has had his issues this season, Bravemansgame is a much better horse at Kempton, L'Homme Presse would have been well seen off despite unseating rider in the King George and Protektorat has many lengths to find on last year's effort to win.

Galopin Des Champs is the worthy market leader but Noble Yeats looks like a solid bet at the prices. The Waley-Cohens know what it takes to win a Gold Cup so when they say this horse has a real chance, you must take note. He is only rated 167, but he is still just an eight-year-old coming into his prime. Horses with far worse ratings have won a Gold Cup, most notably Lord Windermere, who was rated just 152 when he won the race in 2014.

Chacun Pour Soi

Race: Ryanair Chase
Odds: 25-1

By David Jennings, deputy Ireland editor

It sounds ridiculous, and even saying it aloud makes me cringe a little, but 25-1 about Chacun Pour Soi for the Ryanair catches my eye.

Yes, I know his record outside of Ireland is atrocious, and he has never run beyond 2m1½f for Willie Mullins, but the master trainer said he is strongly considering stepping him up in trip after he was beaten by Blue Lord at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Chacun Pour Soi: not to be dismissed in the Ryanair ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

He still boasts a rating of 167 and if Allaho doesn't make it, maybe Chacun Pour Soi could turn into the main Closutton hope for the Ryanair. He's a class act on his day and he was travelling beautifully before getting rid of Patrick Mullins in the Champion Chase last year.

The form book says he was beaten 14 lengths by Blue Lord at Leopardstown but what it doesn't tell you is that he at least would have been a clear second but for making a desperate error two out. He is still a good horse.

Protektorat

Race: Cheltenham Gold Cup
Odds: 9-1

By Kevin Morley, tipster

With Galopin Des Champs yet to prove he stays the trip and last year's winner A Plus Tard's wellbeing in doubt following his pulled-up reappearance run and late withdrawal from the Savills Chase, there is definitely some scope to take on the two leading Irish contenders with Protektorat fitting the bill.

The Dan Skelton-trained eight-year-old was third in last year's Gold Cup and would likely have finished second but for a final-fence blunder. It's hard to pick a hole in his profile and his latest Betfair Chase success suggests he may still be improving.

Editeur Du Gite

Race: Champion Chase
Odds: 25-1

By Owen Goulding, tipster

The connections of Editeur Du Gite won the 2014 Champion Chase with Sire De Grugy and their nine-year-old announced himself as their new star with a 13-length success in the Desert Orchid over Christmas. That race did fall apart, but the way he jumped and travelled through it caught the eye and his two-mile record at Cheltenham reads 1143.

His two defeats came when carrying huge weights and his Kempton run suggests he has progressed past handicap company. If he jumps as well as he can from the front back at his favourite venue, he will be tough to reel in, despite perhaps lacking the raw talent of some rivals.

Fakir D'Oudairies

Race: Ryanair Chase
Odds: 12-1

By James Stevens, reporter

I may be cynical but Willie Mullins entering seven in the Ryanair suggests to me that perhaps confidence of Allaho getting back and winning is not quite there. He tends to enter a few but Blue Lord, Stattler and Chacun Pour Soi being in there may be telling.

That may persuade Joseph O'Brien to throw the extremely talented Fakir D'Oudairies back into the mix and his price is staggering each-way value.

Fakir D'Oudairies: 'staggering each-way value' according to James StevensCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Last season he was outstanding in the Ascot and the Melling Chase, while his form at Cheltenham reads 1422 which is fairly good. The most recent run was a second in this when he finished half a length clear of Tornado Flyer, a King George winner several months later.

Fakir D'Oudairies did not fully shine on his comeback in the John Durkan but he has run poorly and bounced back in the past. So many of the better-fancied runners are unlikely runners so his odds simply look too big.

Fury Road

Race: Ryanair Chase
Odds: 20-1

By Charlie Huggins, reporter

I don't think Energumene gets beat in the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup market is unlikely to drastically change between now and March. Therefore it is the Ryanair Chase, a race that could cut up massively from its initial entries, that interests me.

Michael O'Leary has only won the race he backs once since the airline firm took over the sponsorship in 2006, courtesy of Balko Des Flos in 2018, and with Gordon Elliott more likely to get his wish to run Conflated in the Gold Cup this time around, it could be left to Fury Road to fly the Gigginstown flag.

Although not as classy as Conflated, who fell when disputing second at the second-last fence in this last year, Fury Road ran a cracker to finish third to his stablemate in the Savills Chase to add to his Grade 2 success over an intermediate trip at Down Royal in November.

Fury Road has won over three miles so clearly has stamina, which should stand him in good stead for a strongly run race around the New course, a track where he was a close third to Monkfish in the 2020 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

Galopin Des Champs and Stattler are likely to join Conflated in the Gold Cup, while Simon Munir and Isaac Souede could prefer a Champion Chase tilt with Blue Lord. With doubts still lingering over dual winner Allaho's participation, Fury Road could be worth an each-way bet at chunky odds.

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Read more . . .

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