Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of national hunt horse racing. All the best hurdlers from around the world converge on Cheltenham Racecourse to pit themselves against their peers, across a four-day schedule that is second to none on the sports betting calendar. Of course, there are always some horses that are more fancied by betting punters and online tipsters, with the odds at online bookmakers swinging dramatically, especially as the first day of the festival draws ever closer. Here are just some of the horses that are being heavily backed at the bookies and who could be the long noses who have their names up in lights when racing concludes on the 19th of March
The build-up to Cheltenham Festival can become feverish at times, as rumours swirl about which horses are in the best form and which ones are struggling to hit their stride.
Blue Lord – Joint Favourite for the Arkle
Coming hot on the heels of the festival’s first race – the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – the Arkle is when the betting really gets underway as it features the world’s best grade 1 novice chasers. The 2022 edition promises to be a hotly contested race with the likes of Blue Lord, Edwardstone, and Riviere D’Etel all being very evenly matched.
This was in evidence in Leopardstown in early February as Blue Lord and Riviere D’Etel duked it out in what has traditionally been the main warm-up event for Cheltenham. Blue Lord came out on top in that showdown, but only by the slimmest of margins. However, that is as good a sign as any that Blue Lord has what it takes to win under pressure, and the Willie Mullins trained horse will also be fancied by many to outrun Edwardstone, who despite being unbeaten so far this season has not been mixing in high calibre company.
Honeysuckle – Most Fancied Horse at Cheltenham 2022
This Henry De Bromhead wonder horse has remained unbeaten since she first made her debut in 2018. She appears to have gone from strength to strength this season, having waltzed to victory at Leopardstown, leaving good horses like Zanahiyr looking like they were running in slow motion. For this reason, most of the value for betting punters is found elsewhere in the Champion Hurdle field, because only truly crazy bookies would consider not making Honeysuckle a heavy odds-on favourite.
Honeysuckle is the horse that will spearhead the Irish invasion of Cheltenham in 2022 and already whet the appetites of Irish race fans by pulling off an incredible hat-trick of Irish Champion Hurdle victories, under the expert guidance of Rachael Blackmore. That combination can most certainly be counted on when the Champion Hurdle gets underway.
All these horses have a great chance of writing themselves into the racing history books but they will come up against the seriously stiff competition.
Shishkin – Queen Mother Champion Chase Fave
The only horse at the Cheltenham Festival who will come close to being as heavily backed as Honeysuckle is Shishkin, who apart from a fall in 2019 has been untouchable over the fences. That said, the Nicky Henderson charge was put under some serious pressure at Ascot in January, only seeing off the challenge of Energumene by one solitary length.
The same two horses will go head-to-head again in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and it may come down to a photo finish, but Shishkin has always had that ability to win, no matter what. These two incredible horses are head and shoulders above everyone else in the field.
Champ – Switched from the Gold Cup to the Stayers’ Hurdle
Earlier in the year, Champ was being seriously considered as a threat in the Gold Cup, but it has since been decided by his handlers that he will run instead in the Stayers’ Hurdle on the Thursday. Champs’ addition to the starting line-up means that this will now be one of the most talent-packed races of the week, with the bay gelding being given similar odds to those of other fancied horses like Thyme Hill, Paisley Park, Klassical Dream, and Flooring Porter.
Champ did lose to Paisley Park back in January but is seen by many experts as a horse that will rise to the big occasion and gain revenge for that result.
Pied Piper – Gordon Elliot’s Secret Weapon Unleashed
The Cheltenham crowd and racing commentators were left completely stunned by the performance that Pied Piper and jockey Davy Russell put on back in January. The duo annihilated a strong field without ever seeming to get out of cruise control. In the process, they put everyone on notice of what their intentions would be for the Triumph Hurdle. Pied Piper’s only real competition will come from stablemate Fil Dor and Willie Mullins’ Vauban, who managed to beat Fil Dor at Leopardstown in February.
However, anyone who has not seen the video of Pied Piper outstripping a top-class Cheltenham field, without so much as breaking a sweat, should go and check it out, because horses like this do not come along very often.
Minella Cocooner – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
It will be easy for betting punters to get in a muddle at the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle because two of the race favourites go by the names of Minella Cocooner and Minella Crooner. The two horses have history, too, having battled it out as recently as February in Leopardstown. It was Minella Cocooner who came out on top that day, and so it only makes sense for history to repeat itself at Cheltenham Festival. The one horse that could put a spanner in the works is Ginto, who has quietly been going about his work, picking up consistent race wins at courses like Naas and Navan.
A Plus Tard – The Gold Cup Favourite
The Gold Cup is the crowning moment of the festival and this year’s race promises to live up to the hype, as Henry De Bromhead’s A Plus Tard goes up against the evergreen Al Boum Photo, as well as other talented horses like Conflated, Galvin, and the 2021 winner, Minella Indo. Although A Plus Tard was beaten earlier in the year by Galvin, many betting punters are sticking with A Plus Tard to come good when it matters most.