Host Mark Pearson was joined by DJ and huge racing fan Joel Ross and Frankie Foster, who is following fellow former Love Islander Chris Hughes into the racing game. The trio previewed the greatest show on turf and picked out some of the horses in action, with a few handy tips thrown in for your pleasure.
One of the early discussion points was the boosted 5/1 treble that Betfred are offering on Constitution Hill, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Shiskin all to win.
“100% yay,” Joel Ross began, when asked whether he liked the look of the treble, that combines three of the short price favourites. “Give you something to play with in the week, I think Constitution Hill is past the post already, that is really boring. I think Shiskin is going to win anyway. It is one of my bets of the week.”
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“That is tasty. It is a NAP treble, I’d call it,” Frankie Foster added. “Constitution Hill just has to run his race, bar disaster he wins. Gaillard Du Mesnil is the classiest horse in the race for me and then Shishkin - yeah there’s questions that he does have to run his race, but if he does then he should win.”
The show also featured expert analysis from Matt Hulmes. “Right now the going is soft and we are due rain every single day, up to and including Friday,” he said, as he gave punters some idea of the conditions expected.
“So we could be really attritional come Friday, but it is soft right now and the best thing is that Frankie will be there tomorrow - and I’m sure he’ll do a little video for us on our social channels to give us a true idea of how that ground is. But rain is forecast every day of the Cheltenham Festival. Bring your brolly.”
“It will be testing,” Foster commented. “Some horses you are going to get a vote of confidence for soft ground. I’d be looking at some horses at the start of the week to back now. Then there are a couple, like the favourite for the Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champs, I might just wait and see because yes he is a class act, but if it is really testing, then you might make cases for others.”
The big race on day one is the Champion Hurdle and with two-time champ Honeysuckle in the Mares’ Hurdle instead this year, we are set to see a new winner. It’s also a field of just seven for this one, the smallest since 1974. But can anything beat short-price favourite Constitution Hill?
“Barring a slip up or a stone bruise? No,” Ross stated. “I think it is past the post. It’s a racing certainty, and I’ve started putting the word racing in front of there. When I say ‘It’s a cert’ - I’ve seen them beaten. Everybody is saying that State Man will finish second, which he probably will do. There’s only seven runners now, I’ve been playing this ante-post and I can’t get I Like To Move It out of the frame. 16/1 you are getting two places here and I can’t see Vauban being in the three. Constitution Hill and State Man, but I Like To Move It - with one not so great run it has been a favourite of ours for some time. The brilliant Sam Twiston-Davies will be giving it the kitchen sink, I think Constitution Hill beats I Like To Move It”
You can take advantage of all of Fred’s Pushes and the 5/1 treble offer the trio were talking about here: https://www.betfred.com/
*18+ only | Be Gamble Aware | Odds subject to change
