Ante‑post betting interest for the 11 Festival handicaps steps up a notch with the publication of the weights, which were revealed today at The Cheltenham Countdown.
The William Hill Handicap Chase takes place on the opening day, Tuesday, March 16, and the current market leader Bensalem has been assigned 10st 11lb.
Also on day one is the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Handicap Steeplechase for which specialist trainer Enda Bolger has last year’s winner and runner-up, who head the betting once again. Garde Champetre (11st 12lb) prevailed from stablemate L’Ami (11st 4lb) in 2009.
Beshabar has landed a couple of good handicaps already this season and has been allotted 11st 6lb for the Coral Cup on Wednesday, March 17, while Grade Two winner Pistolet Noir (11st 10lb) heads the weights for the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle, for which Notus De La Tour (11st 1lb) is towards the fore in the betting.
Rivaliste (11st 6lb) is well supported in the ante-post list for the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase on Thursday, March 18, while the fancied Alfie Sherrin (10st 10lb) is in a handy position below top-weight Fair Along (11st 12lb) in the Pertemps Final later that afternoon.
Top-class veteran Our Vic has been given top-weight of 11st 12lb in the Byrne Group Plate. Ballabriggs has also been allotted 11st 12lb as he heads the handicap in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase, for which he has been vying for favouritism with Shillingstone (11st 6lb).
Jumbo Rio (11st 12lb) tops the weights in both Friday’s Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle and Wednesday’s Coral Cup, which he shares that billing with Mr Thriller.
In the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle on Friday, Mutual Friend, Moskova and Takeroc jointly cap the weights on 11st 12lb, while Quantitativeeasing, prominent in the ante-post betting, has 11st 11lb.
The final race of The Festival is the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase. French Opera (11st 12lb) is currently favourite for the contest and Nicky Henderson’s charge is one of four joint top-weights along with Newmill, I’msingingtheblues and Scotsirish.
The top weights are as follows:
Race Horse Age/Wgt Trainer
William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase: THE TOTHER ONE 9-11-12 Paul Nicholls
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase: GARDE CHAMPETRE 11-11-12 Enda Bolger IRE
Coral Cup: MR THRILLER 5-11-12 David Pipe, JUMBO RIO 5-11-12 Edward O’Grady IRE
Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Hcp Hdl: PISTOLET NOIR 4-11-10 Paul Nicholls
Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase: TAKE THE BREEZE 7-11-10 Paul Nicholls
Pertemps Final: FAIR ALONG 8-11-12 Philip Hobbs
Byrne Group Plate: OUR VIC 12-11-12 David Pipe
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase: BALLABRIGGS 9-11-12 Donald McCain jr
Vincent O'Brien Handicap Hdl: JUMBO RIO 5-11-12 Edward O’Grady IRE
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hcp Hdl: MUTUAL FRIEND 6-11-12 David Pipe, MOSKOVA 7-11-12 Paul Nolan IRE, TAKEROC 7-11-12 Paul Nicholls
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Hcp Chs: NEWMILL 12-11-12 John Murphy IRE, I’MSINGINGTHEBLUES 8-11-12 Paul Nicholls, FRENCH OPERA 7-11-12 Nicky Henderson, SCOTSIRISH 9-11-12 Willie Mullins IRE
