Cheltenham Gold Cup Tip

The final day of Cheltenham and the main highlight
is the Gold Cup. The rain is going to make things far
harder today but we have given the last 3 Gold Cup
winners and I will try to improve that proud record.

Heavy rain is due around Lunchtime that is likely
to turn the ground soft and maybe Heavy so that’s
the one thing to remember and account for.

 

Cheltenham 3.20

Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase
Grade 1 (CLASS 1) (5yo+) 3m2f110y

Racing Post Odds

11/4 Bobs Worth, 7/2 Sir Des Champs
9/2 Silviniaco Conti, 11/2 Long Run, 14/1 Cape Tribulation
14/1 Captain Chris, 14/1 The Giant Bolster
66/1 Monbeg Dude, 100/1 Wayward Prince.

The Gold Cup is a Grade 1 Chase over 3m 2f110y

This is the real highlight of the meeting and a race
where I trust my angles. We have a brilliant record
in this race. All past messages for years are posted
on the message board. I looked at recent Gold Cup
messages and it struck me how well we had done.

Service Bets in the Cheltenham Gold Cup

2012 – Synchronised WON 10/1
2011 – Long Run WON 5/1
2010 – Imperial Commander WON 12/1
2009 – Albertas Run Lost 14/1
2008 – Denman WON 9/4
2007 – No Bet
2006 – Hedgehunter 2nd 20/1 – Follow The Past 3rd 9/1

We have tipped the last 3 winners of this race and at
10/1 5/1 and 12/1 although I did have a saver in 2011
and a Split Stake in 2010. This only shows that I have
developed a good understanding about just what it
takes to win a race like this. Lets hope this continues.

* We need to get rid of the horses with little chance
* A rating of around 166 is needed to win this race
* MONBEG DUDE is rated far too low
* WAYWARD PRINCE is also too low

 

Racing Post Ratings on Bad Ground

This is a complete experiment. I have never
done it before. I have looked at recent form in
the last couple of years with the aim of trying
to provide a table of “best performances” that
were given in the conditions we have today.

* These scores are Racing Post Ratings only
* I demanded the Following Conditions
* The Ground must be described as one of these
* Either Soft or Heavy or the Going Stick under 7.0
* This is only in Chases and not hurdles
* It must be in the past two seasons

Top Rated Scores

1) LONG RUN 180
2) SILVIANO CONTI 175
3) BOBS WORTH 174
3) LONG RUN 174
5) SILVINIACO CONTI 173
5) LONG RUN 173
7) LONG RUN 171
8) CAPTAIN CHRIS 170
8) CAPTAIN CHRIS 170
10) SIRE DES CHAMPS 169
11) SIRE DES CHAMPS 168
11) THE GIANT BOLSTER 168
11) SILVINIACO CONTI 168
14) CAPE TRIBULATION 166
15) THE GIANT BOLSTER 166

* This is unscientific for the following reasons
* Describing the Ground is problematic
* I have no Going Stick readings for Ireland
* Some horses have had more opportunities
* Lighter raced horses don’t get as many chances

I am looking solely at Chases in the past two years
that were run on soft or heavy ground or at a track
when the Going Stick was under 7.0. The scores in
this table are Racing post Ratings with this criteria.

* LONG RUN has the 1st 3rd 5th 7th best ratings
* I would see him in a favourable light because of it

* Back to a more Traditional style of analysis
* Every recent winner had 2-5 runs that season.
* I wouldn’t want a horse with fewer runs that season
* BOBS WORTH is the only horse with just 1 run
* He is also the shortest priced horse as well
* BOBS WORTH has a lot to prove with just 1 run
* I cant help feeling missing his prep runs an issue

* BOBS WORTH has 5 Chase runs and just 1 run this season
* The last 16 winners ran in the following number of chases
* 8 5 9 20 8 10 11 12 9 6 10 13 12 7 10 11 11
* The horse with 5 Chase starts was Long Run in 2011
* However Long Run had 4 extra French Chase runs
* BOBS WORTH would be the least experienced winner

* Every recent winner had 2-5 runs that season.
* BOBS WORTH only has 1 run – a serious worry
* He isn’t a big horse and that wont help
* Not when he is under pressure and lacking a run

* 16 of the last 17 winners had 5-14 previous Chase starts
* The rest of the field have between 8 and 16 runs
* I would see that as acceptable

* CAPE TRIBULATION doesn’t interest me
* Exposed horses like him rarely win this race
* His win last time didn’t impress me and I tipped him
* He beat 12 year old absent 680 days into second
* The 3rd horse didn’t stay and 4th was out of form
* He is smaller than ideal and likes smaller fields
* It will be slightly disappointing if he wins

* CAPTAIN CHRIS has to prove he will stay
* There is a big doubt about that
* I looked at his Sires record in Listed and Graded Class
* None of his offspring won over this far in that class
* He is also better going right handed

* THE GIANT BOLSTER was 2nd last year
* Granted similar conditions the race should suit him
* He is Exposed now though with 23 National Hunt starts
* This race rarely goes to a horse with so many runs
* The last 16 winners ran in the following number of chases
* 8 5 9 20 8 10 11 12 9 6 10 13 12 7 10 11 11
* THE GIANT BOLSTER now has 14 Chase runs
* Only 1 of the last 16 winners had 14 or more chase runs
* He has 8 runs in Grade 1-2 before and has yet to win
* You would expect something to beat him

* SILVINIACO CONTI passes all the main angles
* There is no doubt he has the class to win
* It will come down to if he stays and handles the track
* He isn’t a big horse and I don’t like that
* The small field should help him
* I’d have liked stronger evidence he likes Cheltenham
* SILVINIACO CONTI has shown he stays 3m 1f twice
* That was at Wetherby and Aintree
* I looked at the course record times for those races
* I also looked at the Racing Post Standard times
* It takes around 24-30 seconds longer to run this trip
* The testing uphill finish could be too much for him

Shortlist

LONG RUN
SIR DES CHAMPS

I have two on my shortlist. The only thing that does
worry me is that BOBS WORTH whilst statistically a
lot weaker than this pair may turn out to be special.
There is a fair chance that he is and I wont be that
surprised if he can win despite a vulnerable profile.

* LONG RUN has 24 runs and 16 came in Chases
* That’s on the high side and it is a worry
* That does however include his younger French form
* However if we ignore his runs in France as a 3yo-4yo
* He then doesn’t look as exposed as before
* In England he has 12 runs all of these Chases

* He does meet some improving younger horses
* He should run his race and he should go close
* He dominates my Racing Post Ratings table above
* An important factor will be his Cheek pieces
* His stable are on record as saying they benefit him
* The 1999 winner had headgear so it has been done
* LONG RUN could be the professional bet here

* SIR DES CHAMPS comes out very well
* 8 Chase starts is not far off perfect
* He is 2-2 at Cheltenham Festivals
* There are factors against him
* SIR DES CHAMPS is only 8th best on Official Ratings
* That seems ridiculous but there are higher rated horses

* SIR DES CHAMPS is the stand out profile here
* He is the statistical choice on my angles
* He does need to prove he stays this trip
* He needs to do that on the ground as well

* I looked at the record of his Sire
* I looked at his offspring running under these conditions
* Running over 3m+ in soft ground in Listed-Graded class
* There was a 4-10 record which is very encouraging
* That said all 4 winners were 3m 1f or shorter
* None as yet have done it over this far

 

Selection

LONG RUN 5/1 Each Way

I think this has to be the bet each way. Had it been
faster ground I would have bet Sir Des Champs as
the best profile horse. I could and nearly did have
a saver on him but surely LONG RUN is the better
bet each way. This allows you some safety even if
BOBS WORTH or SIR DES CHAMPS turn out to be
special as well they might. LONG RUN has placed
and Won in the Gold Cup. Obviously he is not the
same horse as he was when winning this in 2011
but does he need to be ? Look at his figures and
there is only roughly half a stones regression and
his Racing Post Ratings on bad ground hold up as
well as any. There are several doubtful stayers in
this field and a few that wouldn’t want this ground.

5/1 at 1/4 odds is available at Bet365
( and would be applicable for their 4/1 free bet bonus )

Same odds at betfred – william hill – stan james – bet victor
All mentioned above off BOG prices to protect you if it happens to drift out later.

Good luck today whether following me or doing your own thing.

Best Wishes
Guy Ward
www.mathematician-betting.co.uk

PS Join for a full month of pro service while the Cheltenham Deal remains live.

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