Cheltenham Festival trends selections for Wednesday


Ian Ogg provides some quickfire stats based selections for all seven races on Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival.

 Click here for the key stats for all seven races on Ladies Day 

Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle

Neon Wolf ticks all of the key boxes but the big question mark for Harry Fry's six-year-old is whether he handles the ground. This hasn't been a bad race for favourites and he must go close. As the market suggests Bacardys rates the danger.

RSA Chase

There have been nine seven-year-old winners and one six-year-old which is a negative for the eight-year-olds Might Bite and Our Kaempfer as well as Whisper. Three of the remainder failed to complete on their final start which leaves just three viable candidates in Acapella Bourgeois, Royal Vacation and O O Seven and only the last two have already run at the Festival. Colin Tizzard's runner gets the nod despite the poor record of Kauto Star Novice Chase winners in this contest.

Coral Cup

There are no problems with weight or official rating for Tombstone but this has been a poor race for favourites and he looks worth taking on at a short price. A good run last time out has been a decent pointer with unexposed hurdlers doing well. Tin Soldier has had more runs than most winners but is two out of two for Willie Mullins and he gets the nod.

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase

It's impossible to oppose Douvan.

Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase

No winners have been younger than eight which is against Auvergnat who represents leading cross-country trainer Enda Bolger. Rather surprisingly only two favourites have been successful but it wouldn't surprise to see either Cause Of Causes or Cantlow successful and the latter holds obvious claims.

Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

The ratings stats took a bashing in the Ultima but no winner of this race has been rated higher than 133 for all that Divin Bere could be chucked in on a line through Mister Blueyes. Stablemate Domperignon Du Lys is a better fit on ratings and represents connections who won this race in 2012. 

Weatherbys Champion Bumper

Willie Mullins has 'only' won three of the last nine runnings and there may be better value in looking elsewhere. Debuchet is interesting having won his bumper by more than six lengths but Cue Card is the only four-year-old to have won this race and so preference is for Fayonagh.