The 2011 Cheltenham Festival is rapidly approaching and with more ante post clues on offer with every weekend that passes the markets for the meeting’s four leading races are gradually beginning to take shape.

After Binocular bounced back to form with a scintillating display of jumping in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and with Long Run showing Kauto Star that it could be time for the chasing division’s most dominant forces to make way for a younger brigade of superstars, opinion is already divided ahead of the world’s most enthralling race meeting.  Nick Wilby takes a look at the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, World Hurdle and, of course, the Festival’s most coveted prize – the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

2011 Champion Hurdle

This year’s Champion Hurdle looks one of the most open renewals of the race for years and there is a whole host of stars that could realistically win the opening day’s feature.  It was fantastic to see last year’s winner Binocular bounce back to form in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and all his greatest assets were on display in an impeccable display of accurate jumping.  His whole campaign has been geared towards the defense of his crown and his latest performance was made all the more impressive considering he had only been able to finish a laboured third in the race last season.

Binocular’s success also pays a huge compliment to Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Peddlers Cross who was far too good for the champion at Newbury in November.  Unbeaten in seven starts, Donald McCain’s six-year-old could have further progress in him as he gains more racecourse experience and his blend of stamina and speed should make him particularly difficult to beat at Cheltenham in March.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and International Hurdle winner Menorah is another who would look to have outstanding claims of adding another success at Cheltenham to his impressive CV, while Oscar Whisky and Mille Chief are both more than capable of stepping up into Grade One company.

However, the most intriguing horse heading for the Champion Hurdle is Willie Mullins’ ultra-talented Hurricane Fly who looks set to fly the flag for Ireland.  The French import’s ability has never been in question and explosive victories in six Grade Ones in two years have been made all the more impressive by the fact he has been so hard to keep fit. 

The seven-year-old was forced to miss trips to Cheltenham in 2009 and 2010 but he looks well on course for a raid on the Champion Hurdle in 2011 and horse racing fanatics will be overwhelmed with excitement if he and Binocular finally clash in the race.  Both have very similar running styles and encouragingly for his followers Hurricane Fly looks to be getting better and better with each outing.  The biggest challenge to Willie Mullins’ superstar will be staying fit but if you can back him non-runner, money back at Ladbrokes, it might not be the bet of the Festival, but more the bet of the year.

Champion Hurdle ante post selection:

Hurricane Fly – 5/1

2011 Queen Mother Champion Chase

Another year and another Champion Chase that looks set to be dominated by the prescence of legendary chaser Master Minded.  Paul Nicholls’ superstar put up one of the greatest performances of all time when he cruised to success in the race in 2008 and he returned to defend his crown, not quite as emphatically, in 2009.  At just seven-years-old, he was sent off at 4/5 for last year’s renewal of the two mile feature but the wheels came off on the back of a couple of unconvincing performances.  A victim of his own success in 2008 there were many punters left wondering whether he would ever bounce back to the form that saw him deliver one of Cheltenham’s most memorable victories and he was whisked away for a breathing operation last summer.

Luckily for his fans his rehabilitation looks to have gone sensationally well and he has returned to action this season with two breathtaking victories at Ascot and Cheltenham.  A sixteen length dismissal of I’msingingtheblues in the Amlin 1965 Chase followed by an eight length victiory over Petit Robin in the Tingle Creek look to have silenced his doubters and he looks to be back to his very best.

His electrifying jumping has been foot-perfect once again and he looks to be oozing all the class that has seen him dominate the two mile division for the last four years.  He will be incredibly hard to beat if he turns up at Cheltenham in the same mood and while 2010 Champion Chaser Big Zeb might have something to say about the situation, it is hard to envisage Master Minded not regaining his crown come March.

Queen Mother Champion Chase ante post selection:

Master Minded

2011 World Hurdle

Ideally when the subject of the World Hurdle comes up in conversation racing fanatics would weigh up a number of horse’s chances and indulge in a endless debate, similar to the argument that would ensue if we were to talk about the Gold Cup or Champion Hurdle.  However, the reality is that the World Hurdle Crown is staying exactly where it is – resting on the head of the marvellous Big Buck’s.

The only debate worth having is over how many lengths Big Buck’s will win by and whether it is really worth including a 4/7 short in any of your Cheltenham Festival ante post bets.

While Master Minded, Dunguib and Kauto Star all fluffed their lines as Cheltenham ‘bankers’ at last year’s Festival, Big Buck’s made no mistake with his script, putting up another jaw-dropping performance to defend his crown in the race.  Since he ditched a career over fences and found his fortune over hurdles, Paul Nicholls superstar is ten races unbeaten and he has never looked like he could be turned over.  Sent off at 2/13 in the Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury in December, he laughed at his rivals all the way to the line and anybody watching that would do well to suggest there is a horse that could beat the champion.

It is seriously difficult to see where the danger to Big Buck’s would come from and inspection of the World Hurdle ante post market reveals a worryingly thin challenge could face the eight-year-old in March.  It is little surprise to see his odds so short and only the unlikely possibility that either Long Run or Punchestowns could be sent over hurdles by Nicky Henderson could install some interest in the race.

World Hurdle ante post selection:

Big Buck’s

2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup

After Long Run’s victory over Kauto Star in the King George at Kempton last weekend, there is now a feeling that there could be a new wave of talented chasers set to relieve the older brigade of their domination in the Gold Cup.  Kauto Star and Denman were responsible for memorable displays three years on the bounce and Imperial Commander emphatically ended their stranglehold on the Festival showpiece last year.  However it could be that even Imperial Commander is ready stand down from the top of the chasing division and the likes of Long Run, Diamond Harry, Pandorama and Punchestowns are fresh on the scene and ready to replace their elders.

That is not to say that Kauto Star, Denman and Imperial Commander will not go down without a fight.  All three have looked awesome at times this season and Denman’s display under top weight in the Hennessy Gold Cup was truly admirable.  Imperial Commander returned to action with a cozy success in the Betfair Chase and for all Kauto Star didn’t look himself at Kempton, he still won a Grade One at Down Royal, beating the classy Sizing Europe and China Rock with a gutsy display.

It would be no great surprise to see any one of those three step forward at Cheltenham in March, but it could also be the year to dig out a horse at a decent price and Nicky Henderson’s Punchestowns makes plenty of appeal at current odds.  There has to be doubts that stablemate Long Run will enjoy Cheltenham quite as much as he does Kempton and the two courses represent two very different challenges.  The King George winner ran with great credit in the Paddy Power Gold Cup on his seasonal reappearance but that was hardly a Gold Cup worthy display of jumping and his inexperience could count against him.

Pandorama would be the one to be on if his place in the field was guaranteed but Noel Meade only intends to run the horse if he gets his ground.  If the going was soft or heavy on Gold Cup day he would look an outstanding bet and has all the qualities needed to win the race.  But does anybody really want to put their money on a horse that might not line up?

Diamond Harry was devilishly good in the Hennessy Gold Cup and his jumping woes seemed something of the past, but it is worth taking a look at Punchestowns who is being allowed to trade at 25/1 in the ante post betting.

One of the highest rated hurdlers to ever go jumping, after cruising home by eleven lengths in the 2008 Long Walk Hurdle, Punchestowns finished second behind Paul Nicholls’ superstar Big Buck’s in the 2009 Ladbrokes World Hurdle and chasing immediately became the new target for this impressive looking eight-year-old.

A winning debut over fences before a seven length Grade One success at Sandown were soon forgotten after he finished lame and virtually tailed off in the RSA Chase at last year’s Festival.  He was never going that day but was still fancied ahead of stablemate Long Run in the betting.  A head defeat to Pride Of Dulcote at Newbury in December was not an ideal return to action, but Punchestowns is bred and expected to continue to go from strength-to-strength with more racecourse experience and trainer Nicky Henderson has been keen to stress that there is still plenty of work to do with the beautifully bred superstar.  It will be interesting to see which races he takes on the way to the Gold Cup but he could line up at HQ at much shorter odds than are currently available.

Cheltenham Gold Cup ante post selection:

Punchestowns