Cheltenham fever is in the air as the Festival approaches, and the top trainers and jockeys in the UK and Ireland converge on Prestbury Park for four days of top-quality racing action. Already, punters are finalising their Cheltenham Festival 2021 picks for the biggest races, in the hopes of choosing the winner and earning bragging rights over their mates.
When it comes to establishing which horses are the ones to back in showpiece races, there are few more trustworthy names than Ruby Walsh and Barry Geraghty, who between them boast a total of 102 winners at the Cheltenham Festival across their glittering careers. Both men have had their say on the biggest races, and whether or not the bookies’ favourites are the ones to back. Let’s run through a few races and see what Walsh and Geraghty have had to say.
Can Epatante successfully defend the Champion Hurdle?
The current favourite for the Champion Hurdle is the unbeaten Honeysuckle, trained by Henry De Bromhead. But not far behind is Epatante, who Geraghty rode to victory in the Champion Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival. With that being the case, there is no-one better to have their say on who will emerge victorious this year.
“Epatante can improve,” Geraghty said in a special Cheltenham Rewind on Paddy Power’s YouTube channel. “Physically now she’s twice the size [compared to last year]. Can she beat Honeysuckle? I fancy her, definitely. But if Honeysuckle gets good ground, I don’t fancy Epatante at all. It’s the same with Goshen, she’s a good-ground horse. If you watch the replay of Annie Power’s Champion Hurdle [in 2016], on that ground, I can’t fancy Honeysuckle. On this course, especially. On the other course you can make a case.”
While Geraghty is sitting somewhere on the fence, it’s clear that he isn’t all that confident in Honeysuckle, so we’re going to say it’s a NEIGH for the unbeaten mare in the Champion Hurdle.
Chacun Pour Soi odds-on for Champion Chase
There was disappointment at Cheltenham last year when Chacun Pour Soi missed out on the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but the Willie Mullins-trained horse will be back in action at this year’s Festival. So, what does the all-time winning-most Cheltenham jockey Ruby Walsh think of Chacun Pour Soi’s chances?
“It has been a stop-start career for the supremely talented Chacun Pour Soi”, Walsh told Paddy Power’s From The Horse’s Mouth podcast.“He’s a very, very good horse but he just has to go and deliver on the biggest stage at Cheltenham to be considered a great horse. I hope he gets the chance to do it. Chacun Pour Soi’s in great form and he looks the best in the field.”
It’s clear that Walsh is backing Chacun Pour Soi to get that landmark victory in the Champion Chase, so it’s a big YEA for the nine-year-old.
Al Boum Photo a cert for the Gold Cup?
One of the biggest headlines from last year’s Cheltenham Festival was Al Boum Photo’ssecond successive Gold Cup triumph, and Walsh is backing him to make it three on the spin and complete a memorable hat-trick in the Festival’s showpiece race this year.
“It will not be straightforward, but Al Boum Photo is the most likely winner,” Walsh says.“You may not want to back him now, but I would begetting on him before racing starts on Tuesday because if Willie Mullins gets on a roll at the Festival – and he’s got a lot of really well-fancied horses – he will be plenty short enough, whether the public get into him or not. If it goes the other way, you can always back him again, but if he rolls in then you will have missed the price.”
With the prospect of emulating past three-time champions like Arkle and BestMate, it’s a YEA for Al Boum Photo from two-time Gold Cup winner Walsh.