Cheltenham Festival 2017 Betting Guide and Preview

Cheltenham Festival 2017 – Preview and Betting Guide

Tuesday 14th March, a day etched in the diary of sports fans the world over. The Cheltenham Festival gets going, and if the build-up is anything to go on, we are set for a thrilling few days at Prestbury Park.

Cheltenham Festival 2017 – Dates now confirmed

Tuesday March 14th – Friday 17th March 2017

Cheltenham 2017 – Preview

Big price winners, packed fields, the sport’s major horses, jockeys and trainers, Ireland vs England, it all makes for a stunning spectacle, and there’s few things in gambling more magical than a Cheltenham Festival winner. 2017 will see the 89th annual running of the Gold Cup, disputed on the Friday, and, for most, the highlight of the show.

As we gather pace to the off, we look at some of the biggest names in action this year, and those punters should keep close over the course of the festival. All are very-well regarded by followers of British National Hunt horse racing, and by bookmakers too.

Cheltenham Festival 2017 – Betting Offers and Bookie Specials

We’ve got a day by day guide to the highlights of the festival. Each day we will also have a more in depth look at the races and runners, with analysis and advice from our in house racing punter. Amongst the early offers are some big prices, we’ll continue to add to these as we get them:

Cheltenham Festival 2017 – Live and in-play betting odds

Latest odds and betting offers ahead of the Festival. We’ve also got a superb Bet365 offer with their Best Odds guarantee plus No Runner No Bet for the whole Cheltenham Festival!

Cheltenham Festival – Day by Day race schedule and top picks

We continue our preview with some early advice on the leading runners and riders.

Vroum Vroum Mag – Mares Hurdle – Tuesday

Backing trainer Willie Mullins’ horses blind could be a decent option for casual fans not wanting to put too much thought into their selections, and he has another strong hand again this year, including Vroum Vroum Mag, who looks his best chance of a winner on day one.

Expected in the Mares Hurdle, the eight-year-old warmed up for this with victory in the OLBG Mares Hurdle at Doncaster at the end of January. She was 1/5 favourite at the starting post, but ended a winner when beating Midnight Jazz by the closest of margins. She’ll improve plenty from that, and was a convincing victor of this race last year.

Douvan – Champion Chase – Wednesday

Another Mullins show-stopper, Douvan is nailed on to win this year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the bookies want nothing to do with opposing him. If you want Douvan in your Cheltenham Festival betting tips, then you’re going to have to work for it, take him in multiples and just enjoy the show. The seven-year-old is a machine, he’s what the festival is all about, seeing these truly incredible creatures, and his CV reads 13 runs, 13 wins.

Douvan was last spotted winning the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown last month, which is a major pointer to the kind of shape he is in, and he did it with plenty to spare too, beating Realt Mor by 6 ½ lengths. Won the Arkle at last year’s festival, again with plenty in hand, and should win this. Also a winner of the Supreme Novices three years ago.

Yorkhill – JLT Novices Chase – Thursday

Thursday is all about the super impressive Yorkhill for me, and he is expected to contest the JLT Novices Chase, won last year by Black Hercules for Ruby Walsh. Willie Mullins was the trainer of last year’s champ, and he looks to have this year’s in Yorkhill, who rocks up with a record of eight wins from nine attempts.

The spare was a fourth-place finish at Punchestown in the Champion Novice Hurdle, won by Don’t Touch It, but excuses can be made for that effort, and I am more than happy to give the seven-year-old the benefit of the doubt. He warmed up by winning a grade three novices chase at Leopardstown in January, and is a former festival winner, taking the Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle 12-months ago. A lively inclusion in our Cheltenham Festival betting predictions.

Cue Card – Cheltenham Gold Cup – Friday

Highlight of the week, race of the week and, quite possibly, horse of the week. Colin Tizzard’s prize asset is a regular in these parts, and a winner of some of the biggest medals in horse racing, including the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day. He edged out Vatour in thrilling fashion that day.

Cue Card kept warm for this year’s assault on the festival by winning the grade one Betfair Ascot Chase last month. Nearest rival Shantou Flyer came home 15-lengths behind, and that shows punters the kind of mood the 11-year-old is in at present. Cue Card and his team have unfinished business with the Gold Cup, having fallen in last year’s race when shaping well. He’ll come again.