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Cheltenham Festival: Grand Annual Chase Tips

One of the most exciting handicaps of the week, the Grand Annual Chase is a cavalry charge run at a frenetic pace. It’s a huge test of jumping and always competitive.

The trip is two miles with 13 fences in total. Favourites don’t have the best of records in recent years, with only one of the last 10 winners heading the market at the off time.

Unsurprisingly, a maximum field of 20 has been declared and there are also two runners in reserve. Our expert has selected two tips for the race, one of which is a 16/1 outsider for Gordon Elliott.

Don’t forget to visit the BetMGM Cheltenham Festival Hub for all the latest odds, offers and tips as well as race day profiles and more.

Another handicap win for Britain?

The home team aren’t consistently competitive in the big Grade 1 races at the moment – but the handicaps provide a good opportunity for them to bounce back.

There are several British-trained runners with massive chances including Dan Skelton’s Be Aware (11/2 fav), who heads the market.

There has also been some money for last year’s winner, Jazzy Matty (15/2), who carries 8lbs more this time around, and the useful JP McManus-owned Inthepocket (15/2).

Potentially unexposed novices could be the way to go and Ben Pauling’s Vanderpoel (15/2) is worth looking at from that angle.

Gavin Cromwell and Paul Nolan are always ones to follow in handicaps, as they’re very shrewd target trainers, and the former is represented by Ballysax Hank (10/1) and Addragoole (12/1).

Nolan runs Release The Beast and he has only had six starts over fences.

Selection: Vanderpoel @ 15/2

Ben Pauling is right up there with Britain’s best trainers and his stock seems to rise with every passing season.

He has several excellent chances across the week and chief among them is the progressive novice chaser Vanderpoel, who could well be underestimated by a mark of 141.

It took him a couple of runs to get going over fences but he was a decisive winner at Ascot in December and the runner-up has boosted the form since.

An 8lbs rise wasn’t enough to prevent him from following up at Sandown after that and there could be loads more to come.

This horse probably wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Arkle, really, and if he is in fact capable of running well in that sort of race then winning a handicap off 141 shouldn’t be beyond him.

We haven’t seen the best of this horse yet and the only real negative is his lack of experience.

Next Best: Relieved Of Duties @ 16/1

Elliott has been very careful with Relieved Of Duties (11/1) and he arrives here on a very attractive mark.

Another potentially progressive novice, he won a beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse in October and was far from disgraced when second in a Class 2 novice event over course and distance next time.

There was a lot to like about that performance and he definitely gave off Grand Annual potential that day.

He hasn’t quite been at his best in two starts since but this could be a bit of a plan – a much-improved performance is anticipated here.

Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change

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