Cheltenham Festival: Day 4 Betting Tips

It all comes down to this. The final day of the Cheltenham Festival 2024 features the greatest jumps race of all, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, combined with some tough betting puzzles in the County Hurdle and Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle.

Even some of the championship events, like the Albert Bartlett and Hunters' Chase, offer a bit of off-beat form study.

From the opening Triumph Hurdle at 13:30 to the meeting-ending Martin Pipe at 17:30, here are tips for all seven races on the last day of the Cheltenham Festival.

13:30 - JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1 - 2m1f)

Worries about the health of the Nicky Henderson stable mean that Sir Gino looks a dubious favourite in the opener. Admittedly, there is a point at which that drift might go too far, but until then you can take him on. Willie Mullins has half the field and of his ETHICAL DIAMOND makes the most appeal. He has a good pedigree and cost plenty when bought off the Flat. He was the biggest eye-catcher of the meeting when sixth at the Dublin Racing Festival and deserves to be taken seriously pitched into this company.

Selection: Ethical Diamond

14:10 - BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle (2m1f)

It takes some doing to get an Ebor winner into the County Hurdle from a mark of 138, but that is what Willie Mullins has managed with ABSURDE. After winning at York in August, this horse went to Australia where he finished seventh in the Melbourne Cup. He still needed to run twice to qualify for Premier handicaps and did so with a couple of runs at Leopardstown which very much suggested that he was being kept in the recovery phase after his excellent Flat campaign. He shaped third best behind Slade Steel and Ballyburn at the Dublin Racing Festival and what those two have done this week certainly advertises his claims. Selection: Absurde

14:50 - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (3m)

Ben Pauling cannot be crabbed for lack of trying in the novice hurdles this week and he can get some sort of reward in this race with THE JUKEBOX MAN. This horse has just the sort of background you need in this race. He is stoutly bred, has point-to-point form, and strong form at that, and he has looked all about stamina so far as a hurdler. He was boxing on in an attritional running of the Challow last time out and has been rested for this big day out since. He will relish the test and is well worth an each-way bet.

Selection: The Jukebox Man (each-way)

15:30 - Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1, 3m2½f)

With Galopin Des Champs a worthy favourite, albeit one you would not set your watch by, each-way is the way to play the Gold Cup. The shortlist of two would be L'Homme Presse and GENTLEMANSGAME, with the smoother preparation enjoyed by the latter giving him the edge. He has run only three times over fences, but he was a classy hurdler too and he was able to beat Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby last time. He was initially underestimated following that win, but should not be now. At the least he can chase home Galopin Des Champs.

Selection: Gentlemansgame (each-way)

16:10 - St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase (3m2½f)

This looks like something of a two-horse race between ITS ON THE LINE and Ferns Lock. The two met at Down Royal in December and, despite Ferns Lock travelling the better throughout, Its On The Line mowed him down late in the piece. That was over 3m and the extra emphasis on stamina will only suit Its On The Line more. He can atone for a defeat in this race last year behind Premier Magic.

Selection: Its On The Line

16:50 - Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Grade 2, 2m4½f)

Picking holes in Willie Mullins-trained hotpots has been a bit of a fool's errand this week, but in this case Mullins also has the natural alternative, so let's have one more attempt. Dinoblue has been impressive at shorter trips, but we know that ALLEGORIE DE VASSY stays this far and she was second in this race last year. On her last run, it looked as though she had tempered her tendency to jump to the right, so she can bring her high-class form to left-handed Cheltenham now.

Selection: Allegorie De Vassy

17:30 - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (2m4½f)

A race that tends to be won by slow-developing chasers of the future. WATERFORD WHISPERS fits that bill and has fitted in a lot of the experience he needed to get qualified for this race in a short space of time. He looked a stayer in the making at Fairyhouse in early December, form which has worked out well. He had excuses when just beaten in handicap company next time and he is likely to have developed further in the 77 days since we last saw him on the track.

Selection: Waterford Whispers