Horse racing fans are eagerly awaiting the Cheltenham November Meeting, a three-day extravaganza featuring several races right out of the top drawer. Formerly known as The Open, this prestigious meeting always unearths stars of the future and this year will be no different. There are several runners that we cannot wait to see in action, but here is the top five:
Cause of Causes
The American bay gelding was last seen at the Grand National, where he put in a sensational performance to finish second to One For Arthur in the Aintree showpiece. He has been rested over the summer and will be making his return to competitive action in the Glenfarcas Cross Country Chase on the opening day of the meeting.
It is known as Countryside Day as money is raised for the Countryside Alliance and part of the famous racecourse is dedicated to a country fair, but the racing is the main attraction and Cause of Causes is a star name. He is 8/1 in the fixed odds betting and looks well priced so he is sure to be of interest in the horse racing spread betting markets as he has the stamina and quality to usurp shorter priced rivals in this clash.
Romain de Senam
Saturday’s Gold Cup is the main draw during the three-day meeting and the field is extremely competitive, with seven horses priced between 7/1 and 10/1. The average starting price for the winner of this race over the past 15 years falls into that bracket and the big stables have monopolised it in recent times, so that could help you whittle down a broad field.
Romain de Senam fits the bill and comes into the race in splendid form: he returned to action last month and won back-to-back handicaps at Chepstow and Stratford within the space of a week. Trainer Paul Nicholls, who has enjoyed plenty of success in this renewal down the years, has since given him a four-week rest, so he will be raring to go for the big race. The likes of Tully’s East, Kylemore Lough, Foxtail Hill and Gold Present will make it a fierce contest, so it might be advisable to keep stakes low, but Romain de Senam looks a good option.
Finian’s Oscar
Colin Tizzard’s charge is one of the shortest priced favourites during the three-day festival and deservedly so. He is an intriguing prospect as he won at Grade 1 level over hurdles and has now made the transition to fences. It all went off without a hitch as he posted a dominant win on his fences debut at Chepstow and it will be interesting to see if he can keep the momentum going in the Arkle Trial on Sunday, where he will have to fend off the challenge of some strong runners like North Hill Harvey and River Wylde.
Fox Chase
One of the most exciting races at this year’s Cheltenham Festival was the Champion Chase, which developed into a pulsating battle between Special Tiara and Fox Chase. Special Tiara ultimately snatched victory, but there was a lingering sense that Fox Chase was running better and should have secured the win. He will be given a shot a redemption in a much hyped rematch in the Shloer Chase on Sunday. Special Tiara is the antepost favourite, but Fox Chase looks well priced as the second favourite and could be a great each-way shout if he ends up at 4/1 or higher.
Bedrock
All the talk is focused on Dame de Compagnie and Slate House ahead of the Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle on Sunday and rightly so as they are both strong contenders. But this race has yielded several high priced winners over the years, and Dan Skelton’s Bedrock looks an interesting long-shot at current odds of 20/1.
He put in a commanding performance to secure victory on his reappearance at Bangor last month and looks poised to give the favourites a really good run for their money in this highly anticipated race.
Author bio
Martin Green is an experienced tipster and horseracing correspondent and has been covering the industry for many years.
