THE countdown to the Cheltenham Festival is on in earnest with just three meetings left at the track until the big one.
And as the Festival draws nearer, so the ante post market really starts to take shape.
1
Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Indo won the showpiece race in March 2021 at 9-1, by one-and-a-quarter lengths from A Plus Tard.
SunSport looks at the odds for next March’s showpiece after Monkfish was ruled out for the season through injury.
Cheltenham Festival 2022 Gold Cup odds
3-1 A Plus Tard
5-1 Minella Indo
8-1 Envoi Allen
12-1 Chantry House
16-1 Al Boum Photo
16-1 Allaho
16-1 Galvin
20-1 Champ
20-1 Delta Work
25-1 Shishkin
25-1 Fiddlerontheroof
25-1 Asterion Forlonge
25-1 Frodon
25-1 Shan Blue
25-1 Lostintranslation
33-1 Energumene
33-1 Castlebawn West
33-1 Eklat De Rire
40-1 Royale Pagaille
50-1 bar
Cheltenham Festival 2022 Gold Cup tips
SunSport tipster Templegate will bring you his top selections.
Sun Racing will be covering Gold Cup news, odds updates and analysis in the run-up to the race.
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Cheltenham Gold Cup winners past five years
2021 – Minella Indo (Trainer: De Bromhead. Jockey: Kennedy)
2020 – Al Boum Photo (Trainer: Mullins. Jockey: Townend)
2019 – Al Boum Photo (Trainer: Mullins. Jockey: Townend)
2018 – Native River (Trainer: Tizzard. Jockey: Johnson)
2017 – Sizing John (Trainer: Harrington. Jockey: Power)
2016 – Don Cossack (Trainer: Elliott. Jockey: Cooper)
Cheltenham Gold Cup news
The betting market has changed with the shock news that Willie Mullins’ all-conquering Monkfish is out through injury.
The runaway winner of the 2021 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase has damaged a tendon and won’t run this season.
That did prompt Minella Indo’s odds shorten to 9-2, but a third-place finish behind Bryony Frost on Frodon in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on October 30 has moved him back out.
Serious questions were asked of Envoi Allen after his nightmare end to last season.
But a 22-length romp with Rachael Blackmore on his seasonal return has seen him come back in favour among punters.
Trainer Henry De Bromhead said: “It’s brilliant to have him back. Obviously, things just didn’t go right for us sadly – obviously at Cheltenham and then at Punchestown as well.
“I had never seen it before but he must have hit the fence so hard (at Punchestown). He had a little chip that Gerry Kelly removed and it is fantastic to see him back on track and I’m delighted for Cheveley Park. He was brilliant.
“He will step forward from that. I was so focused on this I hadn’t really discussed anything but the John Durkan would look a very obvious race for him.”
A Plus Tard was thrust to the head of the market after his 22-length romp in the Betfair Chase.
Bristol De Mai, seeking a fourth win in the race at Haydock, was pulled up as the Cheveley Park Stud superstar surged ahead of everyone else, with Royal Pagaille picking up the pieces.
De Bromhead said of the horse’s next assignment: “The Savills Chase (at Leopardstown over Christmas, which he won last year) seems the sensible way to go.”
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