IT is the biggest and best punting week of the year – but it can also prove the ultimate heartbreaker.
There is quite simply nothing like Cheltenham Festival for thrills, spills and everything else in between.
Templegate knows exactly what it takes to find a winner at Cheltenham Festival – and spills his secrets below[/caption]
With 28 races over four days, big changes to this year’s meeting and hundreds of horses to sift through, it can be overwhelming.
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That’s not to mention the huge number of runners entered in several contests – as if to make things harder!
Fortunately, our man Steve Mullen aka Templegate has years of experience.
Below, he write his five top tips for finding a winner at Cheltenham… and highlights the surprising thing you should avoid.
Don’t forget, get his tips before everyone else by joining Members Enclosure for just £1 for the first month.
Templegate will reveal his selections there first so you can get on at the best prices.
Now, onto those winners…
1 LOOK FOR COURSE AND DISTANCE WINNERS
You would have made a healthy profit over the past five Festivals just backing ANY horse that had won over the course and distance – even if there was more than one in the race.
You can see course and distance winners as they have CD next to their name on the racecard, so keep your eyes peeled.
2 FOLLOW JOCKEY PAUL TOWNEND
Irish champion jockey Paul Townend gets the pick of top trainer Willie Mullins’ runners.
He has an impressive 20 per cent win record at the Festival and you would have made good profits backing all his mounts.
3 NO MORE THAN FOUR RUNS THIS SEASON
In the many Grade 1 races at the Festival, make sure you ignore horses who have run five or more times this season.
None of the past 50 to try won and only a couple of them were even placed.
4 WATCH THE GREEN AND GOLD SILKS
Owner JP McManus has the famous green and gold hooped colours that have enjoyed lots of success at the Festival.
Over the past 10 years, he has had an amazing 36 winners at the meeting including an impressive five last season.
He has a strong team this time too, headlined by the likes of Jonbon, Majborough… and the totally unexposed Kopeck De Mee.
5 LOOK OUT FOR LEOPARDSTOWN
Horses that ran at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in early February have a good Festival record.
Look out for runners who were in the first four there last time as that stat gave us nine of the Festival winners last season.
AND ONE THING NOT TO DO…
He may be the king of Cheltenham but don’t just back anything Willie Mullins runs.
Despite him having sent out more than 100 winners at the Festival, he fires lots of darts.
You would be £158 DOWN to £1 SP (starting price) blindly backing all his runners so be selective.
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