3 Cheltenham Festival Favourites We Don’t Think Will Win

The Cheltenham Festival is only just around the corner and we have a number of tips already live, including an antepost accumulator tip. Naturally, that has some of the shorter prices of the week in, but which favourites are worth taking on at the prices?

We have found three at the head of the market that we feel are worth opposing at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.

1 – Benie Des Dieux – Mares Hurdle

Winner of the race in 2018 when Apple’s Jade underperformed, she has not been seen since the Punchestown Festival the following month. There are positives for her but winners at the Festival on their seasonal debut are a rare breed.

Willie Mullins has farmed the race but the plan for her was back over fences and up in trip after her win, needing every yard to get up in the shadow of the post last year. The 2019 field looks the most competitive renewal of the contest so, at 11/10, there’s no juice in the price.

2 – Delta Work – RSA

Another winner at the 2018 Festival, he scrambled home by a short head from a mark of 139 in the Pertemps Final. His price has shortened in the last couple of days after Santini tore a shoe off during a routine piece of work, but should he be as short as 9/4?

3/3 over fences and a Grade 1 winner so he looks on the surface to have improved for chasing. His debut saw him beat a 130 rival three-quarters of a length from levels, improving on that to beat Le Richebourg but over a trip that stretched that former Arkle favourites stamina.

He has won a Grade 1 – granted – but the runner-up suffered a heavy defeat against La Bague Au Roi which leaves Delta Work short of both Topofthegame and Santini on a line through her, with the third and fourth pulled up in the same race since.

3 – Epatante – Mares Novices’

The winner of both her starts since joining the yard of Nicky Henderson, she has been sent off prohibitive odds on each occasion. She jumped moderately at Kempton and pulled hard at Exeter so she has not looked the easiest despite the simple successes.

She’s beaten nothing of note in those wins, facing a far higher calibre of rival here, especially in the form of Honeysuckle who slammed 135 and 130 rated rivals in the Solerina when last seen. That form is deserving of favouritism so at 7/4 Epatante can be taken on.

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