5 Top Cheltenham Festival Sires For 2019

Following on from our Top 10 National Hunt Sires To Follow this season, we now look specifically at the top Cheltenham Festival sires.

Different sires providing different attributes to their offspring which can include stamina, a preference for different types of going and, of course, ability.

We’ve listed the top sires by their number of winners at the Festival, plus a stand out chance for each which is well worth considering.

5. Kayf Tara – 7 wins

A top class stayer, retiring after winning the Ascot Gold cup (having finished third the year before), his offspring have displayed the same characteristics.

Thistlecrack, Special Tiara and Identity Thief have racked up over £1.5 million prize money between them, and he also sired recent Greatwood Handicap Chase winner Carole’s Destrier.

Notable Runnerper

There may be a number of Kayf Tara runners in the Kim Muir – no surprise, given the four mile trip depends stamina in buckets.

A winner over far shorter last time out (just two and a half miles), he finished second over three miles at Punchestown and the step up in trip could unlock extra ability.

4. Oscar – 10 wins

Despite being Irish bred, Oscar only ran four times in France. He finished second on his final one, in a Group 1 at Chantilly, but he has proved to be a top class sire as his Festival record shows.

Big Zeb and Rock On Ruby stand out as his top progeny, recording a Cheltenham Festival win each and several places between them.

Notable Runner

Our Stayers’ Hurdle tip, Paisley Park’s record reads five wins and two wins from eight starts over hurdles. He won over Course & Distance in January and is an extremely exciting prospect at just seven years old.

3. Presenting – 12 wins

One of the best known sires Presenting sadly passed away two years ago at the ripe age of 25.

An excellent mile and a halfer in the mid 1990s his most notable offspring is the one and only Denman, although other notable names include War of Attrition, First Lieutenant and On His Own.

Notable Runner

With Presenting’s best known progeny all recording successes around the three mile mark, Give Me A Copper in the three mile one furlong Ultima Chase handicap should be perfectly suited by connections.

Having run well for a long way at the start of February returning off a lengthy break of 446 days, his race fitness will improve for that experience and if avoiding trouble he has to have every chance with an extremely unexposed profile.

2. Robin Des Champs – 13 wins

Vautour, Sir Des Champs, Quevega, Un Temps Pour Tout; this sire boasts a list of instantly recognisable Cheltenham stars.

His offspring tend to be versatile with regards to distance and ground, with a similar strike rate on Heavy as on Good.

Notable Runner

Disappointingly nothing stands out as a clear cut chance, but the indecipherable Hell’s Kitchen is worth a mention given he looks set to run in the Ryanair Chase, which caused so much controversy following Vautor’s 2016 victory.

As admitted by Harry Fry, he either “wins or is nowhere” but he clearly has a mercurial talent. He pulled well clear of the field with rival Janika last year – strong in the betting for a number of handicaps off 156.

If turning up on a going day could run into a big price place in either this or the small field Champion Chase (dependant on number of runners).

1. King’s Theatre – 14 wins

It’s not often a jumps horse wins over a million pounds of prize money, but that has happened not once but twice for King’s Theatre’s progeny.

Cue Card and The New One have taken home a combined £2,500,000 during their careers, with potentially more to come from the latter.

Notable Runner

With a name like Champ, his owners were hoping for a little nominative determination, which appears to have happened.

4 wins in a row over hurdles since a second on jumping debut, he was impressive in both his wins in December and has been given time since to rest and strengthen.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, who won the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2012 with Simonsig, he represents powerful connections and an inform trainer.

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