Cheltenham can be a difficult track to perform at, especially with the unique atmosphere of the Festival. We’ve picked out five horses that were expected to win at Cheltenham and failed to oblige, which can make amends at Aintree’s Grand National Festival this week. When combined, these five horses form a monster 903-1 mega accumulator. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
Many expected Nicky Henderson’s gelding to win the Arkle at Cheltenham. As the horse who finished second to Constitution Hill in the Supreme the year before, you could be forgiven for expecting a win. He’s been crying out for a step up in trip and if running in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase over 2m4f, he could be very hard to beat. (5-4, William Hill)
Another Nicky Henderson trainee, Shishkin had bounced back to form in great style at Ascot on his penultimate start. Another big performance was expected in the Ryanair Chase and he was never travelling but kept on to take second on the run-in. The 3m1f trip here should suit and he can make amends for disappointing last time out. (11-4, William Hill)
Gerri Colombe was expected to hack up in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham and establish himself as a major Gold Cup contender for next year. Instead, he suffered the first defeat of his career and it was disappointing that he couldn’t beat The Real Whacker. He’s fully expected to get the job done this time around. (9-4, bet365)
Luccia was touted as a possible Supreme candidate but she could only manage fourth in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, which suggests they had her in the right race. She was far too keen on the day and managed to get herself beaten. Perhaps the sharper track and better ground will encourage a strong gallop, which could help her to settle. (5-1, William Hill)
Hermes Allen didn’t uphold the form of his Grade 1 win at Newbury earlier in the season, despite the fact that the second went on to win at the Festival. This would suggest he’s much better than his incredibly disappointing effort in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle behind Impaire Et Passe. The step up to an extended three miles should suit and he can bounce back in glorious fashion. (9-2, William Hill)
If you back any of our selections you can watch them live on the free Racing Post app or racingpost.com. Simply log in to one of your bookmaker accounts and click ‘Watch live’ on the racecards.