Cheltenham Ready – Adrian Wall takes on Al Boum Photo with 10-1 Gold Cup tip

Al Boum Photo wins the 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup

We are just a matter of weeks away from the Cheltenham Festival. Now is the time that us punters start to build our ante-post portfolio leading up to the best week of the year. Our horse racing expert Adrian Wall picked out a 25-1 tip for the Albert Bartlett last week. He is back this week with his fancy for the Gold Cup, without doubt the biggest race of the calendar year. Paddy Power and Betfair are offering NRNB at Cheltenham so make sure you take full advantage of these incredible offers below.

Big ask for Al Boum Photo

Willie Mullins is yet again aiming dual Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo at the big one in March. He landed his Tramore hat-trick in the Savills New Year’s Day Chase, which is his usual prep race for the showpiece event.

Al Boum Photo will once again be the red-hot favourite to win his third Gold Cup. However, it is a huge ask – only Golden Miller (5 wins), Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate have won the race three times on the trot.

He may well do it and he will be a fresh horse travelling there again in a few weeks time, but this is going to be a competitive renewal.

What horse beats him then?

Savills Chase winner A Plus Tard will more than likely sidestep the Dublin Racing Festival and head straight for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

He had a very tough race that day so connections are very keen to give the seven-year-old as long a rest as possible. With big questions over his stamina for a Gold Cup trip, he proved his doubters wrong.

They went very hard up front in the Savills so only a proper stayer would have got home over the three miles. He stayed on relentlessly to pass out Kemboy and Melon in the closing stages. Darragh O’Keeffe was incredible in the saddle.

The Gold Cup at Cheltenham will test him even more as it is another two furlongs in distance. However, the manner of his victory, in coming from rear off a very strong pace up top, makes him a huge Gold Cup player. He might just win it.

Cheltenham form can be crucial and he has that in abundance. He ran out a 16-length winner of the Close Brothers off a mark of 143 in 2019 and finished third in the Ryanair last term behind Min.

What bookmaker is best price?

bet365 are currently a standout 10-1 for A Plus Tard to win the Gold Cup. Every other bookmaker are single digits so this represents good value. You can back him with bet365 using the banner below.