Gordon Elliott Puts Up 20/1 Cheltenham Festival Nap

He trains Envoi Allen. He trains Tiger Roll. But his Nap for the entire week is a 20/1 chance in the Kim Muir? Really?

Eddie O’Leary and Gordon Elliott were both at the Kiltormer GAA preview night in Ireland a few days ago and surprisingly, both put up Milan Native as their best bet of the week, running in the ultra-competitive Kim Muir next week.

It looks like the horse, who is owned by Gigginstown House Stud, was kept at two and a half miles to get a mark over fences in novices or beginners chases. The horse hasn’t been given a hard time and could be ripe for a proper plot next week.

He has some promising form in the book; fifth to Fakir D’Oudairies at Navan in November and runner-up to the highly progressive looking Allaho at Fairyhouse in January. When last seen, he was again runner-up behind Spyglass Hill at Gowran Park.

His sole success came on his second start which was over hurdles at Navan in February 2019. He has found winning hard to come by since but he always runs a very solid race and this smacks of a long-term plan to get him to Cheltenham with a very lenient mark to take advantage of.

Gordon Elliott knows what it takes to plan a horse for a big punt at this competitive affair. He won the race in 2016 with the J.P. McManus owned Cause Of Causes with Jamie Codd in the saddle.

It was highly unusual that either did not put up an obvious selection as their best bet of the festival which makes this more interesting. Tiger Roll would have been the obvious choice, an even money shot to land another Cross Country Chase, or Envoi Allen who has obvious claims in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.