Weekend Review: Hot favourite Galopin Des Champs cruises to Gold Cup glory
Horseracing extravaganza ends up a hard-fought battle between bookies and bettors as football heads for international break
The Cheltenham Festival appeared to be a tale of two halves after a punter-friendly opening was closed out by some positive results for the bookies at Prestbury Park.
The National Hunt showpiece was well received, with the weather holding out for the most part over the four days and spectators flocking to take in the action.
Tuesday was absolutely one for the punters with 4/11 favourite Constitution Hill showing why he could eventually become the best hurdler of all time as he demolished the opposition in the Champion Hurdle, a result that was truly never in doubt.
Honeysuckle, ridden by Rachel Blackmore, brought the house down when the nine-year-old took the Mares’ Hurdle at 9/4 in her last-ever race, while 18/1-shot Jazzy Matty scored a shock win in the Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
Touching on Tuesday’s action, Betfred’s Alan Firkins said: “A vintage Cheltenham gave way for punters to the FA Cup at weekend, and while it was nip and tuck at Prestbury Park, the festival had something for everyone, and Tuesday especially will live long in the memory – Constitution Hill and Honeysuckle most notably. The power and the glory.”
Wins on Wednesday for the well-backed Energumene in the Queen Mother Champion Chase after going off at 6/5 and 11/10 favourite Delta Work’s victory in the Cross Country also made it a positive start for the punters.
🏆 Constitution Hill absolutely storms home to win the Unibet Champion Hurdle!
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 14, 2023
A special performance
A special horse#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @NdeBoinville pic.twitter.com/8lhkES9PRd
Bet365’s Steve Freeth said: “I was one of the few not jumping up and down when Constitution Hill bounded clear with the even money Super Boost landing the spoils with his head in his chest. It’s fair to say we finished day one well behind. Wednesday was also a losing day.”
Thursday saw the fortunes shift as evens favourite Shishkin failed to deliver in the Ryanair Chase, which allowed Rachel Blackmore to add to her growing list of victories after steering Envoi Allen (13/2) to victory.
The Stayers’ Hurdle saw a shock one-two finish as 33/1 Sire Du Berlais handed victory to trainer Gordon Elliot, with 40/1 outsider Dashel Drasher coming in second, although Dashel Drasher was later demoted to third behind 9/4 favourite Teahupoo after a stewards’ inquiry.
Despite some punter-friendly wins for Lossiemouth at 11/8 in the JCB Triumph Hurdle and Galopin Des Champs as 6/4 favourite in the Gold Cup on Friday, victories for 33/1-shot Favior, 18/1 Stay Away Fay and Premier Magic at 66/1 were huge boosts to the bookies throughout the rest of the day.
Freeth added: “We fought back on the Thursday with Envoi Allen and Rachael Blackmore riding to our rescue to give us our best result of the festival. Lossiemouth gave us a miserable start on the Friday with Galopin Des Champs being one for the punters in the Gold Cup, but there was enough over the last two days to ensure we recovered from the first two days.”
Reflecting on the festival, Regulus Partners said: “There were 444 runners this year versus 405 in 2022, bringing average field sizes up to an impressive 15.9; whereas four races had fewer than eight runners in 2022, this was brought down to three in 2023.
“Secondly, as well as more runners, betting overrounds were consistently higher, at 1.57% versus 1.48% last year, compounding to a 16% pricing improvement for bookmakers.
“Third, despite some important punter-friendly results, the favourite won eight races this year (29%) rather than 12 last (43%). More runners, better pricing and fewer winning favourites should add up to a significant swing in revenue, compounding a much better quarter for football fixtures due to World Cup distortion.”
THAT WAS SENSATIONAL!!! 🚀 😍
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) February 4, 2023
GALOPIN DES CHAMPS wins the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup under @PTownend. 🏆 🐎
#ITVRacing | @LeopardstownRC |@WillieMullinsNH pic.twitter.com/sPEPASi5j4
Meanwhile, in Premier League action, Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the table to eight points after breezing past managerless Crystal Place 4-1 at the Emirates. The Gunners are looking in fine fettle heading into the business end of the season and, without the distraction of European football, could seal their first title in almost two decades.
Other punter-friendly football results included Manchester City’s 6-0 demolition of Burnley in the FA Cup, with Erling Haaland adding a hattrick to his five-goal haul in the Champions League.
A Fulham implosion, with three red cards and a penalty, saw Manchester United breeze through to the semi-finals 3-1, also giving the backers a good result.
Aleksandar Mitrović had put the Cottagers ahead at Old Trafford but a Willian handball produced pandemonium, with Mitrović putting his hands on the man-in-the-middle Chris Kavanagh and seeing red, joining Willian and Fulham manager Marco Silva in heading to the changing rooms.
Kindred Group’s Ali Gill said: “A varied weekend of football with a split of Premier League and FA Cup quarter-final action. In the Premier League results went our way overall. Arsenal continued their march at the top with a 4-1 win over Palace, which unsurprisingly was a great result for punters.
“A different story in the FA Cup, as a clean sweep of favourites saw punters ahead in all four games. City’s 6-0 breeze past Burnley was the worst result in the FA Cup over the weekend, but United’s 3-1 win over Fulham, after one of the most spectacular implosions seen in recent times, was a close second in that list,” he added.
There was some joy for the layers as draws for Chelsea, Brentford and Spurs, which caused manager Antonio Conte to deliver one of the rants of the season, helped balance the books.
An astonishing rant from a VERY unhappy Antonio Conte after Tottenham's draw with Southampton ⤵️pic.twitter.com/zn4JOtddqe
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 18, 2023
Gill continued: “Three draws across the six matches will usually be layer-friendly, as was the case this weekend. Chelsea’s draw with Everton was our best Premier League result of the weekend, with Spurs’ collapse against Southampton and Brentford’s draw with Leicester not too far behind.”
On the football front, Freeth added: “A mixed bag on Premier League and FA Cup football and in Europe. It was all going so swimmingly at Old Trafford with Fulham in control at 2/7 to qualify, then 40 seconds of madness. Manchester United, who had been 9/1 to win in 90 minutes, doing what they have been doing regularly under ten Hag to progress to Wembley.
“Not so much joy for Tottenham fans or Antonio Conte, but their backers would’ve been grateful for our two goals ahead early payout offer after throwing away such that at St Mary’s.”
On the continent, Barcelona opened up a 12-point lead on Real Madrid after a stoppage time winner from Franck Kessié in El Clásico may well have sewed up La Liga for the Catalans.
Madrid had gone in front at Camp Nou via a Ronald Araujo own goal before Sergi Roberto equalised in first-half stoppage time.
Freeth confirmed Barcelona joined the likes of Napoli, PSG and Dumbarton in being paid on being league winners.
𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲:
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 19, 2023
Kim Kardashian is at the Emirates and Arsenal are eliminated from the Europa League.
𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲:
Kim Kardashian is at the Parc des Princes and PSG lose 2-0 to Rennes.
Kardashian curse 🫠 pic.twitter.com/GusRlDcgSM
There was some joy elsewhere, as Bayern Munich went 2-1 down to Bayern Leverkusen and PSG lost 2-0 at home to Rennes, with Kim Kardashian in attendance.
The ‘Kim curse’ is alive and kicking after she was also spotted in the crowd as Arsenal crashed out of the Europa League to Sporting Lisbon on Thursday.
Freeth said: “Napoli continue to give us a headache, likewise Victor Osimhen, with their 4-0 win at Torino being our worst result in Europe.
“Many thanks to Kim Kardashian though, who has become a bit of a lucky charm for us in the games she attended this week with PSG following in the footsteps of Arsenal in failing to justify their favourite status. I hope she doesn’t contact me to come to the bet365 soon – that could be an awkward conversation.”