Cheltenham Festival Plate best bet (1610): Arctic Bresil can add to Rachael Blackmore’s winning smiles
- John Fearn
- 14 March 2024
The sponsor’s name might change from year to year, but the Festival Plate rarely fails to deliver a decent race, and this edition appears to be no exception, with 21 capable chasers due to line up.
16:10 - Trustatrader (Festival) Plate Handicap Chase (2 miles 4½ furlongs)
Assuming the bookies have done their homework, then Harry Cobden could be in for a better day at the Cheltenham office if Theatre Man can recapture the form that saw him finish runner-up behind Ginny’s Destiny (who also runs under Cobden in the Turners here today) over this course and distance in January.
Planet Sport Bet: Bet £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if Il Ridoto finishes in the first four places, get a £5 Free Bet!
Knowing Harry’s luck, he will see his usual Paul Nicholls ride Il Ridoto carry Freddie Gingell off into the distance, and indeed this course-distance winner should not be discounted after finishing a far-from-disgraced sixth of 23 in the corresponding race last year.
He disappointed when tested over three miles at Kempton last month, so this drop in trip should help produce the kind of performance that saw him make the frame in his three previous attempts over this course and distance this term.
Each-way punt: Il Ridoto each-way in the 16:10 at Cheltenham
- Tip advised by Jackpot Horses on Tipstrr
Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott have half a dozen capable runners between them here, but it is one of their compatriots, Henry De Bromhead’s three charges who gets our final nod to get his nose in front.
Arctic Bresil won on hurdle debut 15 months ago and has made a progressive, if hardly stellar, transition to larger obstacles since being sent out chasing this season.
He certainly gave a good account of himself when finishing a six-length runner-up behind an odds-on Mullins favourite at Punchestown last month.
That was over two miles of testing ground, so this step up in trip should be of little consequence, and perhaps most interesting of all is that usual rider Rachael Blackmore is keeping faith with the seven-year-old in preference to her trainer’s other two runners.
De Bromhead’s horses have looked in fine fettle so far this week, and especially those with Blackmore in the saddle. They have teamed up eight times with six completions, of whom only Quilixios disappointed in the Arkle, while the other five have all finished in the top two.
Slade Steel won the Supreme, Captain Guinness landed the Champion Chase, while runners-up Telmesomethinggirl, Monty’s Star and Ballyadam all ran well to finish within four lengths of the winner of their respective races.
If Arctic Bresil turns up in anything like that kind of shape, then we could once again see a smiling Blackmore leading her charge into the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure.
Best bet: Arctic Bresil each-way in the 16:10 at Cheltenham
- Tip advised by Seventh Heaven Horse Racing on Tipstrr
Trustatrader Festival Plate key stats
Top 3 trainers (last 20 years)
- Venetia Williams - 28 runners, 3 winners and 5 places
- David Pipe - 26 runners, 3 winners and 4 places
- Nicky Henderson - 30 runners, 2 winners and 5 places
Top 3 jockeys (last 20 years)
- Adam Wedge - 6 rides with 1 winner and 1 place
- David Bass - 4 rides with 1 winner
- Gavin Sheehan - 4 rides with 1 winner
Past 5 winners of the Plate
- 2019 Siruh Du Lac 9/2
- 2020 Simply The Betts 100/30F
- 2021 The Shunter 9/4F
- 2022 Coole Cody 22/1
- 2023 Seddon 20/1
Britain v Ireland
- Britain - 15 winners and 51 places from 362 runners
- Ireland - 5 winners and 6 places from 65 runners
READ MORE: Cheltenham Festival ITV racing tips: Best bets for Day Three on Thursday March 14
