S.P.Read Esq: Cheltenham Festival Wednesday

Our daily columnist and pundit S.P. Read Esq. looks ahead to the second day of the CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL and finds the best opportunities available on Star Spreads, the home of sports spread betting.

Profitable start to Cheltenham for the column.

A profit on the day of 840 points to the recommended Star Spreads trades !!!!

The highlights being the buys of Altior and Vroum Vroum Mag on the 50/30/20/10 indexes.

It was very much the Rich Ricci / Willie Mullins / Ruby Walsh show on Tuesday and the stable look set to strike again on Wednesday but expect some different colours in the winners enclosure.

Mullins certainly has an exceptionally strong hand in the opening Neptune with Yorkhill his leading hope. It looked likely for a long time that Yorkhill would have run in the Supreme yesterday (and with hindsight, after the defeat of Min maybe that SHOULD have happened) but he has been diverted to run over the longer trip here.

He is unbeaten in four starts since joining Mullins and won the Grade 1 Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown last time out over two miles but had previously won over 2m 4f at Punchestown so seems very versatile trip wise.

Mullins has a strong back up team and I particularly like A Toi Phil, each way. He is improving with each start (after unseating on debut) and won a Leopardstown Grade 2 in fine style last time out.

The RSA Chase at 2.10 is a race capable historically of springing a surprise and I think that could be the case again this year. There’s little to choose between the entire field on ratings, yet the market says it’s an odds shot than the winner will either be More Of That or No More Heroes.

I’m sure we’ll get a good spin from Seeyouatmidnight who is a confirmed front runner and has taken to fencing really well. He wasn’t beaten too far in seventh in the World Hurdle at last year’s Festival and looks even better over the larger obstacles. Expect a white knuckle ride though as he is capable of clattering one or two.

Wednesday’s feature is the Queen Mother Champion Chase for which Un De Sceaux is odds-on to graduate from his Arkle success last season. Two falls from seven starts in his fledging chasing career is too high a percentage for me to get involved at odds on. 2014 winner Sire De Grugy is back for more but I am worried about the current form of the Gary Moore yard which seems to have gone off the boil. 2013 winner Sprinter Sacre could be a bigger threat to Un De Sceaux given his enthusiasm has been rekindled by Nicky Henderson and he should confirm Kempton form with Sire De Grugy and be the proverbial each way ‘bet to nothing’.

The Champion Bumper is the final Grade 1 race on the card and looks ultra-tough. It’s hard enough sorting through the seven runners trained by Willie Mullins.

Augusta Kate could be the one though and be another winning mare for the stable after Annie Power and Vroum Vroum Mag. She was an impressive winner of a Listed bumper at Navan and the second in that race Cashelard Lady came out to make a winning hurdling debut by 39 lengths !!!! Augusta Kate gets a handy 7lb mares allowance and that could prove pivotal.

Star Spreads have a bonus 5 points for fifth in the finale and also in the Coral Cup at 2.50pm.

CLICK FOR CHELTENHAM MARKETS ON STAR SPREADS

RECOMMENDED BETS (scale 1-100 points)

BUY A TOI PHIL on the 50/25/10 index (1.30 Cheltenham) for 10 points at 12
BUY SEEYOUATMIDNIGHT on the 50/25/10 index (2.10 Cheltenham) for 10 points at 9
BUY SPRINTER SACRE on the 50/25/10 index (3.30 Cheltenham) for 10 points at 16
BUY AUGUSTA KATE on the 50/30/20/10 (5TH = 5 FOR BUYERS) index (5.20 Cheltenham) for 15 points at 13

FROM FEBRUARY
2 Feb -275.00 (SELL 1st WEST HAM MATCH GOAL 25 points at 47)
3 Feb +116.25 (SELL CHELSEA SUPREMACY 75 points at 0.55)
6 Feb -100.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 25 points at 44)
7 Feb -735.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 35 points at 51)
8 Feb -1260.00 (BUY 1st MATCH GOAL 35 points at 41)
9 Feb +245.00 (SELL 1st WEST HAM MATCH GOAL 35 points at 52)
9 Feb -455.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 77)
10 Feb -490.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 76)
13 Feb -1295.00 (SELL 1st MATCH GOAL 35 points at 40)
14 Feb +315.00 (BUY 1st MATCH GOAL 35 points at 36)
15 Feb -350.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 80)
16 Feb +175.00 (SELL 1st PSG MATCH GOAL 25 points at 46)
17 Feb -1050.00 (SELL 1st ROMA MATCH GOAL 30 points at 55)
18 Feb +0.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 50 points at 77)
19 Feb -150.00 (SELL 1st EVERTON MATCH GOAL 25 points at 49)
19 Feb -750.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 50 points at 75)
20 Feb +275.00 (SELL 1st CHELSEA MATCH GOAL 25 points at 46)
20 Feb +1400.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 50 points at 76)
21 Feb +0.00 (SELL 1st MAN U MATCH GOAL 45 points at 37)
21 Feb +840.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 70 points at 73)
23 Feb -1270.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 70 points at 72)
25 Feb +210.00 (SELL 1st MAN U MATCH GOAL 70 points at 32)
27 Feb -1500.00 (BUY 1st MATCH GOAL 50 points at 42)
28 Feb +1200.00 (BUY 3rd MATCH GOAL 80 points at 75)
28 Feb -68.00 (BUY TOTAL MATCH GOALS 80 points at 2.85)
29 Feb +4000.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 80 points at 78)
3 Mar NO BET
4 Mar -108.00 (BUY CORNERS 40 points at 10.7)
5 Mar +570.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 30 points at 56)
6 Mar -1200 (SELL 1st MAN U MATCH GOAL 30 points at 50)
8 Mar +90.00 (SELL 1st ARSENAL MATCH GOAL 30 points at 44)
9 Mar -240.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 30 points at 68)
10 Mar +150.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 30 points at 55)
12 Mar -470.00 (BUY CORNERS 100 points at 11.7)
13 Mar -320.00 (SELL 1st WEST HAM MATCH GOAL 40 points at 60)
15 Mar +840.00 (assorted Cheltenham Festival trades)

• Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
• Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.