Cheltenham Ante-Post Tips 2024: Take 12/1 about major National Hunt Chase player

After a weekend that provided an abundance of Cheltenham Festival clues, it's the following Gordon Elliott-trained novice chaser that gets written into the antepost book.

People often say there's no value in antepost betting anymore. I wholeheartedly disagree.

Suggestions of 12/1 about four-year-olds yet to race under rules for one of the more competitive races at the Cheltenham Festival doesn't do much to convince otherwise... but how about those very odds for a 14-length winner of a Grade 2?

Favori De Champdou is the name - the National Hunt Chase is the game.

I think there's been a sizeable underreaction to the eight-year-old's mightily-impressive victory in what can only be described as a red-hot renewal of the Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown last weekend.

Sure, the race fell apart somewhat. Affordale Fury didn't perform, Churchstonewarrior unseated Michael O'Sullivan and wreaked havoc throughout, and Flooring Porter jumped and hung left at a crucial stage.

However, I'm pretty confident that Gordon Elliott's runner would have won anyway. Let's not forget, he beat the very useful Sandor Clegane, who had no excuses, by fourteen lengths. That's no mean feat.

Elliott and Jack Kennedy were rather bullish post-race. The latter suggested the son of Saddler Maker "could have gone round there again", while the former wasted no time in name-dropping the National Hunt Chase.

"I liked the way he stayed galloping. He travelled the whole way and he could be a real National Hunt Chase horse for Cheltenham."

Gordon Elliott on Favori De Champdou

That race looks made for him. He's experienced, stays all day and has a touch of class too. Soft ground is important to him, but we often get that on the opening day of the Festival it wouldn't put me off.

I suggest taking the 12s now, while it's still available.

It's highly-unlikely that market leaders Klassical Dream and Stay Away Fay will go down this route. They've already been talked-up as Brown Advisory contenders.

Similar comments apply to Grangeclare West and Flooring Porter, while the selection's stablemate Salvador Ziggy is a suspect stayer as far as I'm concerned.

As time passes, and targets become clearer, I can only see Favori De Champdou getting shorter and shorter for the finale on Day 1.

Stay tuned to Betfred Insights for more Cheltenham Tips as we build-up to the 2024 Festival