Cheltenham Day 4 Tips: 9/4 Nap tops Owen’s fancies on Gold Cup day

It really does fly by, doesn't it? The Cheltenham Festival comes to an end on Friday, when Galopin Des Champs bids for an historic hat-trick in the Gold Cup.

I'm going against Willie Mullins' champion in the feature race of the week in my Cheltenham Day 4 tips.

13:20 - Lulamba @ 9/4

I respect East India Dock and Hello Neighbour, but I've come round to the idea that LULAMBA is Nicky Henderson's newest star.

The four-year-old was a late recruit to the Seven Barrows yard after bolting up on his sole start in France, and there was a major antepost gamble on him for the Triumph Hurdle prior to his British debut. He was supported into 4/1 from 20/1 in a matter of days.

He went some way to justifying his lofty reputation at Ascot in mid-January, giving 10lbs and a beating to Gary & Josh Moore's Mondo Man - a 111-rated Flat horse bought for a mouth-watering €520k - who had Viyanni, a winner at Musselburgh and Ludlow either side of his visit to Berkshire, a further two-and-three-quarter lengths adrift. The fourth and fifth have also advertised the form since.

Some are suggesting the aforementioned Mondo Man has knocked the form, but I think that's harsh. His third in the Grade 2 Adonis at Kempton last month is hardly poor form - and don't forget, the selection was conceding plenty of weight and barely had to be asked a question by Nico de Boinville.

I loved everything about his performance in Berkshire. He travelled powerfully, jumped superbly bar the third last and was full of running at the line. It was faultless, to be honest.

That was only his second-ever start, so he's entitled to bundles of improvement. His trainer has an excellent record with juveniles, too. What's not to love?

He's my Nap for the final day of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

14:00 - Lark In The Mornin @ 4/1

This looks a strong renewal of the County Hurdle. Kargese, Absurde, McLaurey and Valgrand are all respected, but my vote is for Joseph O'Brien's LARK IN THE MORNIN.

The five-year-old son of Soldier Hollow was a comfortable winner of the Fred Winter last year off a mark of 122, and he's been particularly quiet since. He didn't enjoy the sharp 1m7½ on quick ground at Haydock in the Swinton Hurdle last May, but his seventh of 19 in a competitive handicap at Leopardstown over Christmas was much better.

As it was his first run in exactly 230 days, I'd say he very much needed it and I'm encouraged that he's been kept for this big prize since. It's very similar to what happened last year.

I suspect his mark of 132 is on the lenient side and in a tricky race he's worth a couple of quid.

14:40 - Brides Hill @ 6/1

Conditions are ideal for Gavin Cromwell's BRIDES HILL, who Keith Donoghue has picked over last year's winner Limerick Lace, ahead of the Mares' Chase.

She was turned over at 2/5f in a Listed contest at Doncaster just before the turn of the year, but improved when a beaten odds-on favourite again at Huntingdon in February. The eight-year-old Dylan Thomas mare easily reversed the form with La Renommee, but bumped into one in the shape of Telepathique. I think that rival very good.

She can take another step forward on Friday. She'll have to if Dinoblue runs to form, for she sets a high standard - although I'm not convinced Willie Mullins' eight-year-old will enjoy conditions. She was extremely disappointing earlier this term on livelier ground.

Brides Hill will be in her comfort zone, especially if it dries up even further, and looks ready to make a bold bid. I think she's a little overpriced at the moment.

15:20 - Argento Boy @ 14/1

The Albert Bartlett is never easy, but this year's renewal looks a minefield.

I've tipped Willie Mullins' ARGENTO BOY at 25/1 antepost and I'm sticking with him on the day, even though I'd have preferred softer ground for the six-year-old son of Jukebox Jury.

I say that because he disappointed on both occasions he was tried on anything better than soft - although you can make excuses for both runs. He was likely over the hill for the Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown Festival last May and was never travelling at Leopardstown over Christmas, during a time a few Mullins horses underperformed.

His breeding offers optimism on the ground front, too. He's a half-brother to Briar Hill, who won a Champion Bumper on good to soft and was sent off 2/1f for this race in 2014 before falling at the seventh flight. Another one of his half-siblings, Jazzaway, was a consistent performer on quicker surfaces, including at Galway.

If he acts in conditions and if he jumps better, Argento Boy is a very attractive price for this. He was only a length behind favourite The Big Westerner on hurdling debut at Punchestown back in November, despite racing keenly and finding some trouble in running, and his 15-length success at the same venue just last month was a fine effort.

Rachael Blackmore has been booked to ride and hopefully she can guide the selection to victory for Audrey Turley, before Galopin Des Champs' date with destiny 40 minutes later.

Selected race(s). Applies to Each Way, Single & Multiple bets only. Antepost bets don’t apply. Min. runner rules apply. T&Cs Apply.

16:00 - Monty's Star each-way @ 14/1

I know, I know. How dare I oppose Galopin Des Champs. Willie Mullins' nine-year-old is one of, if not the best staying chaser in history and he's looked just about as good as ever this season.

If all is well and he gets a clear round, he should win his third Gold Cup in a row. However, as we've seen several times this week, upsets can happen. Especially on this ground and especially when there's 22 fences to jump.

I'm expecting a career-best performance out of MONTY'S STAR, who is good each-way value at current prices.

The eight-year-old son of Walk In The Park, whose novice form behind Fact To File and Spillane's Tower is hard to knock, has been trained by Henry de Bromhead - a master at getting horses to peak on this stage - with this one day in mind. While the aforementioned Galopin, King George hero Banbridge and the majority of the other six hopefuls have had other targets throughout the campaign, the selection has not.

He was only just coming back from a setback when second in the G3 New Year's Day Chase at Tramore and according to De Bromhead still wasn't at his best when just under eight lengths behind Galopin in the G1 Savills Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Monty's Star improved a fair bit between those runs and I expect an even bigger leap here. It'll be only his seventh run over the bigger obstacles, so he's a lot less exposed than most of the field.

He needs the favourite to underperform or make mistakes in order to win the race, but I have high hopes about him finishing in the frame.

16:40 - Angels Dawn @ 10/3

I'm not the biggest fan of the Hunters' Chase, so I'll keep this one short and sweet.

ANGELS DAWN is the highest-rated horse in the field, she won the Kim Muir over half a furlong shorter in 2023 and looked booked for second behind the ridiculously well-handicapped Inothewayurthinkin, a single-figure price for the Gold Cup 40 minutes earlier, in it last year.

She's won both starts between the flags this season, with her six-length triumph over the reopposing Ryehill receiving a major boost when he bolted up by 12 lengths at Naas last month. She looks solid.

17:20 - Kopeck De Mee @ 9/4

The 2025 Cheltenham Festival ends with the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, which sees talking horse KOPECK DE MEE make his debut for Willie Mullins and JP McManus.

After being recruited from France last year, the five-year-old was supposed to go novice chasing this season but met with a setback, so attention turned to a handicap hurdle at the Festival given he already had the required five runs in the bank.

He's been allocated a mark of just 136, which on what he achieved in France - including a four-and-a-half-length Listed triumph - could be rather lenient. Mullins' assistant Ruby Walsh was quoted a few weeks back on RacingTV suggesting he's worth a mark in the 160s. Interesting.

I wanted to oppose him, as it's still a big ask in a 24-runner handicap at the Festival following a 310-day layoff no matter how much he has in hand, but he's hard to ignore at the same time.

I also don't think this is a great renewal, so he gets a tentative vote to end on a high.

Selection must finish 2nd in selected race(s). Win singles & win part of E/W bets only. Cash within 24 hours, max £10. Min runner rules apply. T&Cs Apply.

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