Good Tips for Cheltenham Festival 2009

Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup is the biggest and definitely the most expected race in living memory. All along it was shaping up to be a titanic battle between the two heirs apparent to the great Arkle's crown. All season the talk was all about just who would win the Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup 2008.
The choice between the rising champion and Gold Cup 2007 hero, Kauto Star, and the rising challenger, Denman, divided the punting public in two and surely everyone every punter worth his salt put his money where his mouth is and sided with one of the two super-chasers.
What's more it was nearly unparalleled that one trainer, Paul Nicholls, was able to send out two horses of such high quality in a race of this magnitude. His string was all the more worthy since Kauto was bidding to win a second Betfair £1million bonus, achieved for winning the Betfair Lancashire Chase, the King George VI Chase and the Gold Cup in the same season. Realistically Denman looked the only contender capable of upsetting the odds so to risk £1million to make this super-race happen made the entire racing fraternity and Denman's connections very happy.
Both horses will surely be back for the Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup 2009 next year and Denman is widelt available at Evens Favourite, with Kauto at 3-1 to reverse this year's placings. Questions remain to be answered as Kauto Star didn't look at his best, but others will say that was just down to the sheer power of Denman and the result will be the same next year. Whatever, another great spectacle awaits us on Gold Cup Day in 2009.
Paul Nicholls managed an impressive 1-2-3 as Neptune Collonges followed his stable-mates home and was only narrowly beaten into third by Kauto Star. He's now available at 20-1 to improve on that and win the Gold Cup in 2009.
But what of the other contenders? On form none of them really had a chance, Exotic Dancer, was the highest rated third favourite at odds of 17-2, had already been beaten five times in career by Kauto Star and odds were heavily stacked against him turning it around this time. And so it proved with Exotic Dancer finishing in fifth place. After being beaten by Kauto Star last year will he back for a third shot at the title in the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2009?
Of the outsiders Afistfullofdollars was well fancied amongst the each-way backers on the course and went off at 20-1. However despite a plucky run he didn't quite have enough coming up hill and finished in 7th under Paul Carberry.
But let's not forget the other candidates for next year who have appeared over this glorious week of racing at Prestbury Park. Tidal Bay put in a supreme run to beat the field by 13 lengths in the Arkle Chase on Tuesday and is widely available at odds of 20-1 for the Gold Cup 2009. The only question there seems to be whether trainer Howard Johnson will prefer to aim the chaser at the Queen Mother Champion Chase 2009 instead. Whichever he race he opts for it seems clear that Tidal Bay will be a strong contender to win again at the Cheltenham Festival 2009.
Master Minded put in a thrilling performance to win Champion Chase yesterday and gives Paul Nicholls an embarrassment of riches with which to take on the chasing titles next year. An intriguing rematch between Kauto & Denman could be made a three-way head-to-head in the Gold Cup 2009. This has surely got to be the race that the punters want to see, Master Minded is available at odds of 14-1 to steal Denman's crown at next year's Cheltenham Festival 2009.

Cheltenham Festival