Top tipster Paul Jacobs reckons the recent Welsh National winner Haiti Couleurs is overpriced for the Blue Riband in March.

Paul Jacobs’ Cheltenham Antepost Betting Tips

Supreme Novices Hurdle – Hurricane Pat
Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle – Impose Toi
Triumph Hurdle – Maestro Conti
Gold Cup – Haiti Couleurs

*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.

Between them, Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins have won nine of the last 14 renewals of this festival opener and for that reason we always look to these two famous camps for leading players every year. To date this season, Mullins has yet to really throw up a contender, but there is time, while the Lambourn handler has the unbeaten Old Park Star as his current number one.

The reputation of the big yards has a hefty waiting on this market while both Mossy Fen Park and the Gary and Josh Moore charge have been under-rated to date.

HURRICANE PAT is as natural a jumper of hurdles that I have seen from a novice for some time and has been campaigned nicely by Harry Derham, with perhaps one run still to come before the big day. If he gets a nice break at the start and gets into a rhythm he could prove hard to pass. However, the selection impressed me hugely at Sandown Park despite the fact that the odds-on favourite Sober Glory ran well below par.

HURRICANE PAT just does everything in his stride, is beautifully relaxed in his races and just lengthens when asked. He will be wonderfully suited by the hustle and bustle of this race and once set alight at the bottom of the hill, his devouring stride could come into play. He is a good ground winner, but I fancy some ease in the going will be needed to have a shot at the gold medal. He could be a class act and the yard knows what they are doing with young hurdlers in their care.

I have backed Wodhooh at disgustingly big prices for this staying championship and I would fancy her with the mares’ allowance to see off Teahupoo and company, but it seems connections will instead go for the Mares Hurdle, although if Lossiemouth runs there could they have another change of mind? I hope so!

Teahupoo and Honest Policy are probably the right prices, but if the last named learns to settle he could close the gap on the official ratings between the pair. Kabral Du Mathan looks as though he will wait for another day at Aintree, so the one piece of each-way value I could find is IMPOSE TOI. I was in the ‘he won’t stay brigade’ this season, but he has slowly won me around especially with his display in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

It is really hard to tie him down to a ceiling figure as the eight-year-old only just does enough in his races, with his high cruising speed his main asset. I can see him slowly creeping into this contest from the top of hill and jockey Nico de Boinviile leaving it as late as possible, to press the button.

French imports sent to the biggest stables in the UK and Ireland have been the recent trend for the four-year-old brigade and the top of the market for this juvenile championship is dominated by them again. Willie Mullins’ Narciso Has got the job done nicely in the Grade Two at Leopardstown over Christmas, but I am not really sure what he beat and the Dublin Racing Festival at the end of this month may reveal more. I am happy to leave him alone at the prices.

Highly touted and also housed at Closutton, Proactif may have taken his chance at Fairyhouse on Saturday by the time you read this column. However the form of his sole win at Auteuil has not worked out well. Fantasy World took a nice step forward at Ascot last time out, but needs another big slice of improvement to be involved and I much prefer the claims of MAESTRO CONTI.

The son of Prince Gibraltar jumped like an old pro on his debut at Kempton Park in December and once Harry Skelton asked him for his effort, the odds on favourite readily pulled clear. I suspect his current odds reasonably reflect his chance and with another run under his belt I can see them tumbling again with another decisive victory probably, that may be on Trials day at Cheltenham on January 24.

Gold Cup – Haiti Couleurs

In such an open year I was devastated that Dan Skelton didn’t at least enter November’s Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Panic Attack in this year’s feature, with her hugely upward trajectory. Yes, she needs to take another huge step forward to beat the crème de la creme of the staying chasing world, but this year’s renewal is so wide open. And I can’t forget how another mare, Dubacilla, made such progress in her finest year going from a mark of 126 to running second to the brilliant slugger Master Oats in the big race.

I simply cannot have Gaelic Warrior going left handed, whatever the positives from his run in the King George. Galopin Des Champs needs a really testing surface to bring his bottomless stamina into play to regain his title, he was merely out-paced 12 months ago on better ground by Inothewayurthinkin.

So I had a small each-way bet on HAITI COULEURS after it was made public that he suffered a problem in the Betfair Chase and his subsequent win in the Welsh National has only encouraged me to have a bit more. Tried and tested around Cheltenham, the new course plays to his strengths and he is available at a double-figure price still. Grey Dawning is also over-priced and is clearly improving as well and unexposed over an extended three and a quarter miles. Dan Skelton has been much easier on him this year and he is the forgotten chaser in the entries at the current prices.

Paul Jacobs’ Cheltenham Antepost Betting Tips

Supreme Novices Hurdle – Hurricane Pat
Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle – Impose Toi
Triumph Hurdle – Maestro Conti
Gold Cup – Haiti Couleurs

*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.

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