Cheltenham Festival Odds: William Hill Top Price Guarantee at Cheltenham on Championship Races
With just a week to go before the Cheltenham Festival we're diving into the odds and can reveal that William Hill have gone guaranteed best price on the four championship races.
From Friday 4th March at 9am, the bookmaker have a top price guarantee on the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Stayers Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup, compared to selected competitors. This applies to standard win markets only and we've had a look at each of the Championship races ahead of the festival which gets underway on Tuesday 15th March 2022.
Day 1 - Champion Hurdle - 3.30pm
The championship race on day one of the Festival is the Champion Hurdle, a two mile Grade 1 contest which has an odds on jolly in the shape of Honeysuckle (pictured). The Henry De Bromhead is unbeaten over hurdles and was the impressive winner of this race 12 months ago. At 4/7 she might not be everyone's cup of tea at such a short price but she's guaranteed top price if you're backing her with William Hill. The 8yo form looks like 1/1111/1111/111-111 which lets face it is a thing of beauty! 14 wins in a row including this season, the Grade 1 Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in November followed by a six and a half length win in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Can she be beaten?
Appreciate It trained by Willie Mullins is the second favourite, top priced 7/2 with William Hill. The horse won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham 12 months ago but hasn't been seen on a racecourse since. Mullins is the master of getting a horse right without a prep run at the Festival but from a punting point of view it does feel like a bit of a leap of faith and the 2021 Supreme doesn't look like the hottest of renewals on reflection.
At bigger prices. Teahupoo is 8/1 with Hills and past winner Epatante available to back at 10/1.
The Gordon Elliott trained Teahupoo is only a 5yo but with three wins this season, albeit at a lower level has entered the Champion Hurdle mix.
Epatante looks the best of British and won this race in 2020. Beaten nine and a half lengths by Honeysuckle last year and then 12 lengths at Punchestown in the spring, she's won both of her races this season but against lesser opposition.
It's 16/1 bar the rest of the field.
Day 2 - Champion Chase - 3.30pm
Day 2's championship race, the Queen Mother Champion Chase is a little more competitive but still has a short price favourite in the shape of Shishkin.
The Nicky Henderson trained 8yo is top guaranteed price 4/6 with William Hill and comes here unbeaten over fences. A winner of the Supreme in 2020 and the Arkle last year, the horse is looking for a hat-trick of winners at the Cheltenham Festival and will be the cornerstone of many an accumulator. A winner at Kempton over Christmas, it was the battle with Energumene in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot that got racing fans' juices flowing and they look on course to battle it out again here.
Shishkin came out on top that day by one length, and Willie Mullins 8yo is 4/1 second favourite with William Hill.
Chacun Pour Soi is a 9/2 chance and although he won the Dublin Chase last month he's questions to be answered at the top level and was a beaten odds on favourite in this race 12 months ago.
Further down the betting, Nube Negra is a 10/1 chance and its 20/1 bar the rest, which includes last year's winner Put The Kettle On.
Day 3 - Stayers' Hurdle - 3.30pm
Day 3 and 4's championship races are much more competitive and in particular Thursday's Stayers' Hurdle which is 7/2 the field.
Headed by last year's winner Flooring Porter, there's been a string of ante post favourites in the betting who have won and then put in a bit of a stinker.
5/1 chances Champ and Klassical Dream can be put into that hat. Champ reverting back to hurdles and winning the Grade 1 Long Walk before fluffing his lines in the Relkeel on Cheltenham trials day. Winner of the 2020 RSA Chase he has good form at the course but is a tricky ride.
Klassical Dream is another Cheltenham winner in the shape of the 2020 Supreme Novices' Hurdle. He missed last year's festival but cam back strongly off a long break to win the Stayers at Punchestown and followed that up with a win over Flooring Porter in the Christmas Hurdle. Like Champ, the 8yo was disappointing last time out though only finished fourth in the Grade 2 Galmoy and his odds for Cheltenham drifted as a result.
The consistent Thyme Hill is the second favourite at odds of 9/2 with William Hill. Trained by Phillip Hobbs, he was beaten by Champ in the Long Walk and his odds seem to have shortened by the fact he's not raced since.
Paisley Park would be a popular winner. The 2019 Stayers winner will be running in the race for the fourth time, beaten into third last season but a winner on Cheltenham trials day and sure to attract plenty of support.
Day 4 - Cheltenham Gold Cup - 3.30pm
The Gold Cup is the highlight of Friday at Cheltenham and the whole week!
The Irish dominate the betting at William Hill with last year's runner-up A Plus Tard for Henry De Bromhead the 7/2 joint favourite. The winner of the Betfair Chase back in November, he was an odds on beaten favourite in the Savills Chase by Galvin who shares favouritism with him here. Trained by Gordon Elliott, Galvin won the four-miler at Cheltenham in 2021 so stamina won't be an issue here and has a good record at the course.
Last year's winner Minella Indo, also trained by Henry De Bromhead is next in the betting at 5/1. Yet to win this season including being pulled up in the King George, there was a lot more to like about his effort last time in the Irish Gold Cup where he stayed on into second place.
The best of the British comes next in the shape of Protektorat for Dan Skelton. Winner of the Grade 2 Many Clouds Chase at Aintree last time out in December this is a considerable step up in class, including two-time Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo who is a 10/1 chance.
If you haven't got a William Hill account, you can click on any of the William Hill links on BettingOdds.com to sign up and create an account, qualifying for £30 in free bets.
*In terms of the William Hill competitors listed for this guaranteed odds offer, they are Sky Bet, Bet365, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook and Coral.
