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The Cheltenham Christmas Meeting delivers two days of elite racing and genuine Festival clues, with the December Gold Cup and International Hurdle taking centre stage. We’ve analysed every key race and picked out the horses offering real value at current prices. Below you’ll find our best bets and bookmaker offers for Friday and Saturday.
Best Odds for Cheltenham:
4YO–6YO | Class 2 | 2m 179y | 10 Runners | Turf
Progressive novice who impressed on hurdling debut and should improve again.
Old Park Star made an excellent start over hurdles at Kempton, travelling strongly and settling matters with a bit in hand. He showed plenty in bumpers last season and looks a straightforward, improving type now he has switched to timber.
Henderson’s team traditionally go well at this meeting, and this looks another suitable opening for a novice on the rise who should be a major player with further progress.
4YO+ | Class 1 | 3m 2f 70y | 9 Runners | Turf
Reliable stayer well suited to this trip if breaking cleanly.
The Doyen Chief looks a strong contender for the 1:50, with his Coral Gold Cup run easy to forgive after losing all chance at the start. His overall profile is much more reliable than that blip, and his staying form from last season fits this test.
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Claim NowClass 3 | 2m 4f 127y | 20 Runners | Turf
Improving mare who scored decisively last time and arrives with her yard in excellent form.
Realta Liath took a notable step forward on her latest start, travelling well, jumping soundly despite a tendency to edge right, and drawing clear after the last before being eased down. That performance suggested she has more to offer at this trip, and her mark still looks workable based on how strongly she finished.
Warren Greatrex’s team are in excellent form, and he has a solid record with mares around this time of year.
Class 1 | 2m 4f 127y | 12 Runners | Turf
Excellent Paddy Power run marks him out as a major player, and his revised mark keeps him very competitive.
Vincenzo shaped extremely well in the Paddy Power, racing prominently throughout and proving the best of those on the pace as closers dominated the finish. A 2lb rise looks fair for a strong second in a deep handicap, and the form has taken a boost since, with the winner continuing her rapid progression. His jumping was generally solid, and there was plenty to like about how he stuck to the task late on.
This will be only his second start of the season, and with that run likely to bring him forward, another big performance at this trip looks entirely feasible. His recent efforts at around 2m4f suggest this could now be his optimum distance, and he should be right in the mix if reproducing that level.
Class 1 | 2m 7f 213y | 10 Runners | Turf
Unbeaten over hurdles and already a course winner, with the profile of a stayer who should keep improving.
Conman John arrives two-from-two over hurdles after a determined course win over 2m7f, where he was headed mid-race but rallied strongly to lead again and stayed on well to the line. He clearly handles this track and trip, shapes like a thorough stayer, and should continue improving despite a 3lb penalty. With connections mapping out a path toward the Albert Bartlett in March, he sets a solid standard in a race where proven stamina and attitude matter.
