Cheltenham Festival - Final Day - Gold Cup!

It's been a week of some exciting races all building up towards today and the main event when we will see who will win the Gold Cup. The weather has not been the best this week and so I have been having to operate more cautiously that I'd originally hoped.

All week I've steadily been acquiring some profits with offers from free bets and extra places and today I am looking to put those profits on the line with some gambles. As well as the Gold cup there is a day full of racing and so let's get to it.

Source

Triumph Hurdle 13:30

All week if you have been watching the ITV coverage you will have heard them going on about Apples Shakira, it's a short favourite to win this one but not quite odds on just yet. Skybet and Betway are both still offering their generous stake return offer as a free bet and idieally I'd have liked to bet it on another long shot and see a big return if it came in.

The one I was hoping to back was Saldier but unfortunately it is only 12/1 on Sky while available at 16/1 elsewhere and so out of principle I can't bring myself to do it.

As it is a risk free bet I am going to finally back a favourite and go with the ITV pundits and back Apples Shakira, it won't bring the biggest return but will be just over double my stake so not too bad for a risk free go.

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County Hurdle 14:10

This race has extra each way markets available so will be one I'll be looking to trade on and sneak out some more profits but as it is the final day I have promised myself I will have at least 1 gamble on each race.

I have decided to place an each way bet on Spiritofthegame at 14/1 with Bet365 and will get a return if it comes in the top 5. There are bookies offering 6 places but those bookies were only offering 12/1 and also Bet365 has 1/4 terms making it worth losing out on the extra place.

Hopefully the 6th place will be occupied by Lagostovegas it's 20/1 and have bet with Skybet so will see a return if it comes inside the top 6. It's a pure punt, purely because I am headed to Las Vegas in June and it was a name that jumped out to me when I gave the card a scan. I did read up a little about it and it has a few things going for it so it's not completely wasted money.

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Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle 14:50

I am going with OK Corral for this race, none of the tipsters seem overly confident in the shorter odds horses and so I am hoping this 16/1 can swoop in. I am going each way again and will get a return if it finishes inside the top 4.

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Cheltenham Gold Cup 15:30

This is the big one, the main event of the week and hopefully where all the profits I have been saving up will be turned into some big returns.

The first of my bets will be on Definitely Red I am a Liverpool fan so the name instantly appealed but unlike the Vegas horse I would be backing this one even if it's name was Blue Nose. The odds of 12/1 are appealing and quite a few tipsters who usually pick favourites in big races have been favoring him. Reading up he is a horse that will enjoy the conditions and has previous good experiences over these fences.

My other bets are a shorter priced Native River who placed in this race previously and could do better with the winner back then not being here today. I am also having an each way bet on Edwulf at 16/1 and will get a return if he finishes inside the top 5 places.

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Foxhunter Chase 16:10

Depending on how the Gold Cup goes I may add more picks to these following races but for now I am placing an each way on Unioniste at 18/1.

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Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle 16:50

Again depending on how things go in the Gold Cup will dictate whether I add more selections but for now I will be betting on another 18/1 shot Melrose Boy

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Grand Annual 17:30

I have decided to go for 2 in this race in hope of ending the week with at least 1 long shot victory.

Doitforthevillage at 33/1 with Paddypower who are offering 5 places for this race is my first each way selection, and Vaniteux who is 22/1 on Bet365 who are also offering 5 places is my 2nd selection.

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It would be great to have some of my gambles pay off to end the week, my main takeaway from the week has been that it probably isn't worth following the advise from the tipsters. I feel like the horses I selected myself gave me a better run for my money than the ones where I followed their advise.

Best of luck if you are betting on the races today!