Cheltenham New Year's Day 2020: Race Schedule, Betting Tips & Horse Racing Odds

Is there any better way of bringing in the New Year than enjoying a whole days racing action at Cheltenham Racecourse - the home of The Festival?

Here is the schedule of races on what should be another informative afternoon of Festival clues:

Cheltenham New Year's Day Horse Racing

What Happened Last Year?

  • Aso got 2019 off to a winning start for Charlie Deutsch and Venetia Williams in what is now the Grade 3 Paddy Power Handicap Chase. Aso then went on to run very well in the Ryanair Chase at The Festival.
     
  • Beware The Bear scored for Jeremiah McGrath and Nicky Henderson OBE in the newly named Markel Insurance Handicap Chase, beating Shanroe Santos and Perfect Candidate in the process. Two and a half months later Beware The Bear went on to win the Grade 3 Ultima Chase at The Festival.

 

The New Year's Day fixture at Cheltenham has proved a springboard for numerous horses after it was created in its current format in 2005.

Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Denman and Bobs Worth both won over hurdles at the fixture during their novice campaigns.

Denman scored in the rearranged Challow Novices' Hurdle, which had been moved from Newbury, in 2006, while Bobs Worth took what is now the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle in 2011.

Big Buck's started his 18-race winning streak over hurdles in the 2009 running of the Paddy Power 68 Sleeps To Cheltenham Handicap Hurdle.

Trained by Paul Nicholls OBE and owned by Andy Stewart, Big Buck's Cheltenham Festival record included four successive Stayers' Hurdle triumphs – a feat that won’t easily be repeated.

The hugely talented mare Annie Power registered a comfortable victory over Zarkandar in the  Dornan Engineering Hurdle on New Year's Day 2014.

Her 15 career wins from 17 starts were headlined by her memorable success in the 2016 Champion Hurdle, the first mare to do so since Flakey Dove in 1994.

The New One's second victory under Rules came in the 2012 version of the concluding race on the card, the EBF Stallions & Cheltenham Pony Club NH Flat Race.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained runner clocked up 17 wins over hurdles, including a record-equalling three successes in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Lostintranslation and Defi Du Seuil finished first and second in the Grade 2 Dipper Novices' Chase on New Year's Day last year.

Both horses have established themselves as two of Britain's top chasers, with Defi Du Seuil winning the JLT Novices' Chase at The Festival and this season's Tingle Creek Chase.

Lostintranslation also went on to take Grade 1 honours, picking up both Aintree's Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase and the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park.

Let’s take an early look at the horses that have been entered up for January 1st:

12:15pm - Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Listed)

Redford Road is a course and distance winner and is likely to go off the favourite after a superb start to his 2019/20 season.  A narrow win over Champagne Well here in December should see the six-year-old spot on for another bold bid.

Aintree scorer Imperial Alcazar should also be on the premises, whilst the Skelton brothers team up again with the useful French recruit, Protektorat.

12:50pm - Markel Insurance Handicap Chase

Cogry is somewhat of a standing dish at Prestbury Park but he will have to defy top weight if he is to register his fifth course win.
The veteran performer Carole’s Destrier either wins or gets pulled up as of late and his form figures suggest a big run is on the cards.

Singlefarmpayment is something of an enigma at this track and he will probably arrive late on the scene, full of running, and disgruntled punters will tell you the rest of the story.

1:25pm - Dipper Novices' Chase

Barry Geraghty said he was looking forward the most to riding Champ over the Christmas holiday period and it is easy to understand why.

After switching to the bigger obstacles, the JP McManus-owned eight-year-old has scored back-to-back wins at Newbury, but this will be his biggest test to date.

The Sue Smith-trained Midnight Shadow won the Relkeel Hurdle on this card last year and has taken to the chasing game well. He could pose the biggest threat to the odds-on favourite.

2:00pm - Paddy Power Handicap Chase

Kalashnikov will be hoping to brush off a dose of seconditus with victory in this New Year’s Day feature. Sent off the favourite for both his starts this season, he’s had to play second fiddle to both Forest Bihan and Oldgrangewood so far.

Cepage ran with credit here in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup and should well again whilst Mister Whitaker makes his seasonal debut after collecting the Silver Trophy here back in April.

2:35pm - Cheltenham Handicap Hurdle

Skandiburg looked like a horse to follow this season when scooting up in the Pertemps Hurdle at Aintree in November.

Beware The Bear enjoys it here whilst Nicky Henderson’s other runner Might Bite returns to hurdling for the first time since 2015 after seemingly falling out of love with chasing.

3:10pm - Relkeel Hurdle

After taking the Haldon Gold Cup and running with credit in the Tingle Creek, Janika returns to the hurdling sphere and will be a tough but to crack in this contest.

Emitom was far from disgraced when running to three lengths behind Champ at Aintree last April and rates as the most obvious danger to the favourite.

The fortunate David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle winner, Roksana, is sure to be in the shake up too.

3:45pm - Pony Club NH Flat Race

Naturally there are plenty of unknowns in this finale but there has to be some value lurking in the field somewhere.

Tom Lacey’s Quick Draw was well fancied at Aintree and will certainly know his job whilst Alan King knows how to ready one on debut and he saddles Harrowby. 

Alex Hales’ stable has been running into form in recent weeks and Adstantes is worth a cautionary look in the betting.

***
You can find all our Cheltenham New Year’s Day horse racing betting odds on the 888sport website.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark Humphrey / AP Photo*

December 30, 2019
Horse Racing

By Steve Mullington

Steve Mullington
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    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

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    Why Tom Brady IS The Greatest NFL Player Of All-Time

    The quarterback is the most influential position in team sport. No team can win a Super Bowl with a subpar quarterback.

    The greatest of all-time in American football inevitably focuses on the signal callers. It might seem unfair to the other positions, but the quarterback is the player with the most influence on a game.

    Focusing the discussion on the quarterback spot isn’t a disservice to Randy Moss, Rob Gronkowski or Lawrence Taylor. Comparing position with position in any sport can be tricky, and it’s a particular challenge in American football.

    How can Moss’ achievements be pitted against Peyton Manning’s? Or how can Gronkowski’s influence be contrasted with Joe Montana’s?

    Working on the premise that quarterback is the most important position in this, and any team, sport, it narrows the greatest ever debate to a handful of names.

    Montana and Manning feature, as do Brett Favre, Dan Marino and modern greats Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. One name, though, has stood out like no other: Tom Brady.

    Brady was at the centre of an infamous NFL controversy in the form of Deflategate. He divides opinion – like many all-time greats do – and his diet and lifestyle choices have been criticised.

    The ascent to superstardom, the Super Bowl rings and NFL records, has seen Brady become one of the most famous people in America, appearing in the Simpsons, Family Guy and Ted 2.

     

    Defying The Odds

    His route to Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion wasn’t always clear. Brady wasn’t a college stud like Kyler Murray or Baker Mayfield – he was selected 199th overall by the New England Patriots.

    Even in his earlier years at Michigan, Brady wasn’t highly regarded. He spent his first two seasons as a backup, as low as seventh on their depth chart.

    Once he broke through in 1998, battling Drew Henson for the starting spot, Brady seized his opportunity.

    It was an example of his ability to succeed under pressure, as he racked up the touchdowns and passing yards over those two seasons on his way to a 20-5 record.

    His time in the NFL saw him on the sidelines again. A Drew Bledsoe injury in his second campaign gave him his chance, and he took it better than even the most loyal Patriots fan could have hoped.

    The season ended with his first Super Bowl ring and a Super Bowl MVP. He has defied the NFL odds throughout his career, he’s an athlete who is well practiced in fighting against expectations.

     

    Weight Of Success

    That first glorious run was just the start. Brady has gone on to compile a list of records unmatched by any other quarterback in the history of the league. The Patriots are – thanks to Brady and Bill Belichick – the greatest dynasty in NFL history.

    He has more playoff winning drives than anyone else, including six in Super Bowls. He has the most wins of any quarterback. He has every quarterback Super Bowl record imaginable.

    Playing 19 seasons will see a player rack up numbers, but Brady has done far more than collect stats. The Patriots have never had a losing season since he took over as starter, winning the division 16 times and playing in 13 AFC Championship games.

    The Brady and Belichick duo is the greatest quarterback-coach pairing in NFL history, and the role of Belichick is the main critique of Brady’s claim to be considered the greatest player ever.

    Evaluating a player’s legacy on team success might not seem fair. Perhaps Rodgers has Brady’s CV if he was with Belichick. Maybe they’re even better.

    We can’t judge that (though those sort of hypotheticals are always fun) – what we do know is that Brady has been the ultimate clutch quarterback.

    There is a sense of inevitability when Brady gets the ball in the fourth quarter. The most famous came in Super Bowl LI as he dismantled the Atlanta Falcons to recover from a 25-point deficit and win in overtime.

    Super Bowl LII wasn’t quite as dramatic, but Brady delivered in the fourth quarter once again to break a 3-3 tie with the Rams, winning his sixth Super Bowl.

    There is a long list of Brady game-winning drives, and regardless of Belichick’s mastery as coach, that calmness, and poise to execute in the big moments, is all Brady.

    As long as Brady is playing in Patriots blue, New England will be a common feature in NFL betting tips. No player has as strong a case for the GOAT title.

     

    *Credit for the main photo belongs to David J. Phillip / AP Photo*

    December 28, 2019
    NFL
    Body

    Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

    He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

    Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

    Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

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    King George VI Chase: Horse Racing Tips Ahead Of Kempton Park Boxing Day Meeting

    The highlight of the racing calendar over the busy Christmas period is undoubtedly the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

    The race, which is run over a distance of three miles, negotiating eighteen fences, is now the second most prestigious chase in England, surpassed only by the Cheltenham Gold Cup - and it has been subject to the best horse racing gambles.

    The last ten renewals of the race have been dominated by horses trained by Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Colin Tizzard. Clan Des Obeaux held off stern competition from Thistlecrack to win a dramatic race last year and both horses line up again.

    Here is a look at the trends and statistics on the King George VI Chase based on the last ten years:

    Age: 7 of the last ten winners were aged between 6 and 8 years old.

    Form:

    • Six of the last ten winners were officially rated 172 or higher.
    • Nine of the last ten winners ran in the last forty days.
    • Ten of the last ten winners had won over three miles plus.
    • Ten of the last ten winners had won at least one Grade One chase.
    • Nine of the last ten winners had won at Kempton before over the race distance.

     

    Trainer Form:

    • Paul Nicholls has won five of the last ten renewals.
    • Nicky Henderson had notable success with Long Run in this race before Might Bite came along.
    • Colin Tizzard broke the Nicholls/Henderson stranglehold on this race in 2015 and 2016.
    • Irish trained runners have a very poor record in this race, boasting just three winners in the last forty years. Those winners were: Florida Pearl (2001) and Kicking King (2004, 2005).

     

    Starting Price:

    • Five favourites have won in the last ten King George VI Chase renewals.
    • All the winners since 2005 had been priced 9/2 or shorter until Clan Des Obeaux booked that trend last years when scoring at 12/1.

     

    King George VI Chase: Runners

    Aso (Venetia Williams)

    Even though the Williams stable are boasting a fantastic strike rate at the moment, it is very hard to make a case for Aso here, especially after his last run in the Peterborough Chase.

    The nine-year-old won a couple of competitive handicaps last season, and then went to The Festival in March where he was second to Frodon in the Ryanair Chase.

    He kicked off this campaign finishing third in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, but his next run at Huntingdon was well under-par and he will need to bounce back and run the race of his life here to trouble the judge.

     

    Clan Des Obeaux (Paul Nicholls)

    The defending champion Clan Des Obeaux matched Road To Respect for most of the way in the JN Wine Champion Chase at Down Royal before the home contender’s superior fitness told in the end.

    It was a very encouraging return to say the least and one could argue that it was a superior return compared to his first appearance of last season – finishing fourth and well beaten in the Betfair Chase.

    Sam Twiston-Davies takes the ride after Harry Cobden decided to side with Nicholls’ other runner, Cyrname.

     

    Cyrname (Paul Nicholls)

    Cyrname hit the racing headlines last season when he followed up his wide margin handicap win at Ascot with a 17 length demolition job of Waiting Patiently in the Ascot Chase.

    Proving that was no fluke, Cyrname inflicted a first defeat over jumps on Altior in the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot last time out and has earned his right to dine at the top table.

    The seven-year-old is a very live contender for the race in 888sport's latest horse racing betting but there will be plenty of others hoping to deny Nicholls adding to his record haul of 10 King George triumphs this Christmas.

     

    Footpad (Willie Mullins)

    The Willie Mullins-trained Footpad let us all know that he is still a force to be reckoned with when he landed the Boomerang.ie Chase at Thurles.

    That victory was a real boost for the former Arkle winner after a spell in the doldrums last season which followed a stellar novice campaign.

    Mullins is bidding to register his second victory in the race following the success of the popular Florida Pearl back in 2001.

    Lostintranslation (Colin Tizzard)

    Colin Tizzard’s exciting seven-year-old puts his blossoming reputation right on the line in this contest when he goes out to prove that he can mix it with the reigning champion Clan Des Obeaux and the highest-rated chaser in Britain, Cyrname.

    Wins in both the Colin Parker Chase at Carlisle and the Betfair Chase at Haydock have catapulted the gelding into being a leading fancy for both the King George and the Gold Cup, but Boxing Day will be the litmus test for whether those dreams can become reality.

    Should he add the King George and Gold Cup to his Betfair win, Lostintranslation is looking at a very cool £1m bonus.

     

    Thistlecrack (Colin Tizzard)

    This will be Thistlecrack’s fourth crack at the King George and it is hard to believe that he has not won again since he last tasted Kempton glory three years ago.

    Having been dismissed as an also-ran before last year’s race, the veteran campaigner almost pulled off an improbable second success when he just went down by 1½ length to Clan Des Obeaux.

    A narrow defeat in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on his seasonal return showed that there is still plenty of fire in Thistlecrack’s belly yet.

     

    La Bague Au Roi (Warren Greatrex)

    The eight-year-old mare was in blistering form in her novice season but this year she has failed to hit those heights, having been pulled up in the Charlie Hall Chase and then finishing third in the Peterborough Chase.

    She is likely to bounce back at some point soon but it’s highly unlikely to be in this race against her sternest opposition to date.

     

    Who Wins The King George VI Chase?

    French-bred Footpad has always been a class act and is trading at a very backable each-way price given all the focus is on the three runners at the head of the market.

    He can continue his resurgence here in what would be a joyeux Noël for his supporters.

    888sport suggests: Footpad (e/w).

     

    *Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo*

    December 23, 2019
    Horse Racing

    By Steve Mullington

    Steve Mullington
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    • Body

    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

    Steve Mullington
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    Premier League Team Of The Decade: Who Makes Our XI?

    Earlier this year, 888Sport named their best ever Premier League XI. As the 2010s draw to a close, we’ve undertaken a similar task. This time the 2010s are the focus, and there are plenty of difficult decisions to make.

    The aim here is to have a team that, on paper at least, would function properly. The shape we’ve opted for is a 4-3-1-2 with a couple of Belgians in the midfield quartet.

    Manchester City and Chelsea have four players apiece, while Manchester United, Spurs and football betting Premier League favourites Liverpool fill the other spots.

    Plenty of big names missed out, but hopefully the explanations make the decision making clearer…

    David De Gea

    This was pretty much a shootout between David de Gea and former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech. De Gea won the BBC’s vote between the sticks and he gets the better of Cech here, too.

    De Gea has declined slightly over the last couple of seasons, but he was the undisputed ‘keeper in the world for a period. Cech’s best years came before the start of this decade, and that carries weight.

     

    Cesar Azpilicueta

    Few players have been as consistent as Cesar Azpilicueta. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker and Pablo Zabaleta all had support for this spot, but Azpilicueta’s longevity and adaptability see him claim the first outfield position.

    Alexander-Arnold hasn’t played enough minutes to be given serious consideration, Zabaleta’s peak was too short. Walker was the one who made this decision toughest.

    Azpilicueta has been a better defender throughout the decade, and that just about outweighs Walker’s superiority going forward.

    Vincent Kompany

    Possibly the easiest selection of the lot. If it wasn’t for injuries, Vincent Kompany may well be considered the best Premier League player of the decade.

    Instead, the Belgian has to settle for four Premier League titles and a couple of FA Cups. Kompany was among the best centre-backs in the world in his pomp. Even in his post-peak seasons, Manchester City were a better team with him on the pitch.

    His impact on Manchester City, and on the Premier League, cannot be overstated.

    John Terry

    Virgil van Dijk has been the best central defender of the last decade, his peak was higher than anyone else’s.

    In selecting a team of the decade, though, longevity and Premier League success matters. Liverpool, and van Dijk, have not won a Premier League despite an historic 2018/19 campaign.

    John Terry has three titles to his name in the 2010s (albeit he didn’t play much in the 2016/17 season). It was a close-run thing, but Terry’s longevity just pipped van Dijk for the spot alongside Kompany.

    Andrew Robertson

    Andy Robertson is only halfway through his fourth Premier League season. He has been a revelation at Liverpool, and quickly become one of the best full-backs on the planet.

    His selection here may seem generous, but the position hasn’t exactly been loaded through the 2010s.

    Jan Vertonghen could have been shoehorned into this spot, and that was a tempting option. Other than that, Patrice Evra, Marcos Alonso and Gael Clichy didn’t provide much competition for Robertson.

    N'Golo Kante

    How could anyone leave N’Golo Kante out? Kante was as important as anyone in Leicester’s improbable title charge. He then switched blue jerseys and won PFA Player of the Year as Chelsea lifted the Premier League trophy.

    The most likeable player in football has since won the World Cup and continued to dominate Premier League midfields.

    BBC’s poll saw Kante get outvoted by Steven Gerrard. There’s no room for Gerrard in this side, and quite frankly, it wasn’t that close between the Liverpool legend and Kante.

    Yaya Toure

    At his best, Yaya Toure grabbed games by the scruff of the neck, turning them in City’s favour at his will.

    His 2013/14 campaign should be regarded as one of the best individual seasons in Premier League history – opponents had no answer to Toure’s runs on and off the ball.

    Few midfielders have scored 20 in a Premier League campaign. With Kante covering all the ground defensively, Toure will be able to spread the play in this side and join the front four when required.

     

    Kevin De Bruyne

    The last few seasons have seen every superlative used to describe Kevin De Bruyne.

    He does the basics to perfection, and he makes the extraordinary look thoroughly simple. De Bruyne is the best passer in Premier League history.

    There’s a risk of recency bias with De Bruyne’s selection. Juan Mata at Chelsea, David Silva and Christian Eriksen all have a claim for this spot, but none have quite reached the dizzy heights of De Bruyne.

    Eden Hazard

    Mohamed Salah, Gareth Bale and Alexis Sanchez were all more prolific. Luis Suarez had a spectacular individual season in 2013/14.

    Eden Hazard, though, won two Premier League titles (two more than those four combined) and transformed Chelsea.

    Hazard’s close control and low centre of gravity made it near-impossible to dispossess him. When engaged and fully fit, he elevated Chelsea to title contention (he won PFA Player of the Year in 2014/15 and finished second in 2016/17).

     

    Sergio Aguero

    Sergio Aguero is one of those players that won’t receive the adulation he deserves until he leaves the Premier League. He has the best goals per game ratio in Premier League history, having scored 173 times in 252 appearances.

    Not just an excellent finisher and reliable goal scorer, Aguero also provided the Premier League's most memorable moment when he received the ball from Mario Balotelli and fired past Paddy Kenny in May 2012.

     

    Harry Kane

    Just the second player in the XI not to have won a Premier League title, Harry Kane was an easy pick alongside Aguero.

    Kane’s 134 Premier League goals in 198 appearances is third in goals per game ratio, marginally behind Aguero and Thierry Henry. 

    The Spurs striker has battled injuries over the last couple of seasons, but he’s remained prolific. Alan Shearer’s record could be under threat of Kane keeps this pace up.

    *Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*

    December 23, 2019
    Premier League
    Body

    Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

    He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

    Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

    Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

    Sam Cox
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