
Our traders have opened betting on what the official going will be for the opening race of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, and make good to soft their 4/9 favourite.
There’s 6/4 that the ground will be soft, and 10/1 that the tapes go up for Tuesday’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on heavy going.
“Last year’s Cheltenham Festival began on heavy going, so we’re not expecting a repeat of that. But after a largely dry winter the current unsettled weather has made the prospect of a good to soft description most likely, with soft ground also in the running,” said Coral’s David Stevens.
Meanwhile, Ruby Walsh is 11/4 favourite to be named Top Jockey at the Festival, ahead of 10/3 Barry Geraghty and 9/2 shot Davy Russell.
**Official Going For Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
4/9 Good to soft, 6/4 Soft, 10 Heavy, 33 Good, 50 Any other
**Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey
11/4 Ruby Walsh, 10/ 3 Barry Geraghty, 9/2 Davy Russell, 11/2 Jack Kennedy, 8 Nico De Boinville, 12 Paul Townend, 16 Mark Walsh, 20 Daryl Jacob, Richard Johnson, 25 Aidan Coleman, Harry Cobden
**Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer
6/5 Gordon Elliott, 9/4 Nicky Henderson, 3 Willie Mullins, 14 Joseph O’Brien, 16 Paul Nicholls, 66 Henry De Bromhead, Jessica Harrington, Colin Tizzard, Nigel Twiston-Davies
**Cheltenham Festival Top Owner
4/7 JP McManus, 11/8 Gigginstown House Stud, 50/1 Any other
**Prestbury Cup
8/11 Ireland, 6/4 UK, 13/2 Tie
**How many winning favourites
8-11 Eight or less, Evens Nine or more
**To train a winner every day of the Festival
2/1 Nicky Henderson, 7/2 Gordon Elliott
**Altior to win the Champion Chase by ten lengths or more – 5/2
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing