Foxhunters favourite one to watch for Festival faller promotion

Silviniaco Conti backers can testify that there is little more frustrating at the Cheltenham Festival than a horse failing to complete a race when bang in contention for victory.

However, Coral customers can gain a slice of compensation this year, as money back is being offered on all win or each-way bets on horses that either fall, unseat or are brought down at the Festival.

The promotion exists for all bets up to £25 and only includes the win part of each-way singles. See full terms and conditions here

Looking back at the last five years of Cheltenham Festivals, 2,421 runners have made it to the start line, with 170 of these either falling, unseating or being brought down, which is seven per cent of the total runners.

Only the World Hurdle, the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and, unsurprisingly, the Champion Bumper have failed to see a single faller in the last five years, while the Arkle Chase, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Mares’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase have had just one in total each.

In terms of which races have the most to gain from this promotion, it is the Foxhunter Chase, the 4m National Hunt Chase and the Grand Annual Chase that are most likely to see fallers.

Across the last five years, the Foxhunters has seen 20 horses either fall, unseat or be brought down, which is more than any other Festival race, while 11 runners have exited the Grand Annual by one of these methods in the last two years alone.

What’s more, only six favourites have fallen in the last five years and two of these have come in the Foxhunters, with Baby Run arguably the most memorable.

On The Fringe and Harbour Court are currently competing for Foxhunters favouritism and both have either fallen or unseated in their last four starts.

Meanwhile, the National Hunt Chase has seen at least three fallers in four of the last five Festivals and interestingly, five of these have been sent off at single-figure prices.

Morning Assembly and Holywell have either fallen or unseated before, while ante-post favourite Ballycasey may now have some doubters after reportedly falling in a schooling session.