Staking A Claim Week 2 Selections – Weekly Cheltenham 2023 Ante-post Tips

OB and Ciaran are back with their secound round of selections for the Staking A Claim feature here at thatsagoal.com, where we will be pitting together two Cheltenham ante-post punters each week between now and March.

If you missed the week 1 selections you can see them here or on the table below which will be updated every week with the ante-post selections.

All the selections will be recorded as a 1pt win or 0.5pts each-way and we haven’t restricted the tips to any particular bet so you can expect to see singles, doubles and even the odd treble for the tips.

You can also follow both Ciaran (@murphfinbarrs) and OB (@OB_14) on Twitter where they will be outlining all of their ante-post bets and thoughts ahead of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.

 

Ciaran’s Week 2 Bet

• Dysart Dynamo (Arkle Trophy)

Current Odds – 16/1 with bet365

Given Constitution Hill’s demolition of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle field last year, it may be forgotten that he wasn’t even clear favourite going into the race. In fact, Willie Mullins had such confidence in this week’s selection that he was happy to push the previous year’s bumper winner, Sir Gerhard, up to the Ballymore. Now, there is no doubt that DYSART DYNAMO was beaten when falling 3 out in that Supreme, and he may not even have come second. My reading of that race is that he was far too keen and set an unsustainable gallop, which in turn set the race up for the subsequent winner. A line can also be put through his run at Punchestown, as he was found to have a small heart defibrillation (this may have even been an issue at the festival). 

His run in the Moscow Flyer was to me, one of the most visually impressive performances of the year, and while there were no superstars in that race, the way he went through it blew me away. 

It is not hard to make the comparison to another Willie 2 miler, Un De Sceaux, and while it is a cliche that fences can calm tearaways like this down, if that old adage applies here, then 16/1 is a huge price. My read of the Arkle ante-post market is Jonbon’s price is artificially short because of his full brother, Douvan’s success in the race and that El Fabiolos is also priced incorrectly due to his short head defeat by that horse at Aintree. I expect Mighty Potter and Appreciate it to step up in trip and Sir Gerhard might even stay over hurdles. 

It would not surprise me at all to see Dysart Dynamo tear off in front and if he has recovered from his health issues, it will take a fair one to pass him and at the prices, I think he is the standout price in the Arkle.

 

OB’s Week 2 Bet

• Brandy Love (Mares Hurdle)

Current Odds – 5/1 with bet365

Week 2 sees me go into Mares company and there is only one place to go here. BRANDY LOVE is the horse I’m backing for the messiah that is Willie Mullins. Now, we won’t be getting the 25/1 I had her at for last year’s Mares Novice hurdle (which still haunts me) but I think she is the most likely winner of the race.

This is definitely her target (how often can we say that about a Willie Mullins horse?) and if she can get to the start unscathed (no stone bruise the morning of please) then she will go off a lot shorter than she is now.

Her form of winning the Grade 1 EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship final at Fairyhouse and in doing so giving an 8-length beating to Cheltenham Mares Novice winner Love Envoi is as strong as she could have shown. That performance was even more impressive when you take into account her tendency to jump left and take a disliking to right-handed tracks. I expect her to be 5-10lb better on a left-handed track.

Epatante is the current (4/1) fav and you can argue whether she’s the right favourite or not. Impressive over 2m4f at Aintree the trip looks fine for her & with her stable mate Constitution Hill favourite for the Champion Hurdle it looks like she will be campaigned with this race in mind.

Last year’s winner Marie’s Rock is very good though and would be a huge danger if lining up here again. The form of her 2022 win is strong and she only strengthens that form with her win at Punchestown when brushing a side Epatante and Stormy Ireland. Nicky Henderson has hinted a couple of times though that she could be stepping up in trip to 3m which could potentially aim her at the Stayers Hurdle (maybe to split her & Epatante).

Telmesomethinggirl has been confirmed to go novice chasing by trainer Henry De Bromhead & with The Queens Brook disappointing first time out, the race all of a sudden lacks the depth of this year’s renewal.

Brandy Love will be aimed at the race and with her form from last season and the potential to be even better and progressive, I think shes a great bet for this.

 

Staking A Claim Tips so Far

	Ciaran	OB
Week 1	Galopin Des Champs (Cheltenham Gold Cup) & Allaho (Ryanair) ODDS: 12.5/1	Gaillard Du Mesnil (National Hunt Chase) Delta Work (Cross Country) ODDS: 15/1
Week 2	Dysart Dynamo (Arkle) ODDS: 16/1	Brandy Love (Mares Hurdle) ODDS: 5/1
Week 3	Honeysuckle (Champion Hurdle) ODDS: 4/1	Chapeau De Soleil (Champion Bumper) ODDS: 12/1
Week 4	Ashroe Diamond (Mares Novice) ODDS: 9/1	Blazing Khal (Stayers Hurdle) ODDS: 6/1
Week 5	Proschema EW (Stayers Hurdle) ODDS: 25/1	Jet Powered (Supreme Novices' Hurdle) ODDS: 14/1
Week 6	Grangeclare West (Ballymore) ODDS: 10/1	Telmesomethinggirl (Mares Chase) ODDS: 8/1
Week 7	James Du Berlais (Brown Advisory Chase) EW ODDS: 20/1	Lossiemouth (Triumph Hurdle) and Luccia (Mares novice hurdle) ODDS: 19/1 win double
Week 8	Hiddenvalley Lake (Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle) ODDS: 8/1	Three Stripe Life (Brown Advisory Novices Chase) ODDS: 14/1 win double
Week 9	Barry The Butcher (Champion Bumper) ODDS: 20/1	Impaire Et Passes (to win any race) ODDS: 6/1 win double
Week 10	Salvador Ziggy (Pertemps) ODDS: 25/1	Three Card Brag (Albert Bartlett) ODDS: 14/1
Week 11	Arctic Bresil Without Favile Vega (Supreme Novices' Hurdle) ODDS: 20/1	El Fabiolo (Turners) ODDS: 10/1
Week 12	Fascile Mode (Champion Bumper) ODDS: 12/1	Risk Belle (The Boodles Fred Winter) ODDS: 16/1
Week 13	Tekao (Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle) ODDS: 8/1 NRNB	Selection: Chris’s Dream (Hunters Chase) ODDS: 10/1
Week 14	Brandy Love (Mares Hurdle) ODDS: 4/1 NRNB	Threeunderthrufive (Ultima Handicap Chase) ODDS: 12/1 NRNB
Week 15	Galvin (Cross Country Chase) ODDS: 6/1	Gerri Colombe (Brown Advisory Chase) ODDS: 8/1
Week 16	Inothewayyourthinking (Martin Pipe) ODDS: 16/1	Spanish Harlem (Martin Pipe) ODDS: 20/1
Week 17	Coole Cody (Plate Handicap) EW ODDS: 40/1	Bravemansgame (Gold Cup) ODDS: 8/1
Week 18	Shanbally Kid (Albert Bartlett) ODDS: 25/1 EW	Camprond (Coral Cup) ODDS: 20/1
Week 19	Gerri Colombe (Brown Advisory) & Mighty Potter (Turners)double ODDS: 6/1	Sharjah (County Hurdle) ODDS: 10/1 EW
Week 20	Dino Blue (Grand Annual) ODDS: 7/1	Mighty Potter (Turners Chase) & Edwardstone (Champion Chase) ODDS: 11/2

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