Staking A Claim Week 5 Selections – Weekly Cheltenham 2023 Ante-post Tips

OB and Ciaran are back with another round of ante-post Cheltenham Festival 2023 tips for our head to head Staking a Claim feature. Each week they will give their best ante-post bet ahead of the Festival in March.

You can see all the existing selections in the table at the end of this article and there are also links to the week 1 and week 2 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 5 Bet

• Proschema EW (Stayers Hurdle)
• Current Odds – 25/1 with Unibet

OK, 5 weeks in and I am doing the unthinkable. And not only am I selecting a British-trained horse, but this week’s pick will also actually be running in a Grade 1 where in the last 3 years, 31 of the 42 contests (74%) have been carried back across the Irish Sea. 

And while I expect a similar percentage to be coming home this year (excuse the world cup reference), one division where I don’t think the Irish are as strong is in the Staying Hurdle Division. This seems bizarre given that we have the 2 time defending Champion but despite giving away weight, over an inadequate trip, I was disappointed by Flooring Porter in the Lismullen. My belief is that he can only win the race if it is run in the same vein as last year, and if the other jockeys allow Danny Mullins to repeat that trick, they deserve to be beaten. 

I like Blazing Khal but his latest setback (second in 2 seasons) is a concern, as his lack of experience. Klassical dream may yet go novice chasing and I wouldn’t fancy Bob Olinger in a battle at the end of a 3m contest up the Cheltenham Hill. 

This Friday may see a new contender enter the fray. The Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury has been won in recent years by Thyme Hill and Paisley Park (2nd and 3rd in last year’s Stayers) and so can be seen as a decent trial. The Favourite for this year’s renewal is PROSCHEMA, who was very impressive last time out, barely coming out of second gear to beat a decent yardstick in Thomas Darby. Now clearly he needs to step up again, given that this occurred in a Handicap off 143, but this horse has class and has finished ahead of Paisley Park in the past. He has also won at Prestbury Park, as well as coming down when travelling sweetly over Stayers Hurdle course and distance last year. Currently available at 25/1, if he can get another win on Friday against the likes of Champ, he establishes himself at the top of the English challenge and those odds could halve and given that the Stayers is certainly the target, there are worse long shots to take a punt on. 

 

OB’s Week 5 Bet

• Jet Powered (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle)
• 14/1 with bet365

Week 5 sees me move away from the Irish horses and finally pick a UK trained horse. I love the Supreme Novice Hurdle and this weeks selection comes in that race and from connections who have had a good recent record in it. The race has gone to Seven Barrows 3 times in the last 7 renewals (including once to the owners of my selection) and im hoping that becomes 4 in 8 come March.

This selection is somewhat of an unknown and will come at a risk, but that’s exactly what Ante Post tipping is. Tipping in novice divisions so far out is difficult but im trying to stay away from the novice chase division for as long as possible due to the pure depth of quality that offers and no real idea of where the horses will end up.

For the above reasons I’m happy to chance the well talked about Jet Powered for owner Joe Donnelly. Only seen once in public, Jet Powered was a convincing winner of a 3m P2P in Ireland last December. Unseen on a UK track, my horse has an entry at Newbury over the weekend and I want to get this pick in before he runs and likely shortens. Nicky likes Newbury and often sends good novices there. Im hoping this entry is a sign of the regard he holds him in and I cant wait to see him on the track.

The shape of the race will mainly be dictated by whether Facile Vega turns up here or heads elsewhere. Obviously if he runs here then he will be extremely hard to beat but theres every chance he follows previous champion bumper winner Sir Gerhard to the Ballymore and for the purpose of this selection, I hope he does.

No novice hurdler has impressed me enough over 2m yet to think it could be a deep division so im happy to take the risk now as I believe 14/1 offers value. That value might be gone by this time next week.

 

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

Staking a Claim week 1 Selections

Staking a Claim week 2 Selections

Staking a Claim week 3 Selections

Staking a Claim week 4 Selections

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