Who is being backed for the Cheltenham Festival?

With a little over two weeks to go until the Cheltenham Festival gets underway, we’ve unearthed the six most popular ante-post bets on the Racing Post app.

If you agree with our Racing Post readers and fancy the chances of these horses below, use our odds comparison feature to get the best price before placing your Cheltenham bets on our app.

We’ve also collected quotes from the biggest trainers around in our recent Cheltenham Festival stable tours series.

If you’re not already a Members’ Club Ultimate subscriber, take advantage of our latest offer and get 50% off you first three months with code FESTIVAL23 to read the full series.

Bravemansgame is the most popular bet on our app for this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

The 14-length King George winner will bid to land Paul Nicholls a first Gold Cup since Kauto Star’s second victory in 2009, and the trainer seems pretty confident on his chances:

‘He’s got everything you’d want in a horse to be trying to win the Gold Cup with’ - read Paul Nicholls’ full Cheltenham Festival stable tour now with Members’ Club Ultimate.

After being pulled up in last year’s Champion Chase and a disappointing third on his reappearance in this season’s Tingle Creek, Shishkin had a long way to go to get back to his top form.

But he was at his scintillating best in the Ascot Chase recently and punters have clearly been latching on to him for the Ryanair.

Read what Nicky Henderson had to say on the likes of Constitution Hill, Jonbon and Marie’s Rock in his Cheltenham Festival stable tour.

Ahoy Senor notched his first win of the season in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January, beating the Grand National winner Noble Yeats and another Gold Cup contender in Protektorat in the process. 

‘We know he’s a real good horse’ - trainer Lucinda Russell believes her stable star is a worthy contender for the feature race of the meeting.

Dual Champion Hurdler and 12-time Grade 1 winner Honeysuckle has not been at her best this season. Beaten for the first time in her career on her reappearance in the Hatton’s Grace, she was then beaten again at the Dublin Racing Festival by State Man.

Henry de Bromhead’s mare will bow out regardless of the result at Cheltenham, but her trainer maintains his confidence in her ability: ‘She still retains a high level of performance… We’re very happy with her.’

Last year’s Arkle winner Edwardstone landed the Tingle Creek in impressive fashion earlier this season, and may have been unlucky behind Editeur Du Gite last time. 

He is close to Energumene at the top of the market for the Champion Chase, and trainer Alan King is pleased with how his preparation is going: ‘I’m very happy with him and we’re looking forward to it.’ 

Dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner Flooring Porter has been beaten on both of his starts this season. However, his trainer knows how to get him ready for the big day in March, and Cheltenham always brings the best in him. 

Members’ Club Ultimate subscribers can read Gavin Cromwell’s comments on his star in our latest Cheltenham Festival stable tour, in which he revealed he was ‘delighted with Flooring Porter’ ahead of his tilt at a third Stayers’ Hurdle.

The article also features views from some of the other leading Irish trainers and is available now on the stable tours page on our website.