Cheltenham Festival 2023 Tips - March 14-17

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Hunters' Chase 2023 Tips - Two selections in the amateurs Gold Cup

Jon Vine

Editor

Last updated: 10 Mar 2023

Jon Vine 10 Mar 2023

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Tips, odds and predictions for the 2023 Hunters' Chase
This traditional race takes place at 4:10pm on day four of the Cheltenham Festival
Vaucelet and Dandy Dan feature in our selections

Expired

Barry O'Neill and Winged Leader jump the third last on their way to 2nd place in the St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase on day four of the Cheltenham Festival 2022. (Getty)

Following on from the main event on Gold Cup day is one of the most traditional races of the meeting, the Hunters' Chase. Known as the amateurs Gold Cup, this race is fought out by the best hunter-chasers and point-to-pointers in Europe, and only amateur riders are permitted to take part.

Here's our free guide to the 2023 Hunters' Chase.

Cheltenham 2023 Tips - Hunters' Chase 2023 Guide

Hunters' Chase 2023 Odds

Name	Odds
Vaucelet	9/4
Ferns Lock	5/1
Winged Leader	11/2
Billaway	6/1
Secret Investor	8/1
Chris's Dream	8/1
Bob And Co	10/1
Bar	12/1

Hunters' Chase 2023 Runners

VauceletHunters' Chase 2023GET 9/4 HERE

Having come within a whisker of his first Cheltenham victory in this race 12 months ago, David Christie will be eager to go one-better this time around. Winged Leader looked to have opened up an unassailable lead turning for home, only for Billaway to battle back and snatch victory in the dying strides.

Winged Leader is one of three David Christie horses sitting at the top of the betting. The youngest of the three is Ferns Lock - a horse Christie has said could be running in open Graded chases next season - but this talented six-year-old is unlikely to make it to the Festival.

Barry O'Neill could get off Winged Leader to ride current favourite Vaucelet, who's won the Champion Hunters' Chase at Stratford the past two seasons. Vaucelet has won nine of his 11 starts for Christie, with one of those defeats coming behind Billaway at Punchestown last season, where O'Neill's mount would probably have won had he not made a terrible mistake at the last.

Billaway hasn't been in the best of form this season, but given his record in this race, Willie Mullins' star has to be respected. Two-time Grade Two winner, Chris's Dream is two-from-two in point-to-points this season and he'll also fly the flag for Ireland. Emmet Mullins could be represented by Its On The Line, who'll travel to Cheltenham on the back of two victories between the flags.

The leading British hope is Paul Nicholls' Secret Investor, who'll be ridden by his 17-year-old daughter, Olive. Bob And Co was a runner for Nicholls in this race a couple of years ago and he could have his first start for Harry Derham on day four of the Cheltenham Festival.

Hunters' Chase 2023 Tips

Dandy Dan E/WHunters' Chase 2023 TipsGET 28/1 HERE

Word coming from Ireland is that David Christie is desperate to win this year's Hunters' Chase. Winged Leader has course experience on his side, but didn't get up the hill last year as he was robbed by Billaway.

Of the two, VAUCELET is undoubtedly the stronger stayer and the betting suggests that he's most definitely Christie's number one runner. If Barry O'Neill is confirmed in Vaucelet's saddle, he'll be my main selection.

Given how unpredictable this race can be, I'm also going to have an each-way punt on one at a longer price. All of the last eight renewals of the Hunters' Chase have been won by ten or eleven-year-olds and an interesting runner in that age bracket is DANDY DAN, who reached a mark of 145 under rules for Kim Bailey before moving to James Bourne's yard.

Having been beaten on his first three starts between the flags, Dandy Dan claimed back-to-back victories last spring. Lauren Keen-Hawkins then rode Bourne's recruit in the Open Hunters Chase here at Cheltenham's April Meeting, where Dandy Dan strode six lengths clear up the hill to win convincingly.

Dandy Dan then got outpaced behind Vaucelet in the Champion race at Stratford in May, before again staying on strongly to place third. It was a similar story for Keen-Hawkins' mount on his reappearance at Garthorpe last month, where Dandy Dan stayed on strongly to place third after losing position earlier in the race.

James Bourne has an incredibly small operation. In fact, Dandy Dan is Bourne's only horse. It would be a wonderful story for such a small-time trainer to win on National Hunt racing's biggest stage and Dandy Dan has valuable Cheltenham racecourse form to bolster his claims.

Verdict

Hunters' Chase 2023

Vaucelet and Dandy Dan are our two selections in the 2023 Hunters' Chase.

Vaucelet

Straight Win

@9/4 - 15 Units

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Dandy Dan

Each-Way

@28/1 - 5 Units

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