2022 Martin Pipe Tips - Two Irish novices to back in Festival's final race

Jon Vine

Editor

Last updated: 09 Mar 2022

Jon Vine 09 Mar 2022

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Ante-post tips and odds for the 2022 Martin Pipe
This handicap takes place on day four of the Cheltenham Festival on Friday 18th March 2022
We've tipped Deploy The Getaway for Willie Mullins
We're also backing The Goffer at an each way price

Expired

Runners and riders in action during The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle during day four of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham. (Getty)

The final race at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival is the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle. This two-and-a-half-mile handicap is named in honour of one of National Hunt's most famous trainers. Only conditional jockeys are allowed to ride in the Martin Pipe and no horse rated over 145 will be permitted to run.

I’ve taken a look through the latest Martin Pipe betting and listed some key recurring trends, before picking out the last of my Cheltenham Festival tips.

2022 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Odds

Name	Odds
Langer Dan	5/1
State Man	11/2
Chemical Energy	7/1
I A Connect	10/1
Adamantly Chosen	12/1
Deploy The Getaway	12/1
Cobblers Dream	12/1
Beauport	12/1
Hollow Games	12/1
Bar	14/1

2022 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Trends

All 10 of the last 10 winners were seven or younger
8 of the last 10 winners carried between 11-05 and 11-10
8 of the last 10 winners had run in a Listed or Graded race that season
8 of the last 10 winners had never won a handicap

2022 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Runners

Langer Dan2022 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle FavouriteGET 5/1 HERE

The British handicapper’s decision to drop Langer Dan by three pounds following his comeback run at Taunton, where he was barely breathed on by Harry Skelton as they coasted home last of six, hasn’t gone unnoticed. On the back of a sparkling Imperial Cup win, Langer Dan was rather unlucky to bump into Galopin Des Champs as he finished a creditable second in this race 12 months ago and Dan Skelton’s six-year-old is favourite to go one better this time around.

Langer Dan will run off a mark just two pounds higher than 12 months ago. The case to side with last year’s runner-up is strong. Yet, there’s always a chance that another future star like Galopin Des Champs has been pointed at the race by Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott.

Ireland’s top two trainers have won five of the last eight renewals between them, while also saddling plenty of placed horses. Willie Mullins has such strength in depth in his novice hurdle ranks this season, he’s sure to have one or two classy novices earmarked for boys’ race, and Gordon Elliott always targets the race named in honour of his old mentor.

2022 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Tip 1 – Deploy The Getaway

Deploy The Getaway E/W2022 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Tip 1GET 12/1 HERE

I’ll start with Willie Mullins, who holds a host of entries. Chief amongst them is State Man, who’s also an 11/2 shot for the County Hurdle. We’re still none the wiser as to which race State Man will turn up in, but if Mullins’ five-year-old was to run here, he would almost certainly go off as the favourite.

I, however, prefer the chances of stablemate DEPLOY THE GETAWAY - a £200k purchase for Cheveley Park Stud in February 2018 following a sparkling point-to-point triumph.

Deploy The Getaway has been a little head-strong on all of his runs over hurdles thus far. Indigo Breeze took advantage of a final flight mistake from the leader to beat Deploy The Getaway on his hurdles debut. Mullins’ charge then hung right and faded late on when he could only finish third at Navan in December.

Paul Townend’s mount broke his duck under rules in January, motoring to an impressive victory from the front at Down Royal. Deploy The Getaway then swatted Au Fleuron and Largy Debut away rounding the bend in the Listed Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. Slip Of The Tongue caught up with the leader as he was steadied into the final flight. The two came into contact on landing and it was Slip Of The Tongue who regathered his momentum quicker to claim a valuable prize.

That was still a solid effort from Deploy The Getaway, who has improved with each of his starts over hurdles. I like backing front-runners around Cheltenham and Willie Mullins will have the pick of the best Irish conditional jockeys who aren’t associated with Gigginstown or JP McManus.

2022 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Tip 2 – The Goffer

The Goffer E/W2022 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Tip 2GET 16/1 HERE

Gordon Elliott will throw five or six of his best novice hurdlers into the Martin Pipe. My ante-post selection was Chemical Energy, who’s run up to a good level over hurdles this season. However, Gordon Elliot revealed during a recent stable tour that Chemical Energy didn’t handle the journey to Gloucestershire well last season and ran no sort of race in the Champion Bumper. Elliott is worried that the same thing might happen again, which has cooled my enthusiasm somewhat.

Elliott also said it was possible that Hollow Games could drop into the Martin Pipe, instead of taking his chance in the Albert Bartlett. The Moran’s have Au Fleuron and Folcano entered up here. Hollow Games is their only entrant in the Grade One held earlier on day four of the Cheltenham Festival. I think it’s more likely that we’ll see Hollow Games turn up in the Albert Bartlett, but if he did bring that Grade One-placed form into handicap company, he would be one of my selections.

He may not have the same sexy profile as some of his stablemates, but I’ve found it hard to knock anything THE GOFFER has done this season. Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old made a lasting impression when winning on his second hurdles start, where he travelled all over a talented rival in Highland Charge before showing a good change of gear to put the race to bed.

The Goffer then didn’t enjoy heavy ground as Daly Tiger won at Limerick and didn’t see out three miles behind Geri Colombe at Thurles. Last time out in the Grade Three Michael Purcell Novices’ Hurdle, Elliott’s charge was back to his best, comfortably seeing off some decent rivals to win by just over a length.

Blow By Blow won the Michael Purcell before winning this race in 2018. The previous year, Champagne Classic won the Martin Pipe on the back of a third-place finish in that Grade Three at Thurles.

Elliott has already confirmed that The Goffer will run in the Martin Pipe. Leading conditional, Jordan Gainford rode him to victory in the Michael Purcell and could take the ride again. Jody McGarvey has also won on The Goffer this season, so he could be called up to the plate at the Cheltenham Festival should Gainford ride one of the market leaders.

Verdict

2022 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle

Deploy The Getaway and The Goffer are our two each way selections in this year's Martin Pipe.

Deploy The Getaway

Each-Way

@12/1 - 8 Units

Bet £10 Get £30

with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

Bet at bet365

The Goffer

Each-Way

@16/1 - 5 Units

Bet £10 Get £30

with bonus code NEWBONUS

Bet at bet365