Horse Racing Tips: Ruby Walsh’s 4/1 Cross Country Chase ante-post pick for the Cheltenham Festival

Ruby says Minella Indo could be the value selection against Gordon Elliot's Conflated, Delta Work & Galvin.

By / Cheltenham Festival, Horse Racing Tips / 10 months ago

*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Ante-post prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.

Ruby Walsh’s Cross Country Chase Ante-post Pick:

Minella Indo

Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’ has returned.

Host Tom Nugent is with former champion jockey turned tv pundit Ruby Walsh and well-known journalist and broadcaster Rory Delargy – and they’re looking at the Cross Country Chase on day two of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

RUBY WALSH

Ireland has dominated this race and I’d say it could continue in the same vein. I was impressed with how Minella Indo took to it in December, obviously Conflated has been mooted as possibly going in that direction and you have Delta Work and Galvin. They’re four horses of a really high standard and when you look at them, I’d probably struggle to see the winner not coming from one of the four of those but I was impressed with what Minella Indo showed me in December.

He attacked his jumps and  jumped reasonably well. He obviously started the season with a good win at Punchestown where he beat Conflated, Delta Work and Panda Boy, who all looked a good bit less fit than Minella Indo on the day.

When he went to the Champion Chase at Down Royal then, when he got in against the big boys in a Grade 1 and they took him on and hassled him along, he gave up kind of quick. But dropping in grade to a Cross Country race next time out, where they go a mile an hour slower, he jumped really well. Even carrying a big weight, he came home well.

 

He was slightly hesitant at the second last and the last, which are kind of bullfinch hurdles and he can improve on that. It was a perfectly good run.

He’s finished just in front of Galvin giving weight away and Galvin’s had a couple of runs over that course so Minella Indo, for his first time, there should be improvement to come. People comment that Gordon Elliot has a brilliant record at Cheltenham, but so does Henry de Bromhead. Henry’s horses turn up year in, year out in great form at the Festival. I’d be willing to side with him getting Minella Indo there in the same way this year.

      Ruby Walsh’s Cross Country Chase Ante-post Pick:

      Minella Indo

      *Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.

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