Cheltenham Tips: Ruby Walsh's 12/1 ante-post Triumph Hurdle bet

*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.

Ruby Walsh’s Triumph Hurdle ante-post pick

Highwind (each-way)

In the third of this year’s Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’, host Tom Nugent together with former champion jockey turned tv pundit Ruby Walsh and well-known journalist and broadcaster Rory Delargy, look at the Triumph Hurdle on day two of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

RUBY WALSH

Willie Mullins had the first four home in the Triumph Hurdle last year. He has loads of options but obviously there’s a couple of English ones with big chances this year – Burdett Road and Sir Gino being the two obvious ones.

Willie has a load of maiden winners. Storm Heart was very impressive at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve and Bunting won at Limerick on December 26. He was probably a bit more workmanlike and Kargese ran really well on December 26 at Leopardstown where she split Kala Conti and Nurburgring. She was very keen and I’m not sure about that race, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nurburgring actually improve out of that as he was the best horse at the weights – and might be the one to take out of that race.

Willie has a good few in there that haven’t run – Majborough, Salvator Mundi and Anzadam – all winners in France and all intended runners in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival in early February.

All will become clear after the Dublin Racing Festival but you want to get in first for a bit of value and I thought the one that won in Punchestown last Monday that Sean O’Keeffe rode called Highwind has a chance.

He did so much wrong – he never jumped a hurdle, he was keen, he was up, he was back, he was in, he was out and he still showed a serious turn of foot to put the race to bed. Went to refuse the last, landed out on his head, they landed beside him and he was gone again going to the winning post. I’d say for natural talent at a double-figure price, he was definitely an each-way poke.

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Kargese can race keen and over 2m 1f in the Triumph Hurdle – that can be hard. The race is on Cheltenham Gold Cup day. a big crowd and lots of noise. Trying to switch one ‘off’ on Gold Cup day now is pretty tricky.

I’m not sure what Willie’s best chance is. We’re closing in on the Spring Juvenile and that will put a different picture on it. But looking at the form and looking for the scope in improvement for horses, Highwind at the prices seems the pick. He’s double the price of Storm Heart. I know Storm Heart was more professional at Punchestown, but you’re getting double the price for a horse that has loads of scope for improvement.