So now the curtain has dropped on the Greatest Show On Turf for yet another year, and we have had a few weeks to properly digest the action, it’s time to review the Festival and the bettrends Cheltenham Festival Service as we move towards the Aintree Festival.

The bettrends Cheltenham Festival Service applied the tried and tested trends to each and every field of the 28 races across the week so you didn’t have to, accompanied by expert analysis and our shortlist. The team enjoyed a fruitful week, with the service pointing towards TEN winners throughout the week as well as a further 21 horses in the places. Without further ado, let’s take a look at how we did.

The Arkle was the highly billed and much anticipated rematch between El Fabiolo (11/10) and Jonbon. The team had these as the top two on the shortlist, and they duly obliged in filling the top two places, with the forecast paying £3.67. We had our first big handicap winner in the Ultima, as Corach Rambler landed consecutive renewals of the contest under another fine ride by Derek Fox. Returning at an SP of 6/1, it was fantastic to taste success in the opening handicap of the Festival and we look set to see the winner again in the Grand National next month. Another 1-2 was predicted correctly in the Champion Hurdle, although as expected with the forecast paying just £1.68. It was more a spectacle to sit back and marvel at the greatness of Constitution Hill, than to view from any punting angles. The greatest story of the week though came in the Mares’ Hurdle as racing’s Queen, Honeysuckle, had her grand farewell, and returned for us at odds of 9/4. She had danced every dance in her career, and it was only fitting that she bowed out with a victory at Prestbury Park, and the huge outpouring of emotion made for a wonderful first day of the 2023 Festival. We ended the opening day with a bang, having the 1-2 once again in the National Hunt Chase as Gaillard Du Mesnil (10/11) got the better of Chemical Energy (8/1), the forecast paying £8.85.

Another 1-2 on the shortlist came on Wednesday with Gordon Elliott dominating the Cross Country once again, paying £4.36 for those who played. Delta Work (11/10) and then Galvin led the field on the trends, and looked head and shoulders above their competition as they fought out a finish not too dissimilar to last year, but with the reigning champion this time retaining. Just like the first day, the second day of the Festival had another heart-warming story as A Dream To Share (shortlisted at 7/2) provided a fairy-tale family success for the Gleesons, John Kiely and J.P. McManus in the closing Weatherbys Champion Bumper. Lossiemouth (11/8) looked rather special when dispatching of the Triumph Hurdle field in the opening race, with stablemate Gala Marceau chasing her home to make it one and two for the mares on our shortlist. The Gold Cup is the pinnacle of jump racing, the one we all look forward to each and every season and determines the greatest staying chaser in the UK and Ireland. Galopin Des Champs (7/5) fulfilled his promise and lived up to the hype with an all-time great performance, with Bravemansgame (6/1) putting those stamina question marks behind him with a valiant effort in second to bring up the 1-2 for our shortlist. The Mares’ Chase served up an excellent clash between two real top-class mares and it was Impervious (15/8) who led on the trends, and it was Impervious who came away victorious in a great battle with Allegorie De Vassy.

The bettrends team now looks forward to the Aintree Festival, as we tackle the trends once again and pick our way through the competitive fields to make sure you have all the tools at your disposal to have a successful weekend. Last year was extremely successful for the bettrends team in Merseyside, as we found no less than NINE winners across the three day extravaganza.

We look set for a treat on the opening day with a mouth-watering clash in the Aintree Bowl Chase, with Shishkin stepping up to three miles for the first time to take on the likes of Bravemansgame, Conflated and A Plus Tard. The team picked out Clan Des Obeaux in the contest in 2022 and can hopefully guide you to the winner again this term. The first day last year also brought winners in the shape of Knight Salute (14/1), Epatante (2/1) and Ashroe Diamond (9/4) to make for a cracking opener to Liverpool’s big meeting.

The good run of form continued onto Ladies Day on Day 2, with three straight winners in the form of Jonbon (EVS), Ahoy Senor (4/1), and Fakir D’oudairies (10/11). Joseph O’Brien’s stable star will be looking to make it back-to-back victories in the contest, but the Nicholls duo of Hitman and Pic D’Orhy likely won’t go down without a fight and it looks set to be the race of Day 2.

The final day bring us the big one, the race which the world will be watching, The Grand National. An always amazing spectacle that brings everyone together, we will apply our trends and pick our way through the huge field, so that you don’t have to. Why not join us once again for the ride? All of our Aintree services can be found here.

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