Cheltenham Update: Coral Cup

Punters have a real treat on day two

The Coral Cup rates as one of the major talking points on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, and you can place your bets with peace of mind. We are non-runner money back on the race, meaning you can clinch the early value on your selection, without the worry that it won’t make the line-up.

The Coral Cup is one of the best races on day two, and there’s no lack of value on offer to our customers. It’s a wide-open field this year and, as a result, our traders look at a loss to nail down a strong winner, which is great news for punters.

Coral Cup looks a punters’ race

Tombstone goes at the head of the betting entering the final week, but Gordon Elliott’s progressive seven-year-old gelding can still be backed at a tempting 5/1 at the time of writing. He sharpened his tools for this assault on the festival with an impressive win in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park last month, beating Jezki home by four-lengths. That remains his only win in five, but the turn of foot shown at the business end of the race caught the attention of many in the know, ensuring Coral’s experts were keen to keep him close.

Main danger, if the market is to be followed, will come from Modus, the hope of star trainer Paul Nicholls. Bringing a CV of five wins, two seconds and three thirds from 15 starts, the seven-year-old was also seen in the winner’s enclosure last time, banking the prize money in the Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle at Kempton.

Ballyandy popular at a price

Another race winner, and another who did it with plenty in hand, with jockey Barry Geraghty steering him to success, despite going off as a chunky SP 7/1. He didn’t get the clearest of routes that day, but when getting the run of the race he responded, and found more when asked going for home, which is always a massive tick. There’s 8/1 going on Modus to win the Coral Cup, and that will prove popular with punters.

Something interesting at a bit more of a price and Twiston-Davies looks to get extra out of the always-popular Ballyandy. He has been improving with every run in the build up to this, and followed a runner-up finish at Sandown with a fifth career win when taking the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury a month ago. Going off as race favourite, he lived up to the billing, holding off Movewiththetimes thanks to a gritty show.

Ballyandy won plenty more admirers that day, and will leap off the page at the value-hunters out there, with Coral handing over 10/1 on victory at Prestbury Park.

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