Odds-on that Best Mate can become a Cheltenham great (From Gazette Series)

Odds-on that Best Mate can become a Cheltenham great

FAVOURITE backers look set for a profitable Cheltenham Festival with bookmakers rating each of the top four races as a virtually foregone conclusion.

All of last year's champions from the big four races have been installed as short odds favourites for their renewals at the Prestbury Park course next week.

Best Mate in the Gold Cup and Baracouda in the Stayers' Hurdle are both as short as 4-7, while Moscow Flyer is no better than evens in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Rooster Booster is 7-4 to take the Champion Hurdle.

In Thursday's showpiece event, Best Mate will be going for his third successive Gold Cup victory - a feat last achieved by the great Arkle (1964-66).

Henrietta Knight's nine-year-old produced easily the best display of the season so far by any Gold Cup entrant when demolishing several of his rivals - including big Irish hope Beef Or Salmon - in December's Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown.

Best Mate's chief rival on Thursday should be the French raider Jair Du Cochet, who defeated the champion in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on his seasonal reappearance.

Jair Du Cochet kicked clear of Best Mate to score easily under Jacques Ricou, the jockey who was heavily criticised at last year's festival for giving his mount too much to do when coming second to One Knight in the Royal & Sun Alliance Chase.

The inadequate two and half mile trip and the soft ground at Huntingdon gave Best Mate his excuses, while Jair Du Cochet followed up with an appalling run behind Edredon Bleu in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Since then though, Jair Du Cochet showed his Cheltenham pedigree with a victory in the Pillar Chase that has elevated him to 5-1 second favourite.

Punters looking for each-way value can look across the Irish Sea for a longer odds chance.

Noel Meade's nine-year-old Harbour Pilot (33-1) finished third in last year's race and was upsides eventual winner Florida Pearl in the Irish Hennessy when falling in the home straight.

Other leading fancies including Kingscliff (10-1), Keen Leader (12-1) and Beef Or Salmon (14-1) have all ran disappointingly at times this season, while Martin Pipe's novice Therealbandit (12-1) is perhaps stepping up too far, having fallen as Jair Du Cochet took the Pillar Chase.

Best Mate really should win this quite easily. Expect Jair Du Cochet to chase him home, although the unreliable Ricou and the short price means that the best each-way value comes from Harbour Pilot.

In Tuesday's Champion Hurdle, Rooster Booster - owned by Cam businessman Terry Warner - has earned his favourite's tag despite being beaten by no fewer than three of his main rivals this season.

The Phillip Hobbs-trained ten-year-old came second to Intersky Falcon (10-1) in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and most recently lost on the nod to Geos (20-1) in the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury.

However, Rooster Booster had excuses for both defeats, with the Kempton race having turned into a half-mile sprint off a sluggish pace, while Geos was receiving 17lb in the Newbury race.

The most significant defeat came at Cheltenham in the Bula Hurdle, where Rooster Booster finished fifth, five lengths adrift of Rigmarole (4-1), with the latter carrying only 4lb less.

Rigmarole's recent defeat of Intersky Falcon in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton has prompted bookmakers into rating him as the most likely challenger to the favourite on Tuesday.

It will be very much to the advantage of Rooster Booster that it is certain to be a true run race, so Rigmarole will have to be at his best to be in with a shout - but the preference is for the favourite.

Hopes at longer odds include Rhinestone Cowboy (7-1) and Westender (33-1), who have both been placed in races at each of the last two festivals.

But the most interesting is Golden Cross (33-1), who was a third-placed favourite in last year's Triumph Hurdle and a 66-1 winner of the Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown in December, when Rhinestone Cowboy was unplaced.

Wednesday's big race, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, sees Moscow Flyer take on Azertyuiop (6-4) in what bookmakers are rating as the closest contest of the four main races.

The defending champion is in excellent form and jockey Barry Geraghty has spoken of his confidence that a repeat performance can be delivered.

His main rival, Paul Nicholls' Azertyuiop, has also been in fine form this season, but fell on his seasonal reappearance and was beaten by Isio (16-1) in the Victor Chandler Chase - although it was a narrow victory for a 19lb difference.

However, Azertyuiop does have a Cheltenham pedigree, having won the Arkle Chase a year ago - just as Moscow Flyer did in 2002.

On balance though, Moscow Flyer's experience should be enough to see off his rival, whose jumping may just falter under the intense pressure.

Incredibly, the remainder of the field are priced at 16-1 or better - including 2002 champion Flagship Uberalles (16-1) and the second and third from the last two runnings - Native Upmanship (20-1 but a doubtful participant) and Cenkos (16-1).

But on form the best each-way bet looks to be Tiutchev (20-1), who despite lacking the required pace to win, will stay on to the end as he did when second to Edredon Bleu in the King George.

Two-time champion Baracouda looks as safe a bet as any when he goes for his third successive Stayers' Hurdle on Thursday.

The Francois Doumen-trained raider meets last year's runner up Iris's Gift (7-2) on the same terms and everything points to a repeat performance.

Longer odds possibilities include last year's one-two in the Royal & Sun Alliance Hurdle, Hardy Eustace (20-1) and Pizarro (25-1) - although the latter is likely to take part in the Royal & Sun Alliance Chase.

Another interesting runner - if he takes part - could be Willie Mullins' Davenport Milenium (33-1), who will have the pace to match Baracouda, but is going into uncharted territory in terms of the distance.

In Wednesday's Royal & Sun Alliance Chase, the Martin Pipe duo of Therealbandit and Our Vic (both 5-2) head the field.

If he runs, Therealbandit should win, but as he is likely to head for the Gold Cup, the biggest challenge to Our Vic should come from Pizarro (11-2), who won the 2002 Festival Bumper ahead of Rhinestone Cowboy and Back In Front.

Supreme Prince (12-1) is another in with a chance of running into a place if his jumping holds out.

Tuesday's Arkle Chase meanwhile, sees last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle runner up Kicking King (4-1) take on the outstanding Thisthatandtother (5-2).

Thisthatandtother looks to be the selection, although last year's Triumph Hurdle second Well Chief (10-1) has beaten Rigmarole over hurdles this season and looks to be an interesting prospect.

All in all, the Cheltenham Festival 2004 looks set to be full of thrilling encounters.