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These are the Cheltenham Festival hopes to note now NRNB betting is here

Blue Lord and Sir Gerhard
Blue Lord and Sir Gerhard: interesting Cheltenham Festival contenders for Willie Mullins

After Sky Bet became the first major bookmaker to offer non-runner no bet for all 28 races at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday, we look at four interesting contenders who have more than one option in March.


Sky Bet go non-runner no bet on every race at the Cheltenham Festival


Sir Gerhard

Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Ballymore Novices' Hurdle

Willie Mullins has won the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle a record seven times and has two leading chances in Dysart Dynamo and Sir Gerhard, both of whom are also in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

If the trainer decides to split the pair up, then it seems most likely Champion Bumper winner Sir Gerhard could go for the Supreme, for which he is available at 4-1 with Sky Bet, compared to 7-2 in the Ballymore.

He is bred for speed and his Supreme price could shorten if he wins the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday week.

Hillcrest

Ballymore Novices' Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

Hillcrest caught the eye when winning the Listed Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham for Henry Daly last time and is entered in the Ballymore and the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle over three miles.

CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 01: Richard Patrick riding Hillcrest (L) clear the last to win The Ballymore Novices' Hurdle from Nico de Boinville and I Am Maximus (R) at Cheltenham Racecourse on January 01, 2022 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Alan Crow
Hillcrest: impressed at Cheltenham last timeCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The imposing seven-year-old is not guaranteed to run at the festival, but is available with Sky Bet at 12-1 for the Ballymore and 16-1 for the Albert Bartlett, and his declaration for the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (3.40) at Cheltenham on Saturday is interesting.

Connections have opted for the race over the 3m½f Albert Bartlett River Don Novices' Hurdle, suggesting they are in no rush to step him up in trip – his performance this weekend should tell us more.

Envoi Allen

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase

Dual festival winner Envoi Allen gave his connections a decision to make after winning a Grade 1 chase at Leopardstown last month.

He is a 10-1 shot with Sky Bet for both the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair Chase, but owners Cheveley Park Stud already have a strong hand in the latter race with last year's comfortable winner Allaho.

Envoi Allen: a Grade 1 winner under Rachael Blackmore last time
Envoi Allen: a Grade 1 winner under Rachael Blackmore last timeCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The Champion Chase would also represent an enormous task for Envoi Allen against the likes of Shishkin, but given the speed with which he jumps over two miles, his connections could be tempted.

Blue Lord

Arkle and Turners Novices' Chase

Blue Lord was described as being tailor-made for the Arkle by Mullins after his 20-length demolition job at Naas last time and he took over as favourite for that race after stablemate Ferny Hollow was ruled out on Thursday.

Blue Lord is entered in the Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival, but it is not beyond the realms of possibility that connections might consider the Turner Novices' Chase given he ran well over two and a half miles during his novice hurdling campaign, but Sky Bet have not missed this possibility and offer just 6-1 against odds as big as 20-1 with other firms who are not going NRNB.


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