CHANT PUT ME IN TUNE AT FESTIVAL

Paul Jacobs shares his ante-post thoughts on the Festival I always come into Cheltenham Festival month with a mix of interpretation and excitement.

Let me explain. Every year I have a large ante-post profile which goes against the grain of many professional punters, but I still believe it brings a mix of expectation and a huge possibility of big profits and if I manage to hit the bullseye, say once in five years, I am certain to make a significant amount of money.

I have made fair profits in the past five years but 2021 was my annus miraculous when I had decided after watching the 2020 Festival and in particular the Supreme Novices Hurdle that Chantry House (third of 15 to Shishkin) was a horse to follow over fences as he was made for them.

What made it even more interesting as a possible ante-post play was that Envoi Allen was mopping up all the Grade 1 novice chase prizes in Ireland. But I was convinced he was flattered by those runs in small fields and mostly at moderate gallops. That scenario would likely be turned on its head at the Festival.

A week after the 2020 meeting I backed Chantry for the Turners at 33/1 and kept doing so every other week until he made his novice chase debut at Ascot, hacking up in a three-runner race, but a heavy defeat next time out and an unconvincing success at Wetherby saw his price yo-yo from 12/1 to 25/1, a price he was still available at a week before the race.

But I was convinced EA was no odds-on shot well so the term subjective value saw me double up my overall bet from the previous 11 months. As you know, the rest is history as the Irish favourite fell at the fourth fence and Chantry outstayed stable mate Fusil Raffles up the hill. By the way his price collapsed from 33/1 some six days beforehand to an SP of just 9/1!