Rich Ricci is one of the most esteemed owners and biggest personalities in the UK and Ireland jumps racing scene. You might not know him by name, but you will certainly recognise his unmistakable pink and green polka-dot silks - which have been donned by the likes of Ryanair Chase winners Min, Douvan and Vautour as well as Champion Hurdle victors Faugheen and Annie Power to name just a few.
In total, the American millionaire and his wife Susannah have enjoyed 19 Cheltenham Festival winners – with the 2016 renewal of particular note, as the pair pocketed almost £500,000 in prize money and cost the bookmakers £10 million on the opening day of the meeting thanks to a treble from Douvan (Arkle), Annie Power (Champion Hurdle) and Vroum Vroum Mag (Mares’ Hurdle).
In the last 10 years, they have fired a blank at the first just once in 2019. But Ricci did endure something of a transitional period last season, with festival winners Faugheen, Douvan, Min and Benie Des Dieux retired while Gold Cup hope Monkfish missed the campaign due to an injury.
Vauban ensured the pink and green polka-dot silks still gained access to the Prestbury Park winner’s enclosure with a win in the Triumph Hurdle. However, Ricci has been busy restocking in the last 12 months and will be confident that Willie Mullins has his new recruits in tip-top shape to land a couple more winners this year.
That said, let’s take a look at Ricci’s best chances of victory in the betting on Cheltenham Festival odds ahead of this year’s meeting.
Allegorie De Vassy – Mares’ Chase
The shortest price of the Ricci runners, Allegorie De Vassy is 11/8 to win the Grade 2 Mares’ Chase in what is the penultimate race of the entire meeting. The French-bred six-year-old is unbeaten in four races since joining Closutton from Marcel Rolland last October, winning twice over hurdles before switching to fences this year.
It has been a smooth transition to the larger obstacles for Allegorie De Vassy, with dominant Grade 2 wins at Limerick and Thurles – winning both by an impressive 19 lengths. However, Impervious looks like a real danger with three wins from three starts over fences. It could go either way, with not much to separate the pair in the ante-post markets.
Lossiemouth – Triumph Hurdle
A mare who looked set to be heading to the Cheltenham Festival as an odds-on favourite, Lossiemouth drifted after suffering a shock upset against stablemate Gala Marceau in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival when set off at 1/3.
The four-year-old was badly impeded that day and did well to even get back into contention and finish second – even though Paul Townend, who is the favourite to retain the Ruby Walsh trophy in the betting on Cheltenham top jockey, was heavily criticised by Mullins for asking so much of the young horse. As a result, she still is as short as 13/8 in the betting for the Triumph Hurdle and should be able to reverse the form with a clear run.
Gaelic Warrior – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
Another horse sourced from France by Ricci, Gaelic Warrior has improved massively since joining Mullins in Ireland. Zero for three in three-year-old hurdles at Auteuil, Gaelic Warrior was beaten by nothing more than a shorthead in his first start in the pink and green polka-dots at least year’s festival – pipped to the line by Brazil in the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
The five-year-old has come on leaps and bounds since then, winning a Maiden Hurdle at Tranmore by 86 lengths on reappearance before landing the Munster Hurdle by 15 lengths at Clonmel in January and a Grade B Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown. A couple of the handicaps are an option for Gaelic Warrior, but the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle looks like the destination and he’s the third favourite at 7/2 despite needing to find around five more furlongs.
Enjoy four extraordinary days of racing at the Cheltenham Festival from Tuesday 14 to Friday 17 March 2023.
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