Cheltenham Festival 2024: JP McManus Plotting a Betting Coup

The announcement of the weights for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival handicaps sparked an inevitable flurry of activity on horse racing betting sites. 
 
Handicappers from the United Kingdom and Ireland have collaborated to ensure the weights allocated are fair to horses on both sides of the Irish Sea. 
 
With that in mind, we have scoured the entries for the handicap races to identify three horses who could have been underestimated by the assessors. 

Milan Tino leaps off the page as a potential winner of the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle having been allotted just 10st 13lb for the race. 
 
His mark of 126 is 10lbs lower than his French rating which will likely have owner JP McManus rubbing his hands with glee at Cheltenham. 
 
Several betting apps are offering odds of 8/1 for Milan Tino to win the race and he could go off much shorter if McManus kicks off one of his legendary gambles. 

Trainer Dan Skelton has won four of the last eight renewals of the County Hurdle and could add to his tally with L’Eau du Sud this year. 
 
A mark of 135 (10st 7lb) looks to be a serious misstep by the handicapper, particularly after the horse’s excellent second place finish in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury. 
 
Odds of 12/1 on numerous new betting sites look excellent each-way value for a horse that appears to have plenty of improvement left in him. 

Cuthbert Dibble is unbeaten this season after winning at Chepstow and Haydock, and will bid to complete the treble at the Festival. 
 
A mark of 139 (11st 1lb) for the Coral Cup is workable and the horse could be worth an interest at odds of 20/1 to land the prize. 
 
Jockey Sam-Twiston-Davies was extremely bullish about Cuthbert Dibble following his victory at Chepstow and punters on UK betting sites would be well-advised to take note of his comments.