Best Outsider Bets at Cheltenham

With the highlight of the jumps season edging closer, it’s time to start rolling out a few potential big-priced winners writes Bradley Gibbs.

At 16/1 in the early betting, with all the top firms going non-runner, no bet at this stage, Westport Cove is worth supporting early doors ahead of the County Handicap Hurdle on the Friday.

I love the handicaps at Cheltenham, especially over timber and this is always a great race to watch. I’ll love it that bit more this year if Westport Cove does what I think he might.

For starters, he runs for Willie Mullins, who has a very good record in this race, saddling four of the previous 12 winners.

Still lightly raced and far from fully exposed, the gelding looks a similar type to some of the previous winners of this contest, he also ticks many of the trend boxes.

He hasn’t looked the most straightforward and hasn’t done much of note just yet, but the fact that he ran in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown in late December tells me that he’s well thought of, while he wasn’t disgraced in a Listed event at Punchestown last time out, finishing fourth, not far behind a 141-rated runner.

It’s likely that he’s going to get in this race off quite a low weight, while if his maiden win at Thurles is anything to go by, the likely better ground should suit him better than heavy, which is what he’s encountered on his last three runs.

Last but not least, Mullins has won this with what may appear to be his less fancied types not once but twice in recent seasons, winning with Wicklow Brave at 25/1 in 2015 and Arctic Fire at 25/1 in 2017, so don’t be surprised to see Westport Cove feature prominently.

Westport Cove (each-way) @ 16/1 (several firms, all paying five places, NRNB)