2020 Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Thursday Tip

Every week up until the 2020 Cheltenham festival we will be giving out our Ante-Post selections hopefully being able to grab some early value ahead of March.

The race we want to look in to this week is the Grade Two Mares Novices Hurdle on the Thursday of the festival with this race being fairly new to the four day meeting only starting back in 2016.

It has been won by Willie Mullins on all four of its renewals starting with Limini in 2016 and then followed up by Let's Dance, Laurina and last year's winner Eglantine Du Seuil at a huge price.

However, we believe it is time for change in this contest and GYPSY ISLAND for trainer Peter Fahey looks to be the one to beat in the race.

The five year old started her career last year when winning at Ballinrobe on her bumper debut, beating a field of 14 with ease.

The daughter of Jeremy was then tried over hurdles where she finished a narrow second to a nice horse from Henry De Bromhead's yard but she should have really won the race.

She was tried back in bumpers after her one and only hurdles run winning nicely at Naas and then landing a Listed bumper at Fairyhouse to back up her credentials.

Her final test of the season was at the Punchestown Festival landing the Grade Three national hunt flat race beating some superb horses.

Many think that this mare would have gone close in the Champion Bumper but was ruled out of the race due to running over hurdles during the season.

Now stepping over hurdles this season the form has just been stacking up around the mare with the second and third from her final contest last season winning three out of there three hurdle races between them.

This is a huge form line to follow and currently for the Grade Two Novices Hurdle she is a best price of 8/1 that will not be around for long if she backs up her bumper form on her first run of the season that will come in the next few weeks.