Monkfish sets eyes on Cheltenham Festival

Monkfish sets eyes on Cheltenham Festival

Willie Mullins’ splendid six-year-old racehorse Monkfish has his eyes set on the Cheltenham Festival following a win at the W.T. O'Grady Memorial Irish EBF Novice Hurdle at Thurles over the weekend. The Mullins-trained racehorse was brilliant at Thurles winning by 20 lengths. The Cheltenham Festival is approaching quickly and trainers are preparing their horses in pre-Cheltenham races. Horseracing punters can find the latest bet bonuses and tips at horse-bettors.com [1] before they wager on races at the festival.

Monkfish is now being prepared to race at the Cheltenham Festival in March in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. The race tests racehorses four-years old [2] and up over the course of two miles and seven furlongs.

Mullins aims for second Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle win

Mullins has only won the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle once previously. That win came in 2017 with racehorse Penhill.

This year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle will be the sixteenth running of the race at the Cheltenham Festival. In the previous 15 editions of the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, a six-year-old horse has won it seven times. Mullins’ previous race winner Penhill was a six-year-old [3] and the Irish trainer could experience another great day at Cheltenham Racecourse with his new star.

Monkfish is 8/1 to win at the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. It is the second-best odds available with only Thyme Hill (5/1) positioned better in antepost betting. Monkfish has only run six career races. Mullins’ charge has finished in the top two in five of those six races with three events ending in victories.

Although Monkfish could be a big winner at the Cheltenham Festival, he will be just one of around 50 racehorses Mullins sends to the event. It is claimed Monkfish won’t even be one of Mullins’ main hopes of winning.

Which horse will win the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle?

The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle offers a prize purse of £125,000 with over £73,000 going to the winner. When the Cheltenham Festival added a fourth day in 2005, the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle was introduced as an additional race.

Trainer Jonjo O’Neill is the most successful trainer to compete in the race with two victories. Mullins could win the race for the second time in his career if Monkfish is successful once more. Last year, Mullins’ Allaho finished third in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. Monkfish is on a two-race win streak having not only won in January at Thurles, but in December at Fairyhouse.

The Big Breakaway and Fury Road are both headed into the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at odds of 10/1, respectively. The duo will give Monkfish even more competition for the race title.

Cheltenham Festival goers and punters will have the perfect opportunity to see the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle as it is run just before the Cheltenham Gold Cup on day four of the event. The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle can be a launching pad for the winner as it was in 2011 for Bobs Worth. The horse went onto win the Cheltenham Gold Cup two years later.