Festival Plate Predictions, Betting Tips & Odds (Cheltenham 2024 - DAY 3)
- Written by David Bet
The Festival Plate (formerly Paddy Power Plate) is a Grade 3 chase which is run over two miles five furlongs where the runners have seventeen fences to jump. John McConnell's Seddon was a fine 20/1 winner of the 2023 Plate Handicap Chase as he beat Fugitif with Shakem Up'arry back in third. A race for big priced winners with a 66/1, 50/1 and 33/1 winners in the last 16 years. Don't miss our TrustATrader Festival Plate race preview with free predictions, tips, betting trends, best odds, free bets and no deposit bonuses on the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
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Festival Plate Betting Preview
The Festival Plate is a hugely competitive handicap race at the Cheltenham Festival. It's a Grade 3 National Hunt chase run over two miles and five furlongs, for horses aged five years and upwards. Grade Three status means the top horses are all allowed to enter, which usually gives us a great field for the race.
This year's edition seems sure to be another tightly knit competitive handicap, with many horses arriving looking well handicapped and a maximum field size certain for the excellent prize money on offer.
And now take a closer look at this year's TrustaTrader Festival Plate and try to determine which horse is likely to prevail.
Who will win the Festival Plate 2024?
CREBILLY recently won a tactical race at Exeter and now heads the market. Jonjo O'Neill's seven-year-old recorded an impressive defeat of Tahmuras at Exeter in February and looks one that could continue to improve at Prestbury Park on March.
THEATRE MAN recently finished behind Ginny's Destiny on Trials Day. He ran a very good race and that performance looks like very strong. He could be well ahead of the handicapper.
SHAKEM UPARRY will try to go two places better than he did last year. He ran a cracker that day off a mark of 139 when third, beaten less than six lengths. He has massively improved since last year's renewal and was last seen winning the Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase at Cheltenham very easily by more than seven length. His mark will be stiffer this time, but he is a classy animal and has the course experience.
SAINT FELICIEN pulled up in Coral Cup here in 2022 and missed 612 days after. This season Gordon Elliott's charge has made good runs in beginners' company in Ireland, winning on his fourth attemp last time out at Gowran Park (2m4f, heavy).
JAMES DU BERLAIS ran very well for a long way in last year’s Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival to finish sixth. He finished 4th of 27 in the Paddy Power Chase back in December over three miles, conceding lumps of weight to the first three. He was last seen when finishing 3rd in the O'Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase over 2m5f.
ARCTIC BRESIL has made just the three starts over fences and is winless, despite running well in each of those contests while Willie Mullins' GLENGOULY beat Telmesomethinggirl in a beginners chase at Thurles in December 2022 before finishing runner-up this term in Listed/Grade 3 handicaps in Ireland.
Dark horses?
IL RIDOTO has been a little forgotten in the market. Paul Nicholls' star was only beaten a short-head by Ryanair-bound Fugitif here in December and will carry three pounds less on his back than when sixth in this contest last year.FRERO BANBOU, who finished a good third behind Global Citizen in 2022, was odds-on on his return to two miles at Lingfield and was travelling sweetly behind eventual winner First Flow, only to crash through the fifth flight before quickly being pulled up. Two miles is certainly the best distance for this exuberant front-runner.
IN EXCELSIS DEO scored at Hereford in December 2022 but has gone 0-6 since. Anyway he had some decent racesin defeat, including behind progressive Madara here in December.
Hernry De Bromhead's WATCH HOUSE CROSS recorded two wins in minor events at Wexford last summer and finished sixth in the Troytown at Navan in November. He was last seen when falling at the first here at Cheltenham last month.
Gordon Elliott has also entered RIIAN, a Wexford winner over 2m4f in August that showed fighting spirit when runner-up to Heart Wood at the Dublin Racing Festival handicap in February.
Other possible contendersinclude David Pipe's FIGHTER ALLEN, CIEL DE NEIGE for Ben Haslam, Joe Tizzards' KILLER JANE and TORN AND FRAYED for Nigel Twiston-Davies.
At the moment, the most backed horses are the following:
All the bookmakers we recommend are offering No Runner No Bet on every Cheltenham Festival race.
Festival Plate Trends
- 3 of the last 6 winners were favourites
- 18 of the last 23 winners returned at double-figure odds
- 7 of the last 8 winners were novices or second season chasers
- 12 of the last 15 winners carried under 11-0
- The last 5 winners had won at Cheltenham that season
- The last 10 winners were rated in the 140s
- 8 of the last 13 winners were aged between 7 and 9
Festival Plate Predictions
The following section contains our recommended bets on the Festival Handicap Plate. Feel free to copy our Cheltenham Festival tips and get the highest odds available on the market by clicking the 'Bet' button! We also invite you to take a look at all our Horse Racing Free Predictions resources here!*tipped on 27th February 2024
Ruby Walsh's Tips
"I like Riaan at a decent each way price. Jack Kennedy not riding him as maybe put me off a little bit but I was really impressed with his run at the Dublin Racing Festival. I’ll stick with him."
Ruby Walsh's Festival Handicap Chase Tips
Riaan (Each-Way)
18/1Bet
2024 Festival Plate Free Bets
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2024 Festival Plate FAQs
What time is the Festival Plate?
The Festival Plate is the 5th race run on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival. That falls on Thursday March 14, 2024 and the official starting time is 4:10pm.
How many obstacles are jumped in the Festival Plate?
There are 17 obstacles to jump for the Festival Plate runners
What is the distance of the Festival Plate?
The Festival Plate is run on a distance of 2 miles and 5 furlongs
What is the prize money for the Festival Plate?
The total prize money on offer for the Festival Plate at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival will be £110,000.
Who won the Festival Plate last year?
Last year's renewal was won by Seddon at SP of 20/1, trained by John McConnell and ridden by Ben Harvey.
What weights are carried for the Festival Plate?
As it is a traditional National Hunt handicap chase, weights range from 11 st 12 lb for the top weight, to 10 st for the bottom weight.
Who is the leading jockey in the Festival Plate?
Bryan Cooper and Tom Scudamore have both won the race twice in the last twelve years. Richard Johnson’s two wins in the race came in 2000 and 2003.
Who is the leading trainer in the Festival Plate?
Trainer David Pipe is the trainer to follow in this handicap chase with three winners and four placed horses from 26 runners in the past 14 years. Both Venetia Williams and David Pipe have also won the race three times.
