Why No One Will Beat Al Boum Photo in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup

During Cheltenham Festival week, the anticipation builds and builds until 3:05 pm on Friday afternoon. Then, the punters and pundits are at a fever pitch waiting for the blue riband event to take place. This year, it will feature Al Boum Photo attempting to secure his third straight Gold Cup victory and enter his name into the record books.

Al Boum Photo picture perfect as Mullins lays Cheltenham Gold Cup hoodoo to rest > https://t.co/SXSbkhPYEa pic.twitter.com/AvoBdjBqOC

— Racing Post (@RacingPost) March 16, 2019

Normally, there is a lot of back and forth surrounding the favourite. After all, supporters want value for money. Plus, Brits love an underdog story. However, this time around, there’s no looking past Willie Mullins’ two-time winner, no matter how hard you try.

Strong Favourites  

Favourites are favourites for a reason – they tend to win. Of course, Cheltenham is the cream of the crop of national hunt racing, which means there is always a competitor or three that is hot on the heels of a “sure thing”. That’s why betting on the Cheltenham festival is a million-pound business, especially when the likes of A Plus Tard and Champ are both priced at 9/2.

The odds suggest Paul Townsend’s mount won’t have it easy, and that’s true. Still, if you consider how many favourites have won over the opening two days, Al Boum’s odds of 9/4 get stronger by the minute. It appears that the best horses are showcasing their credentials at the biggest of all meetings.

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There isn’t a runner that has a better pedigree than Al Boum Photo, not when it’s dominated the national hunt calendar’s event of all events for the past couple of years.

The Ground  

If you’re looking for reasons to back against Al Boum, you shouldn’t use the ground as an excuse. It officially started as soft at the beginning of the week, yet the decent weather in Cheltenham is making it quicker by the day. On Friday, it could be good to soft – good in places – or just flat out good.

When you look at the main rivals for Mullins’ crown, they have performed at their best on tracks where the going has been on the soft side. A Plus Tard, for instance, has run his last five previous outings on soft and heavy.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t act on faster ground. What it does mean is that it’s another tick in the box next to Al Boum Photo’s name. After all, he has won on heavy, soft and good to soft in his last five races.

Time Off  

Trainers see it differently. Some prefer to run their horses regularly to keep them fighting fit. Others like to plot a runner’s route meticulously. Mullins clearly enjoys the latter, which is why the dual Gold Cup winner hasn’t been seen since New Year’s Day.

This shouldn’t be cause for alarm since it’s pretty much the same strategy for Al Boum’s 2018 and 2019 runs. Of course, this doesn’t mean he hasn’t been going through the paces in training. Mullins said in February that he would have a significant bit of work coming up that week.

If he’s over that and well-rested, which he seems to be, there should be no stopping a horse that has turned into a chasing star. 9/4 doesn’t look too shabby at the moment, folks!