RUBY WALSH looks to be sitting on a big winner after the odds were slashed on his only Cheltenham Festival ante post bet.
Jockeys are experts at reading races – but can be notoriously bad tipsters.
That looks to be far from the case with Walsh, whose sole Festival punt has been gobbled up in the markets.
Walsh, an 11-time leading jockey at the Festival and dual Gold Cup winner, goes back to the big race for his tip.
He put Al Boum Photo up at 16-1 and the horse is into 15-2 with Paddy Power.
The Willie Mullins-trained ten-year-old has won the race twice and finished third last year on the other occasion.
Al Boum Photo stuck with tradition by winning at Tramore on New Year’s Day.
And with that livener in the bag, Walsh reckons there is simply no way the horse finishes out of the money.
Walsh said on the Paddy Power From The Horse’s Mouth podcast: “I’m still happy with Al Boum Photo at 16-1.
“I think last year’s Gold Cup is probably the most solid bit of form we have on offer and I won’t be surprised if the first three in last year’s Gold Cup are the first three again this year, possibly in a different order.
“But I won’t be shocked if they’re the same three horses.
“I still think Al Boum at 8-1 is fine, he’s won two Gold Cups, he was third in the other one.
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“I know he’s 10 and he’s not getting any younger but I think he’s fresh and he’s well and I can’t see him out of the money.”
Walsh thinks the biggest threat will come in the form of A Plus Tard, last year’s Gold Cup runner-up behind Minella Indo.
He added: “I’m hoping Al Boum Photo wins, but I still think A Plus Tard was brilliant at Haydock, I think on another day could have won at Christmas (when beaten by Galvin in the Savills Chase).
“I think he’s a better horse than he was last year and I think he’s the most likely winner.”
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