Cheltenham Lucky 15 Tips For Friday: Festival Tips from Alan Dudman on Gold Cup Day

• Alan Dudman has four fancies in his latest Lucky 15 for Cheltenham

• Mullins, Pauling and Elliott in big fields for Friday

• Sportsbook extra places for the latest multiple fancies

• For the latest Cheltenham Betting Odds click here

• Bet £10 Get £10 on racing multiples every day of the Cheltenham Festival 

• Read our in-depth guide to the final day of Cheltenham 

Another Betfair Superboost winner! 

It's three winning Superboosts in Cheltenham week after our final day selection landed. More than 11,000 Betfair customers were on Willie Mullins' Selma De Vary to finish in the top four of the Triumph Hurdle at boosted odds of 5/42.25 from 4/91.44. Together with Old Park Star and Jonbon that means we have paid out multiple times this week! 

JCB Triumph Hurdle, 13:20, Cheltenham - Back Minella Academy EW four places @ 11/112.00

Having backed Majborough on Wednesday, we all know the feeling of being a Cheltenham manque, and my own personal quest continues with the alchemist Willie Mullins in attempting to unlock the Triumph Hurdle.

With four places on the Sportsbook, we have to lean towards a price here, and when talking of price, the owners (H O S Syndicate) of Minella Academy know a thing or two about buying a good one - usually having one for a dart at the Melbourne Cup (and Absurde runs later on the card).

Minella Academy won a weak Cork Maiden Hurdle for John Nallen in November, backed into 4/51.80, made all, and was duly sold after that eight-length triumph for nearly 400k.

Now it's a bit of a guessing game, but most of Cheltenham is. Who would have backed Martator this week on Venetia's current run?

While the likes of Macho Man and Maestro Conti have shown their hand a little more with the Timeform figures both on 155p, Minella Academy is only on 123p after the Cork success, so we are backing a mountain of improvement.

Cheltenham, County Hurdle, 14:00 - Back Pinot Gris EW six places @ 35/136.00

Pinot Gris finished in eighth spot in this race 12 months ago, a County won by Kargese who excelled earlier this week in top company, and while Henry De Bromhead hasn't quite hit his usual high notes this week, Pinot Gris is certainly good enough to finish in the top half again, hopefully in the first six with the extra places on offer with the Sportsbook.

He went into the County 12 months ago without a run for over nearly three months, yet this time around since joining 'Our Henry' from Gavin Cromwell, he had an outing in the DRF at Leopardstown in February, in deep ground, and the drier conditions will be more akin to his A game.

Nothing much was expected at Leopardstown as he was a 40/141.00 rag, and I think he's best tracking the pace rather than coming from off it, as was the case a year ago.

Albert Bartlett, 15:20, Cheltenham - Back Mondoui'boy EW four places @ 11/112.00

Ben Pauling came into the Festival as one of the leading trainers having branched out from up-and-comer to main stage player. Six runners in (at the time of writing on Thursday afternoon), Pauling hadn't had a sniff of a place, let alone a winner until mid-way thought Thursday, Pauling on the board, and that bodes well. 

Mondui'boy should excel with the step up to 3m here and he really did look the part with his Ascot win last time.

That was another step up in terms of progression from his Ludlow win in January, and over 2m3f on good to soft at Ascot saw him clock strongly at the end with times. His 2f final run was at 14.14 seconds compared to the third's 15.27, likewise his final furlong at 14.85 - again nearly a second faster than the third at 15.59.

The improvement on Timeform ratings from Ludlow (114+) to Ascot (133+) was massive and there should be even more to come with the 3m. I am sure Ben Jones will have him up there.

British novices' have held their own for once this year.

Martin Pipe, 17:20, Cheltenham - Back Open Secret EW five places @ 18/119.00

Putting up a Gordon Elliott horse you'd be right in thinking I have lost my marbles as he was 0-30 at the point of the festival when I commenced the preview.

The Martin Pipe Conditionals' race has at least brought some joy in the past with four winners all told for Elliott and victories in the last two seasons.

Open Secret is son of Cracksman, and I like his jumps' runners as a stallion as they stay well, and the Martin Pipe is a race you need something with a bit of stamina and staying power.

He's been running in Grade 2 and Grade 3 company, and one of those was the Grade 2 Novice at Cheltenham in late January finishing fourth - a race that didn't quite pan out tactically as he looked outpaced in a small field into the straight but to his credit he stayed on.

Decent ground could suit him and the mark looks fair enough from 133.

Alan Dudman's Day 4 NAP: Back Mondui'boy in the 15:20 EW @ 11/112.00

Mondui'boy should excel with the step up to 3m here and he really did look the part with his Ascot win last time and how pleasing it was to see Pauling finally get on the board with a winner on Thursday at the meeting. 

Ascot saw him clock strongly at the end with times. His 2f final run was at 14.14 seconds compared to the third's 15.27, likewise his final furlong at 14.85 - again nearly a second faster than the third at 15.59 and I do think he'll stay very well here.

The improvement on Timeform ratings from Ludlow (114+) to Ascot (133+) was massive and there should be even more to come with the 3m. I am sure Ben Jones will have him up there.

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