In this special edition of The Final Furlong Podcast, Emmet Kennedy is joined by Paul Ferguson, author of the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide, to strip away the noise, hype, and headline winners, and focus on the trends, profiles, and performances that actually matter for the Cheltenham Festival. If you’re serious about Festival betting, preparation beats guesswork, and this episode is built for that purpose.
🟥 THE FESTIVAL PIPELINES — RACE BY RACE
12:05 — Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase
A quietly productive Festival race that has historically fed:
The Plate
The Ultima
Multiple Festival winners including La Landière, Un Temps Pour Tout, Stage Star
well-handicapped losers
What red flags suggest a horse is Saturday-fit but not Festival-class
The biggest historical mistake punters make reading this race12:40 — JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (G2)
One of the most important Triumph trials of the season.
How much juveniles can improve between January and March
A potential star for Paul Nicholls?
Traits that scream “Festival candidate”1:15 — Exchange Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
The Plate
The Ultima
Occasionally even the Ryanair
Does winning here help or hurt Festival handicapping?
Why finishing strongly can matter more than winning
Whether Jaguar is a Grade 1 winner in waiting 1:50 — Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
Specialist Festival division.
Experience vs upside: Final Orders vs J’Arrive De L’Est
The impact of age, banks experience, and course form
The most common misread punters make in these races2:25 — Cotswold Chase (G2)
Is it still relevant as a Gold Cup Trail?
How many Gold Cup winners this race has actually produced
Why this running could be a slog
Grey Dawning, Spillane’s Tower, and what really matters historically
3:00 — International Hurdle (G2)
Champion Hurdle implications loom large.
How strong a Champion Hurdle guide this race really is
Sir Gino, The New Lion, and the market’s role
3:35 — Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle (G2)
A vital Stayers’ Hurdle pipeline.
How often Cleeve winners follow up in March
The critical age profile
Impose Toi, Strong Leader, Doddiethegreat
Whether mares remain underestimated in staying divisions4:10 — AIS Novices’ Hurdle (G2)
Albert Bartlett and Ballymore clues.
Which Festival race this most often feeds into
Another Henderson novice ace?
Separating genuine stayers from flat-track bullies
Bounce risk, trainer patterns, and stamina tells🟦 BONUS: DONCASTER TRIALS
Quickfire Festival relevance from:
River Don Novices’ Hurdle
Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle
Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle
Which Doncaster races translate best to Cheltenham
Nurse Susan: Pertemps or Mares angle?
Horses worth tracking regardless of Saturday’s result📘 WEATHERBYS CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL BETTING GUIDE 2026
For serious Festival punters, this is the book that separates preparation from guesswork.
Print & Digital Bundle available now. Usually €23.95 — already a 45% saving — but Final Furlong listeners save even more.🎟️ Use promo code FFCFBG26 at checkout on weatherbysshop.ie or weatherbysshop.co.uk
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