Paddy Power Plate Odds 2023

The Paddy Power Plate, formerly the Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase, now the Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate is a Grade 3 chase run over two and a half miles on Day Three of the Cheltenham Festival. The race has a rich history, having been first run in 1951.

Two horses have won the Paddy Power Plate twice – The Tsarevitch in 1985 and 1986 and Elfast in 1992 and 1994. While trainer Nicky Henderson drew level with Martin Pipe’s record of four wins in the race when Non-So won in 2006.

Despite being a fiercely competitive race, the past five seasons have seen three favourites come out on top. The Storyteller in 2018, Simply The Betts in 2020, and The Shunter in 2021 were all popular choices among Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate betting odds. However, there have been some surprising results in recent years, such as 50/1 shot Carrickboy in 2013, 33/1 outsider Darna in 2015, and Coole Cody at 22/1 last year.

Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate odds *

*Best prices at the time of writing

So Scottish 6/1

Haut En Couleurs 13/2

Il Ridoto 13/2

Midnight River 15/2

Fugitif 9/1

Datsalrightgino 9/1

Frero Banbou 10/1

Gemirande 16/1

War Lord 18/1

Seddon 18/1

Shakem Up’arry 18/1

Marvel De Cerisy 20/1

Champagne Gold 20/1

Mars Harper 20/1

Stolen Silver 22/1

Escaria Ten 22/1

Coole Cody 22/1

Celebre D’Allen 22/1

Embittered 25/1

Hereditary Rule 25/1

Two For Gold 33/1

Captain Tom Cat 50/1

Bowtogreatness 50/1

Gevrey 66/1

Born By The Sea 66/1

Il Courra 80/1

Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate (previously Paddy Power Plate) Odds and Entries 2023

Plenty of horses go into this year’s Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate with live chances, non more so than the current favourite for the race, So Scottish.

Representing the shrewd Emmet Mullins yard, who won this race in 2021 with The Shunter, So Scottish has low mileage, and he’s been kept fresh for this race, having not been seen since November. There’s every chance that his current handicap mark underestimates his true potential.

The best hope of a UK winner in the race could be the Dan Skelton-trained Midnight River, whose brother Harry will ride.

Midnight River was a useful novice hurdler who gained a second chase success at Stratford in October before placing 3rd in the Paddy Power Gold Cup here in November. He improved again when landing a valuable handicap over this course and distance on New Year’s Day, and he could go close from his revised mark.

Betting on the Festival Plate

The Festival Plate had been regarded as one of the trickiest handicaps of Cheltenham week prior to a run of well-backed winners from 2018 to 2021. Long priced winners in the Festival Plate Handicap Chase betting were commonplace including Holmwood Legend (2011) at 25-1, Darna (2015) at 33-1 and Carrickboy (2013) at 50-1.

Well-backed winners The Storyteller (2018), Siruh Du Lac (2019), Simply The Betts (2020) and The Shunter (2021) turned the tide in the favour of punters. The sequence was halted in its tracks by 22-1 winner Coole Cody in 2022, reminding punters that a bet on the Festival Plate is not without its risks. Coole Cody was the first eleven-year-old to win since Mister McGoldrick in 2008.

David Pipe trained the winner three times in a five-year period between 2010 and 2014. Danny Cook scored on Great Endeavour (2010) before Tom Scudamore partnered Salut Flo (2012) and Ballynagour (2014) to victory. The last ten winners have all been for different trainers, illustrating the competitive nature of this event. Emmet Mullins won it with the well-backed favourite The Shunter in 2021 and he trains the ante-post favourite So Scottish, runner-up at Ascot in November.

Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate News

This year’s Plate Handicap Chase looks like a minefield for punters, with many horses potentially lurking on handicap marks that seriously underestimate their ability.

None more so than So Scottish for leading owner JP McManus and trainer Emmett Mullins. So Scottish put in a career-best performance when 2nd behind Boothill on his handicap debut at Ascot in November, and it’s interesting that he’s not been seen since then.

With such a large field, many punters will look to back a couple of runners each-way in the hope of landing the winner of one of the most competitive handicaps of the entire Cheltenham, Festival