• 16/03/2023
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Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase (previously Paddy Power Plate) betting tips are the focus of this preview, as our top racing tipsters pull together the best recommendations.

This is action from Day 3 of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, and we study all the trends and current form for the fixture, including front-runners and underdogs.

Along with a look at what is coming up for the 2023 renewal, this guide also dips back into the fixture’s history to try and help narrow in on some selections.

The final list of runners for Paddy Power Plate betting won’t be known until closer to the day, so stay tuned for our top Cheltenham Festival tips.

Last year’s winner of the Paddy Power Plate was Coole Cody, who caused a minor shock by winning at odds of 22/1.

Tip – SO SCOTTISH

Although there was an outsider winning this last year, favourites have had a good record in this race recently and we’re hoping that trend can continue with So Scottish. Emmet Mullins’ 6YO has been a model of consistency this year, and this will have been his target for some time. He can give his trainer a second win in the race in three years, after The Shunter won it in 2021.

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Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase Tips – Overlooked Outsiders

While the recent trend should send some focus towards the stronger runners who are going to be lining up in this year’s Paddy Power Plate, the underdogs can’t be dismissed entirely.

Some outsiders will enter and warrant some respect in Paddy Power Plate odds.

Our tipsters will size up some of those closer to the start of the Festival when the full range of racing tips will be uploaded here.

In the last 10 editions of the Paddy Power Plate, there have been some longer-priced winners coming home successfully.

Of those, Darna in 2015, who scored from a 33/1 SP, but going back a couple of years, an even bigger winner took the race. In 2014 Carrickboy landed the 2013 edition from a massive 50/1 SP. Most recently, Coole Cody won last year’s renewal at a tasty 22/1 SP. 

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2023 Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase Runners + Odds – Thursday, 16th March 4.10 pm

Horse/Form	Silks	Jockey/Trainer	Odds
So Scottish 021112		J: Mark Walsh T: Emmet Mullins	9/2
Haut En Couleurs 6-54F2		J: M O’Sullivan (5) T: Willie Mullins	6/1
Il Ridoto 83-441		J: Harry Cobden T: Paul Nicholls	13/1
Midnight River P3-131		J: Harry Skelton T: Dan Skelton	7/1
Frero Banbou 9-2434		J: Charlie Deutsch T: Venetia Williams	10/1
Datsalrightgino 213422		J: Gavin Sheehan T: Jamie Snowden	15/2
Fugitif 48-212		J: Sean Bowen T: Richard Hobson	9/1
Escaria Ten  829-27		J: A P Heskin T: Gordon Elliott	33/1
Seddon 8F2311		J: Ben Harvey (5) T: John C McConnell	22/1
War Lord 42-3P2		J: Brendan Powell T: Joe Tizzard	22/1
Coole Cody -7P150		J: Adam Wedge T: Evan Williams	20/1
Shakem Up’Arry 323-15		J: Luca Morgan T: Ben Pauling	12/1
Champagne Gold 9-4132		J: Aidan Coleman T: Henry De Bromhead	28/1
Mars Harper 322492		J: Jordan Gainford T: Gordon Elliott	33/1
Embittered -38726		J: B J Cooper T: Joseph Patrick O’Brien	50/1
Gemirande (RESERVE) -21212		J: Shane Quinlan (3) T: Venetia Williams	12/1
Marvel De Cerisy -16F13		J: Rachael Blackmore T: Henry De Bromhead	8/1
Celebre D’Allen 15-434		J: Michael Nolan T: Philip Hobbs & Johnson White	40/1
Hereditary Rule 242113		J: Jack Hogan (5) T: John C McConnell	50/1
Stolen Silver 41-U2P		J: Sam Twiston-Davies T: Sam Thomas	33/1
Two For Gold 112P-5		J: David Bass T: Kim Bailey	12/1
Bowtogreatness 0-235P		J: Kevin Brogan T: Ben Pauling	80/1
Captain Tom Cat F-27P7		J: Charlie Hammond T: Dr Richard Newland	80/1
Gevrey 743145		J: Sam Ewing T: Gordon Elliott	100/1
Born By The Sea 235305		J: Danny Gilligan (7) T: Paul John Gilligan	100/1
Il Courra (RESERVE) 148414		J: RESERVE T: C W J Farrell	12/1

 

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How to pick a Paddy Power Plate Winner

Our tipsters will be cutting through the field of contenders for the Paddy Power Plate ahead of the Festival. 

The recommendations will be based on what has been assessed from trends and form for the Grade 3 fixture.

One of the recent trends has seen three of the last five winners deliver the odds as the favourite, although last year’s winner Coole Cody was a 22/1 outsider.

Last 10 Paddy Power Plate Winner Odds

• 2022 Coole Cody 22/1
• 2021 The Shunter 9/4F
• 2020 Simply The Betts 100/30F
• 2019 Siruh Du Lac 9/2
• 2018 The Storyteller 5/1F
• 2017 Road To Respect 14/1
• 2016 Empire Of Dirt 16/1
• 2015 Darna 33/1
• 2014 Ballynagour 12/1
• 2013 Carrickboy 50/1

Another of the trends to consider in picking a Paddy Power Plate winner is that all but one of the last 20 had less than five previous runs at Cheltenham and had banked fewer than six starts in this Class (the one being Coole Cody, who won the race last year).

In the last 20 renewals of the Paddy Power Plate, none of the victors had been bigger than 20/1 last time out, and all but one had placed fewer than three times before at Cheltenham. Again, the one to buck the trend was last year’s winner Coole Cody. 

There has been just one female horse winner (from 14 entries) in the last 20 editions, so the trend is towards the male runners.

The other notable trend for Paddy Power Plate betting is that 16 of the last 20 winners have been horses trainer in Great Britain, with the other four being Irish-trained runners.

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All About The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase (previously Paddy Power Plate): Past and Present

The Paddy Power Plate was first run in 1951, and there is a significant change in sponsorship for the 2023 edition, with bookmaker Paddy Power now taking over.

This fixture is a Grade 3 Chase hosted on the New Course at Cheltenham and features seventeen fences. The Paddy Power Plate is a handicap fixture at a distance of 2m 4 1/2 f.

Only two horses have won the race twice, namely The Tsarevich (1985, 1986) and Elfast (1992, 1994). Jockey Fred Winter is the all-time leader with three successes in the 1950s. More recently, Bryan Cooper has won two of the last seven.

As for the leading trainer, that’s a three-way tie between Bobby Renton, Nicky Henderson and Martin Pipe with three each. 

Interestingly neither Paul Nicholls, Philip Hobbs, Nigel Twiston-Davies, Jonjo O’Neill, Alan King, Colin Tizzard or Willie Mullins have ever trained a winner in this despite having at least 10 previous entries.

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How Do Horses Qualify for the Paddy Power Plate Race?

Entries for the Paddy Power Plate have to be at least five years old. The weights are handled by the handicap for the fixture. Both male and female horses can compete in the race.

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What is the Paddy Power Plate Prize Money in 2023?

While we wait for the details of the 2023 purse, we can look back to last year. Winner Coole Cody took £67,524, with the other payouts being 2nd £25,440, 3rd £12,732, 4th £6,360, 5th £3,192, 6th £1,596, 7th £792 and 8th £408.

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Paddy Power Plate Past Winners

The Tsarevich and Elfast are the only two horses who have won this race more than once. Among some of the more notable recent winners, 2018 champion The Storyteller and 2020’s Simply The Betts are both rare 7-year-olds winners of the contest. In addition, Siruh Du Lac and Road To Respect have been recent 6-year-olds victors. Last year’s winner Coole Cody was the first 11-year-old winner of the race since Mister McGoldrick won in 2008.

Year	Horse	Odds	Jockey	Trainer
2022	Coole Cody	22/1	Adam Wedge	Evan Williams
2021	The Shunter	9/4F	Jordan Gainford	Emmet Mullins
2020	Simply The Betts	100/30F	Gavin Sheehan	Harry Whittington
2019	Siruh Du Lac	9/2	Lizzie Kelly	Nick Williams
2018	The Storyteller	5/1F	Davy Russell	Gordon Elliott
2017	Road To Respect	14/1	Bryan Cooper	Noel Meade
2016	Empire Of Dirt	16/1	Bryan Cooper	Colm Murphy
2015	Darna	33/1	David Bass	Kim Bailey
2014	Ballynagour	12/1	Tom Scudamore	David Pipe
2013	Carrickboy	50/1	Liam Treadwell	Venetia Williams
2012	Salut Flo	9/2F	Tom Scudamore	David Pipe
2011	Holmwood Legend	25/1	Kieran Burke	Patrick Rodford

Other Races on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival

Day 3 is St Patricks’ Day, and the Paddy Power Plate is the fifth race of the day. So here are the rest of the races for Thursday at the Festival:

13:30 The Turners Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

14:10 The Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Listed)

14:50 The Ryanair Steeplechase (Grade 1)

15:30 The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

16:10 The Paddy Power Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) (Grade 3)

16:50 The Mares Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)

17:30 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (sponsored by the JRL Group) (0-145)