Tag: Cheltenham

Horse Racing Preview 24th January

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It’s Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham on Saturday and there should be clues to many of the feature races in March.

The action gets under way at 12.40 with Peace And Co looking to cement his position at the head of the Triumph Hurdle market. He is one of several exciting French imports trained by Nicky Henderson and he absolutely hacked up on his debut at Doncaster. The value of the form is debatable and I can hardly believe that he is as short as 9-4 for the Triumph Hurdle. Even so, it will be a major surprise if he is beaten here.

The BetBright Cup at 1.50 sees the return of Many Clouds who did this column a favour in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November. He steps out of handicap company to face last year’s Ryanair winner Dynaste. David Pipe’s grey finished an honourable second in the King George VI Chase last time out but is probably better at shorter distances. Smad Place was only fifth in the Hennessy but will provide a good test if he is fit enough.

Tactics could be important and it may de down to Leighton Aspell to set the pace on Many Clouds. I have reservations about Dynaste up the Cheltenham hill but I think he will have too much class for these.

The horse that I am most looking forward to seeing in action on Saturday is Value At Risk in the Neptune Trial at 3.00. He was trained in Ireland by Philip Fenton last season and finished third in the champion bumper at Punchestown. He was very impressive when coasting to victory at Newbury by 22 lengths on his first start for Dan Skelton. I think he will win on Saturday and his price will fall for the Neptune so it may be worth taking some of the 16-1.

The feature race at Doncaster is the Skybet Chase at 3.15. Tony McCoy has taken the ride on If In Doubt who was useful over hurdles but lacks experience over fences. Easter Day ran well for a long way on his first start after a year off the track and must be respected but most of the other runners look fully exposed. It could be an opportunity for some McCoy magic.

Finally, good luck to Harry Spiller who has his first runner as a trainer at Lingfield tomorrow. The Third Man proved expensive for punters when trained by John Gosden last year but is not without a chance in the 2.35.

Peace And Co 12.40 Cheltenham @4-7 Bet365

Dynaste 1.50 Cheltenham @9-4 Paddy Power

Value At Risk 3.0 Cheltenham @15-8 Bet365

If In Doubt 3.15 Doncaster @11-2 William Hill

*Value At Risk – Neptune Hurdle @16-1 Paddy Power

*ante-post

Want 4/1 on Sprinter Sacre today?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Quite simply the best horse in training in 2013. Sprinter Sacre set the jumps world alight with sensational performances that regularly saw him going off at long odds on in every run. In fact, on his last 9 runs he’s gone off at 4/9, 4/5, 1/6, 2/5, 1/5, 1/4, 3/10, 1/9, 2/9.

In the 3pm at Ascot today he makes his long awaited return after having heart complications. The Nicky Henderson trained animal is apparently looking as good as ever. Even if Sprinter Sacre is 80% ready, he’ll take all the beating later today.

At 8:30am today Coral are enhancing Sprinter Sacre to 2/1 for £10. He’s currently 10/11 to win the race. So that’s more than double the odds!

Heres how to get 4/1*:

  1. Sign up to Coral here
  2. Take Coral up on their 2/1 offer
  3. Head to the 3pm at Ascot and put your £20 on Sprinter Sacre to win
  4. Watch the worlds best horse win and enjoy your returns of £48.18

*It’s actually just below 4/1 due to Sprinter Sacre currently being 10/11, it could drift to 1/1, which means you’ll get 4/1, which is entirely possible!

Enjoy the winnings!

Cheltenham New Year’s Day Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Punters won’t want to be nursing too much of a hangover with Cheltenham getting under way at 12.10 on New Year’s Day. There is some top quality National Hunt action to greet 2015 and there could be plenty of festival clues throughout the card.

There are some decent staying novice hurdlers in the opener and I see no reason to desert Brother Tedd after two easy victories for Philip Hobbs. The market suggests that Different Gravey and Zeroeshadesofgrey will fight out the finish but I am surprised to see Brother Tedd as big as 11-2. Assuming all eight stand their ground, he looks a rock solid each-way bet at those odds.

The second race will take some sorting out and the Aintree race won by Oscar Time may hold the key. Alfie Spinner would probably come out on top on the bare form but I liked the way that Our Father travelled into the race before lack of fitness told in the closing stages. The grey was a top novice a couple of seasons ago and David Pipe knows how to get them ready for competitive races like this.

Ptit Zig was very impressive at Ascot and can beat Champagne West in the Dipper Novices’ Chase at 1.20. He looks a classy recruit to fences and was thought good enough to contest the Champion Hurdle last season. The only slight concern is that it is his first sight of the Cheltenham fences but he should have too much speed for the Philip Hobbs runner.

The big handicap chase of the day at 1.55 looks wide open. I studied the form for this race in some detail before concluding that Splash Of Ginge could be the value bet. I was disappointed to see the bookies chalk him up as favourite but it is fatal to change your mind. The best odds guarantee will come in useful if he goes bigger than 6-1 on the day.

Knight Of Noir is the selection in the handicap hurdle at 2.30 after his promising first run of the season. He travelled well throughout but was just out-sprinted from the last by Morito Du Berlais. That horse has gone on to run well in top handicaps since so Knight Of Noir should go well despite a 5lbs weights rise.

Finally, I am siding with Rock On Ruby in the two and a half-mile hurdle over the Henderson duo of Vaniteux and Beat That. I am a great admirer of Beat That but this trip looks short of his best and it may be significant that Geraghty prefers Vaniteux. Rock On Ruby loves it here and always looked in control last time out.

Brother Tedd 12.10 @11-2 Skybet

Our Father 12.45 @7-1 Paddy Power

Ptit Zig 1.20 @11-8 William Hill

Splash Of Ginge 1.55 @6-1 William Hill

Knight Of Noir 2.30 @5-1 Ladbrokes

Rock On Ruby 3.05 @3-1 Coral

Cheltenham Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It is Paddy Power Gold Cup day at Cheltenham on Saturday and the going remains soft after a dry opening day.

The big race is due off at 2.30 with Oscar Whisky and Johns Spirit heading the weights. Philip Hobbs was in good form with a double on Friday but Colour Squadron was diverted from this race only to be beaten by his stable companion in the novice chase. Present View won well at the festival in March and had a nice prep race over hurdles, although connections could have done without the nasty scare when he received a cut at the last flight. Fortunately no damage was done and trainer Jamie Snowdon is optimistic that there is more improvement to come.

The card opens at 12.40 with a tricky novices’ handicap. John Ferguson’s Parlour Game was a good winner on Friday and he will be looking to Chesterfield to continue the good work. Like his stable mate, he is a former Godolphin runner. There are plenty of disappointing types in this race so I am going to take a chance on Irish raider Diamond Dame who is certainly in great form at present.

All eyes will be on Kings Palace for his chasing debut in the 1.15. David Pipe’s six-year-old looked like being one of the bankers of the festival meeting but ran at least a stone below his best and eventually fell. He has had plenty of time to get over that experience and is capable of beating his four rivals if anywhere near his early form of last season.

The Murphy’s Group Handicap Chase at 1.50 features several walking wounded including Sam Winner, Cape Tribulation and The Package. Preference is for the latter who has run some great races here over the years and is capable of winning after a lengthy absence.

The Grand National winner Pineau De Re reappears over hurdles in the 3.00 but will be hard pressed to concede 4lbs to Vivaldi Collonges. He looked likely to score here last time out but was just beaten by In The Rough after a protracted dual. They finished well clear of the third and the Nicholls’ horse can go one better here.

Nicky Henderson’s Hargam makes his hurdling debut in the Triumph Hurdle Trial at 3.35 and is expected to run well. He was a high class performer on the level in France but faces a useful sort in Golden Doyen. He was beaten on the nod at Chepstow in a decent race and his experience may just give him the edge.

Diamond Dame 12.40 @14-1 Bet365

Kings Palace 1.15 @6-4 888Sport

The Package 1.50 @8-1 Ladbrokes

Present View 2.30 @13-2 Coral

Vivaldi Collonges 3.00 @6-1 Ladbrokes

Golden Doyen 3.35 @5-2 Paddy Power

Cheltenham Friday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Open meeting at Cheltenham kicks off on Friday with a typically competitive six-race card. The going is reported to be good to soft so I am hoping that the Cotswolds avoids the torrential rain that has been battering other parts of the UK this week.

I have never been a great fan of the Cross Country Chase but it seems to be surviving the test of time and a few old favourites are back in action tomorrow. The favourite is last year’s winner Balthazar King who has since gone on to finish a courageous second in the Grand National. He won in France in September so will presumably be fit enough to do himself justice and old rival Uncle Junior may now be past his prime at 13. He won’t be any great value but should win with the ground in his favour.

Colour Squadron was pulled out of the Paddy Power Gold Cup to run in the novice chase here and his greater experience could be decisive. There are some very exciting novices in opposition, notably Dell’Arca who won the Greatwood Hurdle last year and ran well in all of the top two-mile handicaps. I am convinced that Colour Squadron would have won last time had he been held up for longer and compensation awaits.

The Amateur Riders race which opens the card looks very tricky but I am just going to side with Dan Skelton’s Mister Grez. He probably needed his recent run to put him straight and Bridget Andrews is good value for her 5lbs claim.

The second race does not look any easier but I just have a sneaking suspicion that Anay Turge has been laid out for this event. The grey won it 12 months ago and was given a gentle introduction last month. Jamie Moore looks a significant booking and he could reward each-way support at a decent price.

It’s nice to see Ruby Walsh back in the UK and he replaces the injured AP McCoy on Jonjo O’Neill’s Champagne Present in the 3.00. The four-year-old looked sure to win at Aintree last time but was beaten in a photo with the front two quickening all the way to the line. Blaklion looks the one to beat after his gutsy win at Chepstow.

I was expecting to see Nicky Henderson’s Cup Final at a good price in the last but he has been installed as favourite. He came up against Irving last season but was slightly disappointing subsequently. He is held in high regard at home so should be tough to beat off a rating of 125. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he wins but Cassells Rock could be the better value. He was runner-up in a £75k race on the level in September and stayed on well over hurdles last time out. This uphill finish looks right up his street.

Mister Grez 1.15 @12-1 Bet Victor

Anay Turge 1.50 @15-1 William Hill

Colour Squadron 2.25 @5-2 Bet Victor

Champagne Present 3.00 @4-1 William Hill

Balthazar King 3.35 @5-4 Totesport

Cassells Rock 4.05 @7-1 Bet365

Greatwood Hurdle Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Greatwood Hurdle is the big betting race at Cheltenham on Sunday, for which the bookmakers have made Nicky Henderson’s Vaniteux the clear favourite.

Their odds are based on his excellent third behind Vautour in the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the festival meeting in March. Many pundits consider Vautour a live prospect for the Champion Hurdle this season so it is easy to understand their reasoning.

It looked a good quality renewal of the Supreme with Josses Hill, a stable companion of Vaniteux, finishing in second and Irving and Gilgamboa among those well beaten. Henderson rates Vaniteux very highly but it may be worth remembering that he has only raced four times for Henderson and must carry top weight of 11st 12lb.

With the going certain to be testing, I would rather side with something at the other end of the handicap and Clondaw Warrior catches the eye. He is trained by Willie Mullins and won the November Handicap on the flat on his most recent start. That victory was off a mark 34lbs higher than his official rating when joining the Mullins stable.

He is yet to race over hurdles for his new stable but if he shows anything like the same improvement as he has displayed on the flat, he looks very leniently treated. Mullins has also declared Daneking but most bookmakers are offering non-runner/no bet on the race. He makes plenty of each-way appeal here at 8-1.

Jonjo O’Neill’s Goodwood Mirage tended to walk through his hurdles last season but showed more respect for them under a good ride from McCoy at Wetherby on his seasonal debut. He was useful on the flat but just seems too close to the top weight after a hefty 9lbs rise. Garde Le Victoire is also prone to clout a couple of flights and did so again when beaten by Hawk High at Aintree last time.

David Pipe relies on Imperial Cup winner Baltimore Rock but he is now 15lbs higher in the weights than when winning at Sandown. Pearl Swan was a promising novice for Paul Nicholls a couple of seasons ago but surely cannot overcome an absence of almost two years. His stable companion Katgary ran poorly at Aintree and will need to improve to figure here.

Vaniteux should run well but I am siding with Clondaw Warrior to make the weight tell in the closing stages and take the prize back to Ireland.

Clondaw Warrior @8-1 Bet365

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4