Tag: Racing

The Festival Embraces Luck Of The Irish On Day 3

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Saint Patrick may have rid Ireland of all the snakes, but he’d have his hands full eradicating Cheltenham of all the Guinness-swilling Irish celebrating St Patrick’s Day as part of day 3 at The Festival. Amid the festivities and proud displays of green, white and orange (well, mostly green), the keener punters will be closely following the markets ahead of the day’s two big races, £300,000 Grade 1 The Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase.

In 2016, Thistlecrack justified banker status as he bounded away from Irish challenger Alpha Des Obeaux to take The Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle in breath-taking fashion and confirmed his domination of the staying hurdle division. Formerly known as the World Hurdle, this race’s short history dates back to just 2000. In that period, there’ve been three multiple winners – Big Buck’s (four in a row from 2009-2012 for Ruby Walsh and Paul Nicholls), Inglis Drever (2005, 2007-08) and Baracouda (2002-03).

Go with Harry, Know What I Mean?

After 21 runners accepted for the Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle, a field of 16 is set to line-up for the fourth on the card of day 3. Unowhatimeanharry ($2.25 favourite with Sun Bets) is unbeaten in eight starts for trainer Harry Fry and signed off last season with victory in the G1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival, after which he was bought privately by J.P. McManus. The nine-year-old was impressive in beating Ballyoptic (Nigel Twiston-Davies, 16/1) on his return in a G2 contest at Newbury in November before a four and a half-length victory over Lil Rockerfeller in the G1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot the following month. Jessica Harrington plans to run 2014 Stan James Champion Hurdle victor Jezki ($8 with Paddy Power) after two good comeback runs this season. The JP McManus-owned gelding Yanworth ($7 with Coral), who will be ridden for the first time by Mark Walsh, has won each of his three starts this season, the most recent in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton. The favourite looks close enough to a good thing.

Mullins Strong Hand in Ryanair Chase

The day’s other feature – the £300,000 Ryanair Chase (Grade 1 over 2m 5f) – is the third on the card. There’s value galore with five of the eight runners rated at 10-1 or better. Willie Mullins sent out the 1-2 in the 2016 Ryanair Chase as Vautour beat Valseur Lido. This year, the trainer is responsible for saddling the favourite in the championship contest this year. Un De Sceaux ($3.25 thanks to William Hill) has been victorious on two of his three previous appearances at Cheltenham. The nine-year-old stormed to six-length victory in the Racing Post Arkle Novices’ Chase at The Festival in 2015 and returned last year to chase home Sprinter Sacre in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. He also triumphed at the course on his latest start, beating the 2015 Ryanair Chase winner Uxizandre (Alan King) by five lengths in the re-scheduled G1 Clarence House Chase on Festival Trials Day (January 28). The British challenge includes Josses Hill (Nicky Henderson), an impressive winner of the G2 Betfred Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon in December and the best of the next at $8 (Betway).

Thyestes Chase Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The main jumping action on Thursday is over in Ireland at Gowran Park with the valuable Thyestes Chase. This race has been won in the past by Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde so has a reputation as something of a Grand National trial. On His Own won here two years ago but failed to add to the roll of honour at Aintree.

Willie Mullins was hopeful of On His Own in the National last year with Ruby Walsh on board but he faded tamely. It was a disappointing effort and he has only shown glimmers of form since, most recently when running on at the end of the Becher Chase. I’m not too sure what to make of that run because the winner Chance Du Roy ran no race at all at Haydock last weekend.

The going is certain to be on the slow side so the answer to this tricky race surely lies lower down the handicap. Jim Dreaper and Andrew Lynch are a combination to be respected and I like the look of Los Amigos. Most of these have only patchy recent form by Los Amigos appears to be still improving and adapted successfully to win over hurdles last time out.

Dreaper has admitted a slight concern over his lack of experience for a tough race like this but is hopeful that he will see out the trip. Ruby Walsh is aboard the top weight Vesper Bell but it is hard to fancy him after two failed trips across the water. He fell at the first in the Becher and then unseated his rider in the Warwick Classic.

Balnaslow may turn out to be the best of the four Mullins runners but he is closely weighted with Hunting Party on Thurles form from October. He came out on top that day by a length and a quarter but Hunting Party has a 5lbs pull and seems to have improved since. A win over this course will hold Hunting Party in good stead but he also tipped up at the first in the Paddy Power Chase.

Paul Carberry is in the saddle on Thursday and I’d imagine it would be the usual hold up tactics from the maestro. If he can get the horse safely over the first few fences and popping away in midfield, he could feature here and is attractively priced at 16-1. Trainer Dessie Hughes won here with Siegemaster in 2011 often targets this race.

The Troytown Chase winner Cootamundra has been put up 10lbs for that victory and that may prove too much Playing is on a hat-trick and acts well on this ground. He went up 11lbs after bolting up at Limerick and now a further 14lbs for winning in similar fashion at Cork. You don’t see many 11 year old horses improving so rapidly but 14-1 looks too big with BetVictor.

Paul Sweeney has put blinkers on the formerly useful Panther Claw and booked Barry Geraghty. I always tend to look at previous runnings of these big handicaps and he was third last year so could run better than of late.

I’d say the same of runner-up Tarquinius but he has looked well below his best and I’d be surprised if Gordon Elliott can get him sharp enough to win this.

Los Amigos at 8-1 Paddy Power

Playing at 14-1 BetVictor

Hunting Party at 16-1 Bet365