Tag: Teaforthree

Horse Racing Preview February 14th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Plenty of top quality horse racing action in the UK this weekend from Haydock and Ascot including several Cheltenham and Aintree contenders.

Ptit Zig has been one of the best novice chasers of the season so far and Paul Nicholls is pitching him in against more experienced rivals in the Betfair Ascot Chase. As we suggested in midweek, 11-4 did not last long but 9-4 still looks a decent price for a horse that has hardly put a foot wrong all season. He has won at Ascot before and there is no reason to desert him at this stage.

The pressure will be on Lizzie Kelly in the opening novice event where she rides impressive Lanzarote Hurdle winner Tea For Two. He won that so easily that his trainer is thinking in terms of taking on the best novices at Cheltenham next month and a victory on Saturday would secure his place. I was disappointed with Arpege D’Alene last time out and expect Miss Kelly to complete the hat-trick.

I’m also keen on the chances of Otago Trail later in the card for Venetia Williams. He destroyed his rivals last time out and is clearly well above average. He could take his chance in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle if he comes through tomorrow’s test with flying colours.

Over at Haydock, I expect to see Top Notch win comfortably in a bitterly disappointing renewal of the Victor Ludorum Hurdle at 1.45. Top Notch races in the same colours as Triumph favourite Peace And Co so it would be no surprise if Nicky Henderson elected to save him for Aintree instead. We put up Benbens earlier in the week at 10-1 and he is still available at 9-1 for the Grand National Trial. I was tempted to support Monbeg Dude but I’m put off by how far he got behind here in 2013. I’m sure he will run a good trial for Aintree nonetheless.

The three-mile hurdle looks wide open but it may be worth taking a chance on Bygones Sovereign at 10-1. He won by 28 lengths at Newbury last time when he stole a march on his rivals. I’d be surprised if the other jockeys allow him so much rope this time but he still races off 10st despite a 13lbs rise in the handicap.

The most popular double of the day has to be Tea For Two and Teaforthree. I was surprised how easily the 2013 National runner-up won over two and a half miles last time and he looked full of himself. I’d expect him to follow up in the last at Haydock.

Tea For Two 1.30 Ascot @4-7 Bet365

Benbens 2.55 Haydock @10-1*

Bygones Sovereign 3.25 Haydock @10-1 Bet365

Ptit Zig 3.50 Ascot @11-4*

Otago Trail 4.20 Ascot @5-4 William Hill

Teaforthree 5.05 Haydock @4-6 Betfair

*Ante-post

Grand National 2014 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Grand National is finally upon us with forty horses set to tackle the famous fences and nearly four and a half miles at Aintree. It looks as if the going is likely to be almost perfect so there should be no excuses on that score for beaten horses. Only Godsmejudge (33-1) has failed to turn up from our ante-post selections so here is the final run-down.

Teaforthree (adv. 25-1)

Rebecca Curtis is reportedly delighted with his condition after the Cheltenham Gold Cup and believes that he is in better shape than a year ago. He finished third that day with Nick Scholfield aboard and the combination must have a great chance. I think 8-1 is very short for anything in this race but I’d imagine the bookies will be pushing him out to 10-1 or 11-1 tonight in order to balance the books.

Monbeg Dude (adv. 25-1)

At the start of the season I felt that this fellow may be too small and need soft ground to win a National. He shattered my theories when jumping superbly to win at Cheltenham on good ground, although he did not reproduce that at Doncaster last time. He has “The Head Waiter” Paul Carberry on board so we may need binoculars to find him early on. I fear that they may go too quick for him but hopefully he can work his way into it second time around.

Triolo D’Alene (adv. 25-1)

I re-invested some of my Hennessy Gold Cup winnings on this one for Aintree but his odds have been going in the other direction since a puzzling run in the Gold Cup. Nicky Henderson suddenly seemed to do an about-turn and rated him “a player” at Cheltenham but he was never involved. I did read that he had breathing difficulties during the race so, assuming that the problem has been rectified, all is not lost.

Big Shu (adv. 40-1)

I added the Irish raider to my portfolio after his third in the Cross Country Chase at the Festival. He was given a lot of ground to make up that day and faded a little towards the finish but it was only his second start of the season. He still looks a rattling good each-way bet to me.

Vintage Star (89-1 Betfair)

I always look through the outsiders on the day in case I have overlooked something. I keep going back to Vintage Star because he has moved into a winning position in some decent races without getting home in the heavy ground. It is difficult to tell from his form whether he will improve for better ground but he has a squeak.

Scottish National Ante-Post Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Following a 50-1 winner of the Irish National and Aurora’s Encore’s 66-1 triumph at Aintree last weekend, you couldn’t really blame punters for giving the Scottish National a miss. Trainer Sue Smith is apparently considering whether or not to let her National winner take his chance at Ayr under after an 11lb rise in the weights. That may sound steep but is actually only a 5lb higher mark than last year when he was edged out by Merigo.

Whilst every sniff and sneeze was reported for the Aintree participants, we are left to rely largely on guesswork when it comes to the Scottish National. The list of entries looks impressive enough but it is worth remembering that there is no non-runner/no bet rule on offer at the moment so we have to tread carefully.

It seems like half of the Grand National field are entered but it is anybody’s guess whether they will turn up. The races are quite close together this year so I’d have thought the likes of Teaforthree and Cappa Bleu were extremely doubtful. Aintree also-rans include Roberto Goldback, Chicago Grey, Join Together, Across The Bay and Rare Bob. The bookmakers also seem to be in the dark as they have put up Cheltenham faller Rival D’Estruval as their ante-post favourite at 8-1 with Always Right at 10-1 and it is 12-1 bar.

Until we hear otherwise, I’d have thought the best policy would be to draw a line through the Aintree runners and look elsewhere. Rival D’Estruval’s case is obvious enough having looked an unlucky faller in the National Hunt Chase at the festival. He has been declared a definite starter after pleasing in his subsequent work but the race is something of an after-thought and there is no way of telling whether his confidence has been affected. Always Right is a difficult one to assess. He was third in this race two years ago and that is a definite point in his favour. He followed up that run with victory at Kelso but then lost his way completely. I remember him cantering into contention at Haydock in the National Trial before pulling up rapidly.

Last time out he won the Kelso race in which Aurora’s Encore was a fifty-three length sixth! Before getting too carried away, it may be more to the point that he beat the 12-year-old Garleton by a head at level weights. One race that could be worth studying for clues is the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster in March. Quentin Collonges beat Mr Moss by half a length and they are set to meet on the same terms. Quentin Collonges choked last year in the Scottish National and now wears a tongue strap whilst Mr Moss is trained by Evan Williams, second at Aintree with Cappa Bleu.

There are several younger horses that could be improving, notably the novices Houblon Des Obeaux and Poungach. Neither seem to be particularly well handicapped but Cheltenham winner Same Difference would be interesting if he took his chance. He looks to have plenty of stamina and put up a fine performance to grab Super Duty on the line at the festival. He is set to race off a 7lb higher mark but looks capable of taking the step up. He races in the same colours as Captain Dibble who won the race in 1992.

Silver By Nature and Wyck Hill are on their way back from injury whilst Well Refreshed looks a mudlark who is unlikely to get his conditions here. Godsmejudge ran well enough at Cheltenham but looks decidedly slow. White Star Line is a possible long shot from low in the weights but he looks difficult to win with.

Same Difference 14-1 Ladbrokes
Quentin Collonges 14-1 Coral
Mr Moss 20-1 Coral