Tag: Triumph Hurdle

Cheltenham Preview – Friday 13th March

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It’s Gold Cup day at Cheltenham and we look set for a thrilling renewal. If there are any doubts about the quality, there is at least quantity and most punters would rather watch a competitive race with 17 runners than an odds-on favourite in a small field.

Silviniaco Conti supporters will be hoping for third time lucky after falling in 2013 and fading up the hill last year. We will never know whether he would have won had he not tipped up three out but it is difficult to make a case about him not liking the track. He did everything right last year but didn’t quite last home.

The bookmakers are taking a chance at 5-1 about him. We already have Djakadam tipped at ante-post odds of 16-1 but his inexperience may count against him while Lord Windermere will probably run his best race of the season. I also fancy Holywell to post a career best as he loves this meeting.

The action starts with the Triumph Hurdle and we were on Top Notch at 16-1 some weeks ago. I’m pleased that the owners are letting him run despite also having the hot favourite in Peace And Co. I also like Pain Au Chocolat and Devilment at big prices in a fascinating race. Very few of these have actually met in the trials so it is really a shot in the dark.

The County Hurdle is notoriously difficult to sort out and a very appropriate winner would be Sort It Out. He is one of three JP McManus runners along with Waxies Dargle and Princely Conn. The latter is the mount of AP McCoy while Waxies Dargle fell in a big handicap last time and has Paul Carberry in the saddle. Quick Jack will probably start favourite and should run well for Tony Martin.

I’ve been a fan of Value At Risk for the Albert Bartlett for some time so shouldn’t really desert him now. My only concern is the quicker ground but the same applies to most of these. The Henderson horses, Out Sam and Carache Apache, are attractively priced and I wouldn’t put you off either of them.

It will be interesting to see how Sheikh Fahad’s new purchase Current Event gets on in the Foxhunter but I’m siding with Nina Carberry here with On The Fringe. Much of this week has been about Willie Mullins and he can strike again with Roi Des Francs in the Martin Pipe Hurdle. Everyone will be cheering for AP on Ned Buntline in the finale but Blood Cotil is tough and consistent and can close out the meeting for Mullins in style.

New customers only – Racebet 10-1 Nicky Henderson to win 1.30 (max. £5 stake)

1.30 Top Notch @16-1* Ante-post

2.05 Sort It Out @14-1 Bet365

2.40 Value At Risk @12-1 Paddy Power

3.20 Djakadam @16-1 *Ante-post

4.00 On The Fringe @8-1 Ladbrokes

4.40 Roi Des Francs @9-2 Bet365

5.15 Blood Cotil @10-1 Bet365

Triumph Hurdle Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Triumph Hurdle used to be something of a lottery but winners have been easier to find in recent years. The classy Zarkandar won this in great style while the ill-fated Our Conor was one of the easiest winners in the history of the race.

There could well be something of his class on show again this season with Nicky Henderson set to run three, all of which have sound claims. The market has been dominated by Peace And Co since he sauntered to victory on his debut at Doncaster. Henderson has wisely avoided listing his runners in order of preference as both Hargam and Top Notch have top class form.

I dipped my toes in the ante-post market at 16-1 for Top Notch before his Haydock win and I’m pleased to see that connections still plan on running him. He is in the same ownership as the favourite and it must have been tempting to save him for Liverpool. Although it was a very poor field for the Victor Ludorum, he won like an improving juvenile and I’m hopeful of him making the frame.

Alan King has got fond memories of this race, both as a trainer and as assistant to the late David Nicholson. Mysilv was a very popular winner and Katchit went on to win the Champion Hurdle, the only five-year-old to do so in recent times. King runs Pain Au Chocolat here, a winner at Plumpton and Sandown on his last two starts. His latest victory is hard to assess as they crawled for the first half mile but he certainly has an each-way chance.

Punters were tripping over themselves to get on Beltor after he bolted up at Kempton in the Adonis Hurdle. He was no great shakes on the flat but horses can improve stones for a few flights of hurdles. He did race very keenly and you would have to worry about him settling in this big field. At first glance he looks more of an Aintree type but connections are having a tilt at the big one.

You cannot rule out the Willie Mullins runners and he looks set to saddle his Leopardstown first and second, Petite Parisienne and Kalkir. There did not really seem to be any excuses for the runner-up but there are no obvious lines linking the English and Irish form.

Top Notch @16-1 William Hill*

Pain Au Chocolat @20-1 BetVictor

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3 (Non-runner – no bet)

*Ante-post

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

Le Rocher value at 12-1 for Triumph Hurdle

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The weekend trials at Cheltenham and Doncaster did not exactly go to plan. I was looking for a big run from Rocky Creek in the Argento Chase but he went out very tamely when pressed by The Giant Bolster. Connections are apparently considering The Grand National instead of the Gold Cup after that display but I won’t be rushing to back him.

The biggest talking point of the weekend was the defeat of Big Buck’s in the Cleeve Hurdle. After a layoff of 420 days, it was surprising that Sam Twiston-Davies elected to have the horse so prominent from the start. Paul Nicholls has said that he told his jockey to be positive but most observers felt that he was in front far too early. Having said that, it was an encouraging run and he looks the one to beat in the World Hurdle.

The runner that impressed me most was the performance put up by Le Rocher in the Triumph Hurdle trial. There has hardly been a performance of note from the four-year-olds this season but Le Rocher looks the pick of the bunch on this evidence.

Vicenzo Mio was the first of several beaten favourites for the Nicholls team on the day but Le Rocher was backing up a Grade 1 win at Chepstow. Most impressively, he stretched a two and a half-length winning margin over Kentucky Hayden at the Welsh track to ten lengths here. Trainer Nick Williams has no doubt that the horse is capable of winning at the festival and I’m pretty confident that he will persuade the owners to go for the big one.

The going was very testing on Saturday so it would obviously be helpful if the going is soft in March but he also has form on a better surface in France. Ladbrokes have gone out on a limb by sticking to 12-1 and I feel that price cannot last long. He is around 8-1 generally and that is a far more realistic price.

Goodwood Mirage hardly lifted his feet over the last two hurdles when scraping home on his debut and he was little better here. I would imagine he would be heavily schooled and then given a confidence-booster before a trip to Aintree rather than Cheltenham. I cannot see him handling the hustle and bustle of a Triumph Hurdle.

Le Rocher (each-way) at 12-1 Ladbrokes