Cheltenham Tips: Five Antepost Picks To Consider

February 27, 2012 Leave a comment

With Cheltenham fast approaching, it’s time to take another look at some of the horses being “talked up” to win at the Festival. Depending on what you read or who you speak to, there are a number of alternatives being touted for many of the races at the four day meeting but listed below are my five current best bets with just two weeks to go, some are more obvious than others but I’m confident that the current prices will all represent value come the days of the respective races.

Supreme Novice Hurdle – Midnight Game @ 10/1 (general)

Trained by Willie Mullins, the five year old Midnight Game has done nothing but improve all season at the yard, evidenced backed up by his two wins in decent company in his last two starts. Owned by Gigginstown Stud Midnight Game has been placed in Listed races on the flat in France and has taken to hurdling with a great deal of enthusiasm and provides Mullins with a great chance of kicking off the 2012 Festival with a winning start for Mullins in the “curtain raiser”.

Arkle Challenge Trophy – Sprinter Sacre @ Even Money

It does not take a genius to realise that this Nicky Henderson trained six year old has everything a young chaser needs. He has proven that over fences at least he has few peers over 2 miles and the excitement expressed at the Seven Barrows Yard is absolutely genuine. Based on what he has shown over the bigger obstacles this season, it is hard to see anything other than Sprinter Sacre landing the Arkle on day one.

Menorah from the Phillip Hobbs stable delighted connections with his 13 length win at Taunton at the end of the year which he followed up by winning again next time. His fall last time should be forgotten as he is can be expected to repay anyone who backs him each way in the Arkle as a bigger priced alternative to Sprinter Sacre.

RSA Chase – First Lieutenant @ 7/1 (general)

All the hype of course as to the likely winner of this race is centered on David Pipe’s Grands Crus but over in Ireland there is a strong body of support for the Mouse Morris trained, First Lieutenant. Second last time out in the Grade 1 Fort Leney Chase over 3 miles at Leopardstown behind the brilliant Last Instalment, this 7 year old is primed to take full advantage of Last Instalment’s absence for the rest of the season. He has been specifically laid out for the RSA and will come to Cheltenham with the stable expecting to win and it’s worthwhile risking that the Grands Crus camp opt to go for the Gold Cup as if that is the case, then the current 7/1 will look massive about this genuine Irish Raider.

Champion Chase – Wishfull Thinking Each Way @ 16/1

Having been disappointing all season, trainer Phillip Hobbs remains confident that the best is yet to come from last year’s Jewson Novice Chase second. He is reportedly working extremely well at home and should he bring that form to the track then he should enter the reckoning in this race. One for the shortlist and a definite each way bet at 16s.

Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle – Vulcanite

This four time winner on the Flat has trainer Charlie Longsdon and connections highly excited and they believe that the five year old is perfectly suited to win this Grade 3. He has taken to hurdling with great aplomb and although seven lengths back when second last week in a Newbury Novice Hurdle, Longsdon believes that the run will have him spot on for the County Hurdle.

Filed under Arkle, Cheltenham Festival Trials, Latest Racing News, Royal & Sun Alliance Chase Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Bobs Worth In Reynoldstown Bid En Route To Cheltenham

February 16, 2012 Leave a comment

The Grade 2 Reynoldstown Chase that takes place at Ascot on Saturday looks the type of race that might reveal a few answers to the outcome of a couple of the championship races at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

The race which has traditionally been a good one for favourites, which should bode well for the Nicky Henderson trained, Bobs Worth, who is sure to be a major market fancy. Henderson in fact has saddled the winner of this race for the last two years, Burton Port in 2010 and Master Of The Hall 12 months ago and believes that it is the perfect warm up race before Bobs Worth goes to Cheltenham for the RSA Chase.

Last seen out when third behind Grands Crus and Silviniaco Conti on Boxing Day in the Grade 2 Feltham Novice Chase at Kempton Park, Bobs Worth will improve for that experience. However he will have Silviniaco Conti against him again on Saturday who is one of two highly rated young chasers from Ditcheat in the race. The other Join Together is a dual winner of two novice staying chases this season and who should take the step up in class with comfort. Stable jockey Ruby Walsh has elected to ride Silviniaco Conti in preference to Join Together, which should inform punters which of the two to be backing.

The Alam King trained, Walkon is an interesting entry whose blunders last time out in a Novice Chase over 2m2f at Newbury in December cost him what would have been a decent victory. That race in fact was won by Cue Card who had been an original entry in this but will now go straight to Cheltenham. Before that Walkon had made a successful debut over fences by winning a decent looking Novice Chase at Exeter where he had the once highly regarded, Zaynar 6 lengths behind. King also intends to run his 6 year old Invictus in the race.

Others worthy of consideration is the Pam Sly owned and trained, Helpston, as well as Emma Lavelle’s Penny Max. Helpston has shown great consistency in a range of Novice Chases, winning twice so far this season before finishing a creditable second behind According To Pete in the Grade 3 Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day. Meanwhile Penny Max has won twice this season , firstly in a Novices Limited Handicap Chase and secondly in the Plymouth Novice Chase at Exeter last month. Both will be stepping up in class, but both come to Ascot in good form and well prepared for big runs.

Another runner who has won his last two starts is the Ian Williams entry, Baile Anrai, which came in Novice Chases at Towcester at Christmas and at Leicester last month. Before that the 8 year old took on Silviniaco Conti in a Grade 2 Novice Chase at Wincanton and was in with chances before he fell three from home. He clearly did not suffer for the experience coming out to win twice and would have a squeak of a chance in this with a clear round.

Filed under Ascot, Cheltenham, Royal & Sun Alliance Chase Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Grand National Trial At Haydock Should Provide Some Useful Aintree Pointers

February 15, 2012 Leave a comment

Le Beau Bai will be hoping to repeat his Welsh National success in Haydoock's Grand National Trial.

With the weights having being revealed for the 2012 Aintree Grand National, particular attention will be paid to the Betfred Grand National Trial over 3m4f which takes place this Saturday at Haydock Park.

After the five day declaration stage made on Monday, 23 runners stood their ground with Neptune Collonges from the Paul Nicholls stable topping the weights with 11-12 with Grand National favourite, Junior, from the David Pipe stable set to carry 11-6 in the race.

This will be the first run of the season for Junior, who demolished his rivals in the Kim Muir Fulke Walwyn Challenge Cup over 3m2f at the Cheltenham Festival last March and then subsequently ran at Royal Ascot where he failed in his attempt to win back to back Ascot Stakes on the flat. The style of his Cheltenham Festival win however, is the principle reason why he is the antepost favourite for the Aintree Grand National in which he will carry 11-2. He won the ‘Kim Muir’ by a staggering 24 lengths looking a very commanding horse in the process and clearly one who has a lot more to come and the handicapper looks to have given Junior a huge chance ahead of the Aintree feature.

Up against him on Saturday is Welsh National winner, Le Beau Bai from the Richard Lee stable who is likely in fact to go off as the favourite should the going remain heavy. He finished third in this race 12 months ago behind Silver By Nature but never went on to run at Aintree. After a mediocre start to the season, this 9 year old has come on leaps and bounds with the Welsh National victory his biggest success to date. He is an absolute mud lark and the worse conditions the ground is in the better and if they turns in to an extreme test of stamina, you can be assured that Le Beau Bai will be in the shake up at the end.

Topping the Irish challenge is the Charlie Swan trained, Start Me Up, who comes to the race with only one win in a Beginners Chase but the form of that run has worked out well and stable optimism for a big run is high.

Cappa Bleu third behind Le Beau Bai in the Welsh National will be representing the Evan Williams yard who will expect him to improve considerably for his Chepstow run. A former winner of the Foxhunters Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, the ten year old is an excellent jumper and a very thorough stayer.

Neptune Collonges is still looking for his first win since taking the 2011 Argento Chase and will have the burden of top weight, although that did not hamper him too much last time out when he was a very creditable second place behind Hold On Julio in the 32Red Handicap Chase at Sandown in January but the weight may way hold him back from winning this.

Giles Cross, second in the Welsh National is slightly better weighted to reverse form with le Beau Bai and trainer, Victor Dartnell, was a little frustrated by a second successive second in the Welsh National but is sure to be confident that his 10 year can make the frame at the Lancashire track on Saturday.

All in all, this is a very open Grand National trial with a host in with chances. One to possibly watch out for who is well handicapped is Evan Williams second entry, Deep Purple. This 11 year old looked a very decent Gold Cup prospect a couple of years ago after winning both the Grade 2 Charlie Hall and Peterborough Chases. However his form evaporated after efforts in the 2009 King George Vl Chase and the 2010 Ryanair Chase failed. However, he returned to winning ways in December, when taking the London National over 3m6f at Sandown, when carrying top weight. This race is altogether a higher quality but with only 11-7 to carry this time, the odds 16/1 look decent each way value for a horse with proven quality.

Whatever the outcome, this Grand National Trial should provide a number of useful pointers ahead of the big race on 14th April.

Filed under Aintree, Alan King, David Pipe, Grand National, Haydock, Paul Nicholls, Racecourse Tagged with , , , , ,

Indecision Over Grands Crus Festival Target Leaves RSA Chase Picture Wide Open

February 13, 2012 Leave a comment

Last Instalment has emerged as a leading RSA Chase hope following Leopardstown win

With still no clear indication from the David Pipe stable as to where Grands Crus will be aimed at the Cheltenham Festival, the betting remains somewhat confusing for anybody looking to untangle the RSA Chase in hope of finding some antepost value.

Grands Crus was due to run in the Reynoldstown Chase at Newbury last weekend but with that race being cancelled and excluded from the rearranged card for this coming Friday, it is unlikely that the seven year old will have another run before the Festival and as it stands, connections are non-committal as to their preference as to which race, the RSA Chase or the Cheltenham Gold Cup they wish him to enter, leaving punters to hold their bets for either race.

Currently Grands Crus is the 2/1 favourite for the RSA Chase, with Bobs Worth from the Nicky Henderson yard next best at 4/1, while Sunday’s PJ Moriarty Novice Chase winner, Last Instalment, is rated an 8/1 chance alongside First Lieutenant. In the Gold Cup market, Grands Crus is the 7/1 third favourite, behind Long Run and Kauto Star.

Whether Grands Crus runs in or not, the RSA Chase remains an eye-caching race, particularly now that Last Instalment, confirmed his likely presence in the field following his very impressive front running victory in the ‘PJ Moriarty’ over 2m5f at Leopardstown at the weekend. Trainer, Phillip Fenton, confirmed that the seven year old, who is now unbeaten in four starts over fences this season, will head for the RSA and represents one or Ireland’s best hopes for Festival success.

In winning at Leopardstown, he held off the challenge of the Willie Mullins pair of Lambro and Call The Police, seeming to have improved from his last run when winning the Grade 1 Fort Leney Novice Chase over 3 miles also at Leopardstown in December. In that race he had First Lieutenant, also a major RSA player well beaten six lengths behind and he looked every bit a Cheltenham Festival good thing.

Tony Martin’s Bog Warrior also attracted attention of punters as a potential Cheltenham Festival winner at the weekend, with his bloodless 11 length victory in the Opera Hat Novice Chase at Naas over two miles. This win put the eight year old back on course for Cheltenham after falling in his previous start in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase over 2m at Leopardstown at Christmas. Before that of course he spectacularly won the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase over 2m4f by 31 lengths a race where First Lieutenant was pulled up. The win has earned Bog Warrior a 12/1 quote from Ladbrokes for the RSA Chase and a 16/1 quote from the same Bookmaker for the Arkle Challenge Trophy but much like Grands Crus, a decision to which he will run in has yet to be made.

Filed under Arkle, Cheltenham, David Pipe, Gold Cup, Latest Racing News, Leopardstown, Nicky Henderson, Royal & Sun Alliance Chase, Willie Mullins Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Europe Cuts Big Zeb Down to Size

February 7, 2012 Leave a comment

Sizing Europe sent out a chilling warning to his Queen Mother Champion Chase rivals on Sunday with an emphatic 15 length victory over Big Zeb in the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase over two miles in heavy ground. It has to be pointed out that Big Zeb’s jockey Robbie Power did ease his horse up once he had realised that he was beaten, but that should take nothing away from the emphatic nature of Sizing Europe’s victory.

The win marked a continuation of the excellent form the Champion Chaser showed when winning the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase also over two miles at Sandown back in December where he had a number of ‘Queen Mother’ rivals well beaten.

Big Zeb of course is a major scalp but the nature of his defeat was the biggest concern for his trainer, Colm Murphy who made no excuses, clearly accepting that he was beaten by a better horse on the day. Big Zeb as we all know won the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2010 and was runner up to Sizing Europe last year. He bounced back from that defeat just a few weeks later in the Boylesports Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival where he gained revenge by finishing ¾ length in front of Sizing Europe and at the same time putting doubts into the minds of racegoers as to which one of the two is the better horse.

However, Sizing Europe laid down the gauntlet on Sunday making it absolutely clear that he is the one to beat at Cheltenham on March 14th which is why Bookmakers across the board have cut his price into 6/4 from 5/2 to win back to back, while Big Zeb has been eased out to 7/1 with Nicky Henderson’s Finian’s Rainbow just ahead of him in the antepost market for the Queen Mother with odds of 6/1.

Certainly looking at the likely runners in this year’s Queen Mother it is hard to look beyond the three principles. Those in behind them in the current antepost market all look set for alternative races, horses such as Somersby, who will head for the Ryanair, while Al Ferof will probably line up in the Arkle Challenge Trophy. Trainer, Donald McCain is undecided about his Peddlers Cross, while Gauvain from the Nick Williams stable looks a better jumper over a longer distance. Should there be a host of defections then the case for backing Sizing Europe now is a very strong one!

Sizing Europe’s win has increased the belief that there could be as many as four current Cheltenham Champions heading for further Cheltenham glory this season. To that end Bookmakers have created an interesting market with odds of 20/1 for Sizing Europe, Big Bucks in the World Hurdle, Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle and Long Run in the Gold Cup all to retain their crowns. Of course Quevega, who also looks unstoppable in the mares hurdle, could also be added to that list making the bet even more interesting provided a Bookmaker could be found to lay it.

Filed under Cheltenham, Cheltenham Festival Trials, Latest Racing News, Leopardstown, National Hunt Races, Queen Mother Champion Chase Tagged with , , , , , ,

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