2009 Ladbrokes World Hurdle Betting Tips: Punchestowns by a Nose

Cheltenham Betting at Betfair is always one of the most exciting ways to make a punt on the ponies. The 2009 Ladbrokes World Hurdle is set to be an extremely intriguing contest which many people expect to be battled out between three different horses- Kasbah Bliss, Punchestowns and Big Bucks. On current form, Punchestowns has the most favourable record going into this race with 2 wins from 3 starts this season. Another horse coming out of the Henderson camp, Punchestowns is considered an under-priced horse by many as we all expect him to be looking to get a little revenge on Big Bucks, who narrowly won the Burne Group Cleeve Hurdle back at Cheltenham in late January. Punchestowns had mounted a late charge, but couldn't close in time as Big Bucks crossed the line by a minimal margin. Big Bucks has also gone 2 for 3 this season, but I still edge it in terms of Punchestowns because his victory came in a grade 1 race. As it currently stands, Kasbah Bliss is considered the early favourite, listed on Betfair at 2.4. I don't agree with this and I think that Kasbah is relatively untested on Cheltenham soil and I'm confident that in the final third of the race, this one will turn into a duel between Punchestowns and Big Bucks. There are 87 different selections on Betfair, and a market is available that removes Kasbah Bliss from the equation. You'll see Punchestowns odds rise to an even 3.0 compared to Big Bucks 4.0. Fair Along is behind at 8.0, Catch Me and Blazing Bailey are both listed at 12.0. Everybody is rushing to drop cash on Kasbah Bliss, but I just don't see enough reason to back the horse, especially at the slim 2.4. I'm backing Punchestowns to beat Big Bucks in a head-to-head final-third showdown. RECOMMENDATIONPunchestowns to win @ 4.8Big Bucks each way @ 8.6 (1/3)Kasbah Bliss to show @ 2.42 (1/4)