2009 PADDY POWER PUNCHESTOWN CHAMPION HURDLE AND NOVICES HURDLE BETTING TIPS

Some real excitement is kicking off tomorrow at Punchestown with the Rabobank Champion Hurdle and the Land Rover Champion Novices Hurdle set to run at 5:30 and 6:05. There are some really excellent wagering opportunities here and I'm confident that the betting public will have a field day. In the Grade 1 Rabobank Champion Hurdle, we've got the familiar site of Ruby Walsh on top of the favourite horse. Quevega is a stellar entry who's well-weighted for this one. Coming in 5 lighter than the rest of the field, I think he's got the right stuff to pull out a victory over a tough two mile track. Quevega sits at 15/8 with Solwhit at 5/2 and Punjabi a strong contender at 3/1. All three of these selections come in off of a win, and there isn't that much between them. I think this one comes down to the skill of the jockeys and that's why I'm siding with Ruby and Quevega. There is rain in the forecast, so I expect things to be a bit sloppy. This might see things open up a bit, especially for the longer odds horses. I fancy two of the favourites to finish top three and I'm tempted to write off Solwhit, who I'm unsure about at this distance. A P McCoy on top of Jered might be a decent selection if you're looking for piles of value. Ruby is even more heavily-favoured for Mikael D'haguenet in the Land Rover Champion Novices Hurdle. Coming in off of 5 straight wins you can understand why he's the odds-on favourite at 8/15. Cousin Vinny was a big disappointment at Cheltenham as he finished fifth in the Supreme Novices to Go Native. He's a quality horse on his day, but I just don't fancy him for the win, especially against Ruby and Mikael D'haguenet. If you're looking for a 2nd for your forecast bet, look no further than Bouggler with JJ Doyle on top. He's listed at 14/1 and struck in the John Smith's Mersey Novices Hurdle at Aintree. A victory in grade 2 racing is decent and he's performed well against some solid opposition. He is a really good place bet at that price.