2011 Stan James Champion Hurdle Antepost Betting Preview

The antepost wagering for the 2011 Stan James Champion Hurdle is quite open at this early venture in the National Hunt season, and a number of good prices remain available.

Current betting favourite Binocular will be getting his season off to a high-profile debut in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on November 27. The high-quality six year-old adds an interesting element to the proceedings, but there are some very talented hurdlers lining up alongside the JP McManus-owned bay.

While the field is certainly far from settled at this point in time, we do have a number of quality names currently being pointed in the direction of the Champion Hurdle and they include fan-favourites like Khyber Kim, Dubguib, Go Native and the supremely talented Hurricane Fly. His Cheltenham festival was undone by injury last year but his return to form at Punchestown showed that he hadn’t lost a step as he posted another ultra-consistent 157.

The Willy Mullins-trained gelding is priced at 5/1 with race sponsors Stan James.

Khyber Kim finished runner-up to Binocular in last year’s edition of the Champion Hurdle and you can bank on Go Native’s connections wanting a go at Binocular as they’ve bested him twice in the Fighting Fifth and the Christmas Hurdle.

There is a lot to like about Binocular and he’s definitely the one to respect here. His partnership with Tony McCoy has been a productive and fruitful one and the pair have never finished off the board during a race at Cheltenham. It remains interesting that Binocular has produced his best ratings in losing contests and you reckon that we certainly haven’t seen the bottom of this promising hurdler- not by a long shot.

If you’re planning on getting in on the antepost action for the Champion Hurdle your best bet is most definitely with race sponsors Stan James. The prestigious bookmaker has offered up an unbeatable free bet for all punters on Binocular. If you back him on a win-only single and he loses- they’ll refund your stake as a free bet. If Binocular doesn’t run in the Champion Hurdle- you’re still getting your stake back. Use this as a hedge on some exotic forecast and tricast tickets as the potential for a high-quality payout is exacerbated by the talented jumpers set to line up alongside Binocular.