Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase Betting Tips Part 1

There is a six-way shake kicking tomorrow afternoon at Ascot and it looks to be one of the best-looking contests of the weekend and one of the final big Grade 1 outings before Cheltenham kicks off in a months time. Virtually all of these contenders have festival aspirations and they’ll be looking to make big statements during this tricky 2m5f chase. 

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With a big purse up for grabs and plenty of ante post money still to move, this race is going to have some very interesting repercussions. 

Captain Chris is the current betting favourite and he comes in off a tough beat to Gold Cup fancy Long Run, losing by a mere 1/4 length in the King George on Boxing Day. Though he didn’t get the result on the day, it was clearly illustrated that Captain Chris is the real deal - he put in a great shift and was set to deliver at a tremendous price of 16/1 before being collared in the last couple of gallops. 

His only other run this season was a winning effort at Ascot over what is effectively the same course and distance. He was sent off on the day at a 7/2 price against a field of four and was able to romp home by a nearly 4 length margin. 

There is a lot to like about Captain Chris here and he seems a lot more seasoned than he was during his 2011/12 campaign when he had lots of talent on display but had trouble finishing his races. As it currently stands, Captain Chris can be backed at 5/2 with most major bookmakers. 

Cue Card is the second betting choice and the seven-year-old son of King’s Theatre could only muster up a fifth place finish in the King George - 20 lengths off the pace. Many expect much greater things from him here and he has plenty of ability to get the job done when it matters most. 

Prior to that run in the King George, he hadn’t been outside of the exacta over a four race span and won many of his races by considerable margins - not the least of which was a Grade 2 capture at Exeter earlier this season on his debut effort.