Latest Cheltenham Betting Preview Pt 2

The RSA Chase is increasingly looking like it’s going to be one of the better contests of the entire Cheltenham Festival with the favourite, Balleycasey undefeated this year and priced as low as 4/1 for festival glory. He was able to open up his account at Navan back in late November with an eight length score and then he was able to topple two other contenders to secure the Dr. P.J. Moriarty Chase over Don Cossack in what turned out to be a match race with Carlingford Lough unseated Tony McCoy at the last just when things were getting really interesting. 

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That race came over heavy ground and didn’t have a huge amount of effect on his overall price thanks to the fact that there were only three runners in this one. He did show that he can handle that type of going and you reckon he really wasn’t pushed all the way and still will have plenty in reserve for the crucial moment as they head for home in the RSA. 

He looks a likely contender but you reckon that plenty will be lining up to try to beat him with Smad Place - who is a general 7/1 with most major bookmakers. He got the better of Sam Winner at Newbury a few weeks ago and, prior to taht, was able to topple Arkdilly Witness at Exeter. That was an important victory because his chasing debut got off to a rather inauspicious start when he unseated Robert Thornton at Hungtington first time out. 

He was a real all-star over hurdles and was always in the reckoning in the top contests against established hurdlers and he has shown plenty of ability since Alan King switched him over to proper fences. 

Sam Winner is in the mix here as well with several books keeping him priced around 12/1 and looking good value for that. There are a number of really interesting shots here hovering around that price in between 12/1 and 16/1 - most of them come into the race with plenty of form and the credibility to show that they just might be able to step it up against this talented field of novice chasers.