Saturday Betting Preview for Cheltenham Part 1

There is a pile of top-class racing set to unfold this weekend at Cheltenham and the recent word from Clerk of the Course Simon Claisse is that there is little in the forecast to delay Saturday's racing. As it currently stands, there is still a contingency plan in place to run the Saturday card on Sunday in an absolute worst case scenario. There is a lot to like about this card and it is well complimented by a solid set of races at Leopardstown as well.

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The Cheltenham card is anchored by the Grade 1 Victor Chandler Chase and the Grade 2 Argento Chase. The interesting thing about the latter contest is the withdrawal of Bobs Worth – a factor that has blown the early betting markets wide open.

Bookmakers have been listing odds on these contests for a while and every single punter knows that the results of many of these key contests will have serious ramifications on their Cheltenham Festival ante post wagers. Some market moves are guaranteed and there is plenty to get excited about on Saturday – or Sunday at the absolute worst.

JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial

This 2m1f contest is a Grade 2 event that will likely see Irish Saint come in with lots of betting momentum. He' s undefeated in two career starts and boasts the credible connections of Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh. The four-year-old won a 5K juvenile hurdle contest at Kempton by a stellar 18 lengths. He carried 11-8 on the day and will travel a pound lighter as co-top-weight.

He was given a really tight ride last time out by Ruby, tracking the leaders early on and unleashing a late flourish which showed a clear indication that he wants more ground. A five-length score against a field of 15 at Auteil back in September adds further credibility to his claims against big fields. He'll get a test here but you can see him going as the significant betting choice.

His chief challenger is likely to be Nicky Henderson's Rolling Star – a four-year-old son of Smadoun who shifts over from Auteil after a three-month freshening. He has an unsuccessful career on the flat a few years ago and spent some time down on the lower levels of the French circuit. He has bounced back with a nice performance over hurdles and will be set for his English debut. The Auteil to Cheltenham angle is a tried-tested-and-true one to play but it's usually Mr. Nicholls who is behind the move. It will be interesting to see how Rolling Star and Irish Saint face off.