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The second contest on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival is the Arkle Chase and this one always pits the real up-and-coming chasers up against other - though it can be a tricky ante post wager to make because, oftentimes, the bulk of the quality horses are also pointed at other races. It’s definitely worth keeping your eye on the other entries boasted by the horses you are watching ahead of the Arkle.
His biggest challenge at this point looks to be the mighty Irving, who is now 3/3 over hurdles since switching over from the low-level handicap flat circuit. He’s formed a winning partnership with Nick Schofield and is looking like a potential stand-out in the Paul Nicholls yard. He has taken money in all three of his victories so far this year - two coming at Ascot and the first one at Taunton.
The most recent of those victories was a Grade 2 effort at Ascot when he triumphed over a field of six by a six length margin. His jumping isn’t quite as...
Cheltenham is now just a few weeks away and the majority of quality contenders have already had their final run before festival time. The ante post markets are really starting to heat up as the final declarations are drawing closer by the day. The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is one of the most widely-anticipated contests in that it usually boasts the big jumpers of tomorrow along with the advantage of being, arguably, the most over-bet race of the entire festival.
Since so many punters are just raring to go by the time the first race actually comes down there are a lot of people using this race to kick off accumulators...
Cloudy Too lines up for Sue Smith’s yard and he’s also looking at his fourth contest of the year, though he has two wins from three efforts. His last outing was on Boxing Day at Wetherby when he captured the Grade 3 Rowland Meryck Handicap Chase. He was able to beat out the respected Tullamore Dew in that contest and was carrying 11-0. He was sent off at an 11/4 margin that day and looked good for the run - definitely dispelling any negative thoughts punters may have had after seeing his disappointing run at Newbury in the Hennessy Gold Cup Chase (the other one).
The Hennessy Gold Cup in England is always one of the big purses that every owner and trainer are looking to win with a high-class chaser, but the Leopardstown iteration of the race is only a few weeks away and looking like a genuinely fascinating affair. Set to run on February 9, there is a lot to like about the group of chasing stars set to contest this tough Grade 1 race.
The Longines Dolce Vita is the next race up on the card and this 7f dash on the Tapeta boasts some runners just looking to make a breakthrough after knocking on the door for quite some time. There is a respectable field lining up for this one and you can expect a full eighteen runners in one of the most impressive-looking races on the card from a betting perspective.
One of the more fascinating entries here is Proud Possibility, who is by Tale of the Cat and lines up for Niels Petersen, who represents Norway at the carnival this year. He probably won’t take a huge amount of money but represents an interesting option...
The first really big day of the Dubai Racing Carnival kicks off on Thursday and we will have the pleasure of watching Round 1 of the Al Maktoum Challenge getting things off with a real bang. There is plenty to like about this card and there is a good assortment of quality contenders lining up to take a stab at things. Many of them have been racing at Meydan or at Jebel Ali over the past few months and will come into this one bang in-form.
The first contest of the day is the Longines Master Collection - a 5f handicap on the turf. This follows the opener, which is a purebred Arabian race. The opening thoroughbred...
The one real complaint about punting on the National at this stage is that you still haven’t seen the outright declarations yet and there could be anything happening between now and then. You will also likely be able to back some of those higher odds contenders at better odds on the exchange on the day of the race and you will have been able to take a look at them on the course as well that day.
Another really interesting option who remains in the mix is Sunnyhillboy - he’s priced as low as 25/1 but appears to be a more general 33/1 with most major...
As we get closer and closer to the business end of the Jumps Racing season - there is some real excitement about Cheltenham but we all know that the big show at Chelters means that the National is right around the corner and it’s not just about winning the office sweepstakes - it’s about cashing in a big ante post bet and seeing your selection storm home after the lengthy 4m3f chase over exaggerated obstacles.
Punters will find Toormore available at a 10/1 price tag.
Next up is Berkshire who is by Mount Nelson and runs in the colours of His Royal Highness Sultan Ahmad Shah. His principal claim to fame was his neck victory in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket. That Group 2 encounter saw him tackle a short field of five but dispose of it with an all-out drive towards the finish.
He was sent off as the co-favourite with Somewhat, both of them trading at a competitive 11/8 in that short field. While the bet may not have been a blockbuster for...
