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We are finally getting into the interesting part of the National Hunt season as the key festival preps begin kicking off this weekend. The Open Meeting at Cheltenham is set to unfold and there is a lot to like about this stellar six race card that will unfold in the Cotswolds. Many popular names reappear for seasonal debuts but there are also quite a few coming back for their second kick at the can after a September or October prep under their belt.
The first race of the day is a fascinating one as it’s a 3yo restricted hurdle trial that serves as a qualifier for the JCB Triumph Hurdle. This juvenile clash has a few...
With Bobs Worth looking as though he may pursue other options over 3m, then it looks as though Dynaste will hold at the 5/1 ante post market he’s price at right now. There is every chance that he goes off as the selection on the day and punters are advised to get their bets down now as opposed to later as the price will only drop once others are more firmly pointed elsewhere.
Punters will find Bobs Worth trading at a 7/1 price tag in ante post markets for this race and he looks set to survive the declaration stages and won’t have a prior run to complicate anything.
Captain Chris is one of those jumpers who never seems to shy away from the big races and, therefore, doesn’t have the stellar selection of blockbuster wins you’ll find some horses have as they slog it out in the higher portions of the listed handicaps. Captain Chris seems to only contest Grade 1 events with the odd Grade 2 thrown in as a pre-season prep.
We have now officially entered the first declaration stage for the massive boxing day National Hunt fixture at Kempton and there are few who could be more excited about the race that Paul Nicholls who has four runners pre-entered for this contest. Every contender is set to carry 11 stone 10 lbs and there is a relatively impressive disparity in between the ratings with virtually all of the top 3m chasers listed in the mix along with a few upstart selections who may wind up being pointed elsewhere but are still looking to retain the option of a King George run.
Tidal Bay is currently available at an 14/1 price for the Hennessy Gold Cup and looks good value for money provided he’s not pointed towards the King George instead of this one. There is just enough time in between runs that he could potentially fit in both but you reckon that, at this point, it could be one or the other. The option at Kempton sees him trading at a 16/1 listing for that one amidst a significantly more competitive market so you reckon they may want to make some money with him and opt for the easier race instead of attempting to hit the board somewhere else.
There is a lot to like about the latest upcoming National Hunt fixture that’s sure to grab plenty of betting volume from both ante post punters and racegoers alike. The Hennessy Gold Cup may only be a Grade 3 contest but it’s one of the most anticipated fixtures of the early National Hunt season. You have to like the amount of talented runners looking to stake a claim on the 2013/2014 National Hunt season but there is also every chance that the bulk of them can deliver at a solid price.
It’s worth having a look at Unioniste if you’re going to get the better of Long Run - who has proven himself to be beatable in the past, particularly in his first race of the season. The Paul Nicholls-trained jumper captured a novice chase when he kicked off his seasonal debut last year and then got the better of Walkon in a Grade 3 contest at Cheltenham - triumphing by an 11 length margin.
There are a number of talented jumpers set to tangle in one of the biggest chases of the early National Hunt season. Piles of quality contenders are ready to slug it out here over the 3m1f distance here and the Grade 2 race is going to set up the winner for a very solid campaign this year.
Needless to say, a good portion of the wagering attention will be paid towards Long Run, who really didn’t enjoy the best of seasons last year but has obviously proven his quality on several occasions. Right now, punters will find Long Run priced at a very slim 6/5 listing and you can expect it to drop even further if he makes a...
Royal Delta, who walloped the field in this race last year, didn’t have the perfect year that many were hoping for after losing in the Dubai World Cup, being beaten in the Grade 2 Fleur De Lis and then being outrun soundly by Princess of Sylmar in the Beldame about a month ago. The match-up prompted Princess of Sylmar’s connections to supplement her into the race and opt to move forward with a horse of the year campaign for her.
The market leader is Vorda, who trades at a bottom price of 9/2 - which makes this one of the most open races of the entire two day event. A Group 1 winner at Newmarket after triumphing in the Cheveley Park Stakes, she is also placed in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville. A seemingly top-class two-year-old filly she doesn’t come from especially high-end stock but really looks to have a winning attitude.
She has gone off as the betting choice in every race she’s run in aside from her maiden (which she won at 14/1). It’s worth noting that she deployed a tracking trip to win that...
