CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL FIRST DAY TIPS AND PREVIEW: 2009 CHAMPION HURDLE

Now that the Met has reported up to 20 mm of rain for the Cheltenham area, the ante-post bettors are in a panic with their carefully-placed bets thrown into limbo now that soft ground is virtually assured. One of the biggest favourites out of the entire festival is Binocular, running in the Champion Hurdle, and many were backing him with the expectation that soft ground wouldn't be an issue, now that it is we're seeing a rush towards Celestial Halo, whose odds are seemingly dropping by the hour. Deposit between £10 and £100, make a win single bet and Blue Square will credit your account with a matched FREE BET up to £100!Binocular (7/4 @ Blue Square) remains the favourite for the 2009 Champion Hurdle, but Katchit (14/1) has experience with success at the festival and could be an outside bet for many. Crack Away Jack (14/1) is definitely getting a second look while Celestial Halo (8/1) has Ruby Walsh on top and is attractive even more attention now. Many punters are viewing the Champion Hurdle as a showdown between A P McCoy and Ruby Walsh. A number of additional bets are available online and match betting between these two riders will be intense. Where Binocular was considered a complete lock late last week I'm now hesitant to back him for the outright win. An each-way looks appealing, but I'm really liking Celestial Halo and we could be starting off day 1 with a massive upset. I'm backing Binocular and Celestial Halo in a Reverse-Forecast @ 7/4 x 8/1.