Horse racing betting: Lexus Chase

Kauto Star's magnificent second victory in the King George VI at Kempton on Boxing Day has set up the Lexus Chase as an opportunity for stablemate Denman to pick up the gauntlet. Click here for up to £100 free to bet on the Lexus Chase with SportingBet The champion looked tremendous in slamming Our Vic by 11 lengths at Kempton and Stan James slashed his Cheltenham Gold Cup odds from 2/1 to 11/8. Blue Square go a best-priced 13/8. Denman entered the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture with his scintillating victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury at the beginning of this month. The Harry Findlay-owned gelding is a best-priced 9/4 with SportingBet for the Prestbury Park feature in March, and victory today in the 3m Irish event will see him vying for favouritism once more. Denman has tasted defeat just once in his 11-race career and the Newbury performance when beating Dream Alliance looked good on paper. It was the first time a top-weight had won the Hennessey since Burrough Hill Lad in 1984 and although Denman put in an awesome weight-carrying performance, it is questionable what he actually beat. To be fair, the third-placed Character Building has yet to have an outing, but the fourth, Madison du Berlais subsequently finished second to Vodka Bleu at Ascot and runner-up Dream Alliance failed to finish in the places in yesterday's Coral Welsh National at Cheptsow. Denman is a serious racehorse, of that there is no question, but whether he has what it takes to justify odds-on quotes against horses who have combined to win this contest in four of the last five years remains to be seen. Last year's winner, The Listener is my idea of the winner, and at 4/1 Robert Alner's charge looks attractively priced to upset Paul Nicholls' best-laid plans. His grinding victory in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase earlier this month saw six previous Grade 1 winners trailing in his wake and although he might not have the bottomless ground he so loves, it is unfair to say that he needs it as soft as it was at Punchestown to win this contest. Beef Or Salmon's third in the Betfair Chase behind Kauto Star highlighted that his best days are probably behind him, but he has won this event three times in the past and will make life hard for Denman. Last year's Hennessy winner, State Of Play, is on something of a recovery mission as he has yet to win since that triumph. His second to Ollie Magern in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby is unlikely to be enough, but given that was his first run since April, he is no forlorn hope. Mossbank and L'Antartique are both unbeaten in two runs each this season, with the latter picking up the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November. Betfair punters should therefore see this as a perfect opportunity to lay Nicholls's hotpot on the exchange, but for the more conventional punter, The Listener presents a great opportunity to squeeze the value out of this race. Verdict: 1pt The Listener @ 4/1 (SportingBet, Blue Sq) Click here for up to £100 free to bet on the Lexus Chase with SportingBet