Horseracing betting: Weekend outlook

Saturday sees a dress rehearsal for the Festival at Cheltenham as the big guns get a run out at Prestbury Park just seven weeks before the tapes lift on the three-day puntathon in Gloucestershire. Click here for a free Bet Direct £25 to bet on horseracing with Bet Direct The Letherby & Christopher Chase (2.40pm) over a similar distance to the Gold Cup looked a good opportunity for Exotic Dancer to try and get his head in front having banged it against the wall in frustration whenever he had the misfortune to come up against the wonder horse Kauto Star. Connections ruled out the Gold Cup runner-up on Thursday however, a move which saw his price drift considerably with most bookmakers for the Gold Cup. Exotic Dancer was a warm order for Saturday's race - the eight-year-old gelding was evens with Coral - but punters would be lucky to see single-figure prices for the Cheltenham centrepiece in March now. Skybet, Paddy Power and VCbet all went 10/1, only a few points shorter than former Gold Cup winner Kicking King, who made a sensational comeback at Gowran Park on Thursday having been off the track for 759 days. In the absence of Exotic Dancer, David Pipe's Our Vic looks the most likely winner after his decent effort behind Kauto Star in the King George on Boxing Day. Our Vic is one of the best chasers in training when everything falls right for him. He has won five from five on the forecast soft going and although he has just two victories in nine running at Cheltenham, he also boasts three places and shouldn't be ignored. Ollie Magern, who galloped his rivals into the ground on his seasonal bow back in November should also be considered, especially by in-running punters should he get an uncontested lead. Coral made World Hurdle Champion Inglis Drever their 7/4 favourite for the Cleeve Hurdle (3.50pm), also at Cheltenham on Saturday. Howard Johnson's game gelding loves Cheltenham having never been out of the first two at the Gloucester track in five runnings. He is rightfully the big-race favourite and should run a big race, but for those who don't like backing such short prices, perhaps Pipe's Lough Derg can tempt you. He has won his last two races, most notably when out-pointing former dual Champion Hurdler Hardy Eustace at Ascot, and at around 7/1 with Coral, he looks value, at least each-way, which should pay three places. The Skybet Chase (3pm) at Doncaster has been a fascinating betting heat all week, although three horses have attracted significant amounts of the punters' cash. Bagan and An Accordion have been the best backed horses over the last few days, with the former trading at 8/1 before the bookies closed their satchels ahead of the final declaration stage. An Accordion was also well-backed with VCbet going as short as 8/1 although you could get 12/1 with Bet365. One horse who has also attracted some attention is Venetia Williams' Ma Yahab. The seven-year-old has a feather weight off 10st 2lbs and can be backed at as big as 20/1 to land the big three-mile chase. Williams' charge has won over 3m in heavy going before and although this is an ultra-competitive event, the price more than compensates should he make the first four home. Verdict: 1pt Our Vic to win the Letherby & Christopher Chase; 1pt each-way Lough Derg in the Cleeve Hurdle; 1pt each-way Ya Mahab in the Skybet Chase Click here for a free Bet Direct £25 to bet on horseracing with Bet Direct