With nine weeks to go, it’s about time we got our hands dirty in the busy ante-post markets for the Cheltenham Festival. Every man and his dog seems to be playing the long-term game these days and, as such, value can be hard to come by with even the remotest…
Author: Joel Roberts
0.75pt each-way Old Guard @14/1, 15:10 Cheltenham, New Year's Day
Nine go in the feature race of Cheltenham’s New Year’s Day card, the Relkeel Hurdle, and there’s rain forecast to potentially change the unseasonably good ground at the track. That could potentially upset the betting market where Lil Rockerfeller shades favouritism from 2015 World Hurdle winner Cole Harden. The latter…
1pt win Beltor @8/1, 14:55 Kempton, Tuesday
The dual-code BELTOR looks a good bet in the 14:55 handicap hurdle at Kempton on Tuesday – a track he seems to love. An impressive winner of the prestigious Adonis Hurdle at Kempton as a four-year-old, he was a well-backed and impressive winner on the all-weather recently when giving weight and…
1pt win Josses Hill @14/1, 15:15 Kempton, Boxing Day
That last season’s Kauto Star Novices’ Chase victor Tea For Two is priced 22/1 for another Grade 1 victory on Kempton’s famous Boxing Day card speaks volumes for the betting public’s opinion that this year’s King George VI Chase is a match between the two Colin Tizzard-trained beasts at the…
1pt win Frodon @4/1, 14:05 Kempton, Boxing Day
One of three Grade 1 races on Kempton’s famous Boxing Day card, the three-mile Kauto Star Novices’ Chase is notoriously tricky to call and this year looks no different. It must be a decent betting heat with Anibale Fly trading a 3/1 favourite – the Tony Martin-trained J P McManus-owned…
1.5pt win Ch'tibello @10/1, 14:40 Kempton, Boxing Day
There’s no Vroum Vroum Mag but we’ve still got a strong field for the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle on Kempton’s Boxing Day card, run over two miles. My Tent Or Yours somewhat fortunately won this in 2013 when The New One clattered the last, and both horses re-oppose three years…
0.5pt each-way Wolf Of Windlesham @16/1, 15:35 Ascot, Saturday
I’m in no mood to abandon WOLF OF WINDLESHAM in the newly-named Wessex Youth Trust Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday, after he was twice a winner at big odds for these pages last season and was traveling like a dream when coming down two out in the Greatwood Hurdle…
0.75pt each-way A Shin Hikari @6/1, 08:30 Sha Tin, Sunday
There’s Group One flat action over in Hong Kong early tomorrow morning, and Royal Ascot flop A SHIN HIKARI looks a big price to bounce back to his brilliant best. He won the Longines Hong Kong Cup last year in brilliant style, defying a wide draw by running away with it from…
1pt win Minella Rocco @5/2, 14:40 Aintree, Saturday
Last year’s Grand National winner Many Clouds returns to Aintree for his seasonal reappearance in this Listed three-mile chase – but this slick-jumping nine-year-old isn’t the same horse first time out and isn’t an appealing bet. At 4/1 and behind MINELLA ROCCO in the betting, I reckon the market has this one…
1pt ante-post win Douvan @5/1, Tingle Creek Chase, Sandown, Saturday 3rd December
The best two-mile chasers are set to take centre stage again at Sandown this coming Saturday in the Grade-1 Tingle Creek Chase. Only eight have been declared at this early stage, with Arkle winner DOUVAN left in for Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci. He’s 5/1, and that’s a price well worth taking given…