Final declarations are in for the curtain raising Supreme Novices’ Hurdle of Cheltenham Festival 2019, due off Tuesday at 1:30, and the predictable market mover is Ruby Walsh’s choice Klassical Dream.
I wouldn’t rule out him going off favourite as punters love that combo in the Supreme, but that ship has sailed in market terms and I really don’t think he has much in hand with his classy stablemate ARAMON, who has drifted to 14/1 after the ignominy of being the yard’s second string.
William Hill have announced a whopping seven each-way places (1/5 odds) for this race, and I can’t really see any scenario whereby Aramon doesn’t hit the frame, so long as he can reproduce his Grade 1 form to soft ground.
He has form on softer going yet I do think he’s better on a decent surface – but let’s not forget the ground for the Supreme won’t have been raced on for a long time and it’ll be a carpet.
A 1pt each-way bet would return +1.8pts of profit should he place, and, if the Irish novice hurdling form is at least on par with the British horses, then he has an outstanding chance of winning too.
I make that excellent value to get the week off to a flyer.
This is a very competitive race so I wouldn’t be interested by anything much shorter than 8/1 – which would rule out the home team’s Al Dancer and Angels Breath – but I do have a soft spot for Tom George’s The Big Bite, who trades a dismissed 50/1 after flopping at Kempton on Boxing Day.
He looks very talented and possesses a huge engine, so looks my idea of a big price poke if he can sharpen up his jumping.
1pt each-way Aramon @14/1, 13:30 Tuesday, Cheltenham (1,2,3,4,5,6,7, 1/5 with William Hill)
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