Training the winner of all 4 Championship races at the Festival might sound fanciful (it's never been done before), but then consider how close Paul Nicholls got last year.
Punjabi's neck defeat of Celestial Halo in the Champion Hurdle was all that stood between an unprecedented clean sweep for Nicholls, who trained the winners of the Gold Cup (Kauto Star), Champion Chase (Master Minded) and World Hurdle (Big Bucks).
So, odds being offered by Stan James of 33/1 for Nicholls to go one better in 2010 and win all 4 races are worth consideration. Let's have a look at his chances in each race.
The Gold Cup speaks for itself, with Nicholls training arguably two of the best two horses of our (or any) generation in Kauto Star and Denman. They are vying for favouritism once again and having won the last three Gold Cup's between them, the next best chance is trading at 20/1! Nicholls trained 4 of the first 5 home in last year's Gold Cup and is also saddling many people's fancy of an outsider in What A Friend.
In the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Master Minded is a class apart from his rivals and probably any other Champion Chaser in recent memory (including some very classy winners such as Moscow Flyer, One Man and Viking Flagship). He won both the last two renewals and is currently trading at 7/4 generally - he'll be comfortably odds-on if he is fit and well in March.
The World Hurdle also looks locked up with last years winner, Big Buck's, whose record with jockey Ruby Walsh is raced 9, won 8 (second in their first outing together). The six-year-old underlined his status as the best staying hurdler in training by dispatching Karabak and Diamond Harry in the rearranged Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury on Tuesday and is already long odds-on (around 8/13) to retain his World Hurdle crown.
Which leaves us with just the Champion Hurdle to consider. This is where Paul Nicholls (and Walsh) fell tantalisingly short last year and, in spite of all his success, Nicholls has yet to train the winner of the most prestigous hurdle race of the year. Last year's runner-up, Celestial Halo, is Nicholls big hope again and is currently trading at 9/1 with Stan James.
The horse was second recently in the Boylesports International Hurdle at Cheltenham, despite being sent off odds-on favourite. Over-jumping at the final obstacle probably cost him the race and he struggled in the run-in as Khyber Kim landed a surprise victory by a comfortable two-and-a-quarter-lengths. However, despite the defeat Nicholls remained upbeat about the performance:
"There are no excuses. He ran a good race but he had to take it up at the top of the hill because of the pace. Ruby said he didn't run on up the hill quite as well as normal, but March is another day. I'll probably give him one more run, in the Axminster Hurdle at Wincanton."
If you think that Celestial Halo can improve on last year and win the Champion Hurdle for Paul Nicholls then you must consider the 33/1 Nicholls clean sweep on offer with Stan James. Better still if you open an account with them and stake £25, you'll get a free £25 bet, put both £25 on at 33/1 and you'll effectively be getting odds of 66/1. (£1650 profit from £25 deposited!)
To register, click here and make a first deposit. Then go to "National Hunt Specials 2009/10" in the drop-down list within their "Horses - Ante Post" section.
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