With the 2009 Cheltenham Festival almost upon us, we thought we'd take a look at some of the most important factors all good punters take into consideration every year when placing their Festival bets. The first 3 are listed below; check back over the coming days for insights into Point to Point Performers, Handicapping, Breeding and more!
1. Distance: By reviewing the comments in running relating to a horse’s previous races it is possible to determine how that horse might be suited by a change in trip in the future. Comments such as “one paced” or “stayed on” suggest that a horse might need further. Likewise, if a horse is said to have “weakened” or “faded” he may not have seen out the trip and might benefit from dropping back in distance.
In the big handicaps at Cheltenham it is well worth finding horses who might be suited by a step down or (more usually) up in trip as the change may help that horse find those few pounds of improvement necessary to keep them ahead of the handicapper.
2. Going: The comments in running can also help determine a horse’s preferred ground conditions. Horses that are quoted as having been “travelling well” or making “smooth progress” are often suited by better ground that allows them to use their high cruising speed to full advantage.
Look out also for horses with winning form on a decent surface, who have been running on unsuitable soft ground, and now find themselves back on good ground.
3. Trainers: Possibly the single most important section in the Racing Post is that which highlights the hot and cold trainers. Horses rarely win when their stables are badly out of form. Likewise, when a stable runs into form a horse can often leave previously disappointing form behind. The key is to identify the point at which the tide changes for a trainer (either for better or for worse)
We’ll be keeping a close eye on the form of the leading trainers in the run up to year’s Festival.
To highlight the point, at the 2006 Festival, both Willie Mullins and Martin Pipe went to Cheltenham with a host of fancied runners and yet virtually all of them disappointed. It was clear from an early stage that all wasn’t well with their runners and so it paid to avoid or even lay them.
Of course, the opposite is also true and it can pay significant dividends if you can identify in form trainers early on at the meeting. For example, Ferdy Murphy has an excellent recent Festival record, particularly in handicap chases, and yet many of his runners are still allowed to go off at huge prices. Alan King has also done exceptionally well at Cheltenham in recent seasons.
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Monday, 26 January 2009
Trials clues
It was a throwback to the olden days at Cheltenham yesterday, when there were no hi-tech drainage systems to ensure decent ground almost all year round, and when sound jumping, endless stamina and enough courage to survive the cruel slog up the hill to the winning line were the qualities needed to win at Prestbury Park in the middle of winter.
At first glance, those conditions may have made Cheltenham Festival Trials Day relatively meaningless when it comes to identifying Festival winners in a few weeks time, but if you look a bit deeper there are still some worthwhile clues on offer.
For a start, we saw more evidence of Diamond Harry’s idiosyncrasies in the opener and, whilst he probably wasn’t at his best yesterday, he’ll have to improve significantly to justify his position at the head of the market for the Ballymore Properties. Even though he stays well, he may not have been entirely suited by the heavy ground.
Walkon and Reve De Sivola pulled well clear in the juvenile hurdle to apparently enhance their Triumph Hurdle claims. However, if we get decent ground at the Festival you just wonder whether either will have enough speed to trouble the likes of Starluck and Ebadiyan. In fact, it is arguable that we’ve yet to see a real star performer in this division, and there is still time for one to emerge between now and March.
The Cleeve Hurdle was a real cracker and the front three all ran with great credit. Add Kasbah Bliss to the mix and the World Hurdle could easily turn out to be one of the races of the Festival. Off level weights, and on a sounder surface, there must be every chance that Punchestowns can reverse the places with Big Bucks, albeit that the latter seemed to idle on the run in yesterday and was value for more than the official winning margin of four lengths.
However, for us the most eye-catching performance of the day was that of Star De Mohasion in the Letherby & Christopher Chase, a proven Gold Cup trial over recent years.
On the face of it, being beaten nearly 40 lengths into fourth, and crossing the line almost legless, doesn’t look like the most encouraging of performances. But this proven good ground performer would have hated underfoot conditions and he travelled like much the best horse until running out of gas after jumping the second last.
He loves the track, is a previous Festival winner (in the 2006 Sun Alliance Chase) and has always been held in the highest regard by his powerful connections. 50-1 was available in the immediate aftermath of the race, and there are plenty of worse bets on offer for those looking for some each way value with which to take on market leaders Denman and Kauto Star.
At first glance, those conditions may have made Cheltenham Festival Trials Day relatively meaningless when it comes to identifying Festival winners in a few weeks time, but if you look a bit deeper there are still some worthwhile clues on offer.
For a start, we saw more evidence of Diamond Harry’s idiosyncrasies in the opener and, whilst he probably wasn’t at his best yesterday, he’ll have to improve significantly to justify his position at the head of the market for the Ballymore Properties. Even though he stays well, he may not have been entirely suited by the heavy ground.
Walkon and Reve De Sivola pulled well clear in the juvenile hurdle to apparently enhance their Triumph Hurdle claims. However, if we get decent ground at the Festival you just wonder whether either will have enough speed to trouble the likes of Starluck and Ebadiyan. In fact, it is arguable that we’ve yet to see a real star performer in this division, and there is still time for one to emerge between now and March.
The Cleeve Hurdle was a real cracker and the front three all ran with great credit. Add Kasbah Bliss to the mix and the World Hurdle could easily turn out to be one of the races of the Festival. Off level weights, and on a sounder surface, there must be every chance that Punchestowns can reverse the places with Big Bucks, albeit that the latter seemed to idle on the run in yesterday and was value for more than the official winning margin of four lengths.
However, for us the most eye-catching performance of the day was that of Star De Mohasion in the Letherby & Christopher Chase, a proven Gold Cup trial over recent years.
On the face of it, being beaten nearly 40 lengths into fourth, and crossing the line almost legless, doesn’t look like the most encouraging of performances. But this proven good ground performer would have hated underfoot conditions and he travelled like much the best horse until running out of gas after jumping the second last.
He loves the track, is a previous Festival winner (in the 2006 Sun Alliance Chase) and has always been held in the highest regard by his powerful connections. 50-1 was available in the immediate aftermath of the race, and there are plenty of worse bets on offer for those looking for some each way value with which to take on market leaders Denman and Kauto Star.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Trials weekend
If you were ever thinking about having an ante post bet on any of the big races at the Cheltenham Festival, then now really could be the best time to do so.
This weekend plays host to no end of Festival trials and there is bound to be a big shape up in the bookmakers’ markets come Monday morning. If your fancied selection runs well in a trial (or if some of his main market rivals run badly) the big price you were hoping for may well disappear.
One word of caution though, the ground this weekend is likely to be far more testing than it typically has been in March, so don’t discount horses that run well but are beaten, if they have previously shown improved form on better ground.
The key meeting is at Cheltenham itself, where a thrilling afternoon's action is in store. The richest race of the day is the Letheby & Christopher Chase, won last year by Nigel Twiston-Davies' Knowhere.
There is a fantastic supporting card from Prestbury Park in the shape of the Grade 2 Classic Novices' Hurdle, Wragge & Co Juvenile Novices' Hurdle, Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle, the Grade 3 betchronicle.com Trophy Chase as well as two competitive handicaps.
There is an equally impressive card up at Doncaster, the feature of which is the £85,000 Sky Bet Chase. They too have a very strong supporting card thanks to the Grade 2 Watch All Horse Racing At skybet.com Mares' Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, as well as two classy handicaps, a decent novices' chase and what usually proves to be a strong bumper.
Some of the likely participants putting their Festival credentials on the line include:
* Barbers Shop, Snoopy Loopy, Tidal Bay, Star De Mohaison and Roll Along in the Letheby and Christopher Chase (a Gold Cup trial)
* Walkon, Simarian and Reve de Sivola in the Wragge & Co Juvenile Novices Hurdle (a Triumph Hurdle trial).
* Punchestowns, Big Buck’s, Fair Along and Blazing Bailey in the Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle (a World Hurdle trial)
* Chomba Womba in the Watch All Horse Racing At skybet.com Mares' Hurdle (a trial for the David Nicholson Hurdle)
* Junior and Cape Tribulation in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (a trial for the race of the same name at the Festival)
We’ll be at Cheltenham on Saturday so as to be able to bring you all of the news, gossip and reaction from a meeting which is now, quite fittingly, known as Festival Trials Day.
And then on Sunday all eyes will be focused on the big meeting at Leopardstown in Ireland, featuring the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle, which has proved such a great guide to our own Champion Hurdle in recent years. There is also an important Arkle trial on the same card.
All in all, a pivotal weekend in the season, so now is the time to back your judgement. Click here for free Cheltenham Festival bets.
This weekend plays host to no end of Festival trials and there is bound to be a big shape up in the bookmakers’ markets come Monday morning. If your fancied selection runs well in a trial (or if some of his main market rivals run badly) the big price you were hoping for may well disappear.
One word of caution though, the ground this weekend is likely to be far more testing than it typically has been in March, so don’t discount horses that run well but are beaten, if they have previously shown improved form on better ground.
The key meeting is at Cheltenham itself, where a thrilling afternoon's action is in store. The richest race of the day is the Letheby & Christopher Chase, won last year by Nigel Twiston-Davies' Knowhere.
There is a fantastic supporting card from Prestbury Park in the shape of the Grade 2 Classic Novices' Hurdle, Wragge & Co Juvenile Novices' Hurdle, Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle, the Grade 3 betchronicle.com Trophy Chase as well as two competitive handicaps.
There is an equally impressive card up at Doncaster, the feature of which is the £85,000 Sky Bet Chase. They too have a very strong supporting card thanks to the Grade 2 Watch All Horse Racing At skybet.com Mares' Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, as well as two classy handicaps, a decent novices' chase and what usually proves to be a strong bumper.
Some of the likely participants putting their Festival credentials on the line include:
* Barbers Shop, Snoopy Loopy, Tidal Bay, Star De Mohaison and Roll Along in the Letheby and Christopher Chase (a Gold Cup trial)
* Walkon, Simarian and Reve de Sivola in the Wragge & Co Juvenile Novices Hurdle (a Triumph Hurdle trial).
* Punchestowns, Big Buck’s, Fair Along and Blazing Bailey in the Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle (a World Hurdle trial)
* Chomba Womba in the Watch All Horse Racing At skybet.com Mares' Hurdle (a trial for the David Nicholson Hurdle)
* Junior and Cape Tribulation in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (a trial for the race of the same name at the Festival)
We’ll be at Cheltenham on Saturday so as to be able to bring you all of the news, gossip and reaction from a meeting which is now, quite fittingly, known as Festival Trials Day.
And then on Sunday all eyes will be focused on the big meeting at Leopardstown in Ireland, featuring the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle, which has proved such a great guide to our own Champion Hurdle in recent years. There is also an important Arkle trial on the same card.
All in all, a pivotal weekend in the season, so now is the time to back your judgement. Click here for free Cheltenham Festival bets.
Sunday, 18 January 2009
2 horse race...or is it?
The entries for the Gold Cup have now been published and the bookies certainly see this year’s renewal as a two horse race between the giants of the sport, Kauto Star and Denman.
But could an analysis of recent trends identify any other candidates for the shortlist? Let’s see how the leading contenders measure up:
· Nine out of the last ten winners were aged between 7 and 9 – this is negative for War Of Attrition.
· Nine out of the last ten winners had previously won a Grade 1 race – this is a negative for Barbers Shop and Big Bucks.
· Nine out of the last ten winners had previously won or been second in a race at Cheltenham – this is a negative for Neptune Collonges.
· Nine out of the last ten winners had had between 2 and 4 previous outings that season – this looks like being a negative for Denman.
· All of the last ten winners had previously had between 6 and 12 runs over fences – this is a negative for Kauto Star and Exotic Dancer.
· Nine out of the last ten winners had previously been placed at the Festival – this is a negative for Big Bucks.
· Only one winner in the last ten years had not contested either the King George or Lexus Chase – this is a negative for the likes of Denman, Barbers Shop and Tidal Bay.
· Eight out of the last ten winners had previously won over three miles plus – this is a negative for Tidal Bay and Finger Onthe Pulse.
· Eight out of the last ten winners had won a Graded chase that season – this is a negative for the likes of Air Force One, Albertas Run, Denman and Tidal Bay.
· No Gold Cup winner has won his crown back – this is a negative for Kauto Star and War Of Attrition.
· No horse placed in the Gold Cup has improved enough to win it 12 months later – this is a negative for Neptune Collonges.
If we follow the trends, the most likely result of the 2009 Gold Cup would appear to be - 1st Albertas Run, 2nd Kauto Star, 3rd Exotic Dancer.
But could an analysis of recent trends identify any other candidates for the shortlist? Let’s see how the leading contenders measure up:
· Nine out of the last ten winners were aged between 7 and 9 – this is negative for War Of Attrition.
· Nine out of the last ten winners had previously won a Grade 1 race – this is a negative for Barbers Shop and Big Bucks.
· Nine out of the last ten winners had previously won or been second in a race at Cheltenham – this is a negative for Neptune Collonges.
· Nine out of the last ten winners had had between 2 and 4 previous outings that season – this looks like being a negative for Denman.
· All of the last ten winners had previously had between 6 and 12 runs over fences – this is a negative for Kauto Star and Exotic Dancer.
· Nine out of the last ten winners had previously been placed at the Festival – this is a negative for Big Bucks.
· Only one winner in the last ten years had not contested either the King George or Lexus Chase – this is a negative for the likes of Denman, Barbers Shop and Tidal Bay.
· Eight out of the last ten winners had previously won over three miles plus – this is a negative for Tidal Bay and Finger Onthe Pulse.
· Eight out of the last ten winners had won a Graded chase that season – this is a negative for the likes of Air Force One, Albertas Run, Denman and Tidal Bay.
· No Gold Cup winner has won his crown back – this is a negative for Kauto Star and War Of Attrition.
· No horse placed in the Gold Cup has improved enough to win it 12 months later – this is a negative for Neptune Collonges.
If we follow the trends, the most likely result of the 2009 Gold Cup would appear to be - 1st Albertas Run, 2nd Kauto Star, 3rd Exotic Dancer.
Saturday, 17 January 2009
Betting Bliss
For the third of our best ante posts for the Cheltenham Festival in March, we are going to suggest a horse that didn't run over Christmas and, in fact, hasn't run over hurdles all season.
Whilst Punchestowns' impressive victory in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December rightly propelled him to the head of the market for the World Hurdle, it is the current second favourite, KASBAH BLISS, who makes more appeal to us.
He was second to the great Inglis Drever in the race last year and with that horse's future sadly now in doubt after he was injured on his last start at Newbury, the way is clear for a new star in the staying division and there is every reason to believe that Kasbah Bliss will return to action a significantly better horse than he was last season.
For starters, he was in the form of his life on the Flat in the summer where his performances included an excellent fourth in the Group 1 Prix Du Cadran at Longchamp's Arc meeting, when he had the legendary stayer Yeats behind him.
The second reason for such optimism is that Francois Doumen has been bullishly reporting that the horse has really grown up in recent months and is now the finished article.
Doumen certainly knows what it takes to win this race, as he trained Baracouda to win it twice, and with Kasbah Bliss only beaten a length last year he doesn't need to improve much to go one better.
In fact, we think he'll return a significantly better horse and with the World Hurdle starting to look very much like a two horse race, Punchestowns may have to go some to beat this proven championship stayer.
3-1 is currently widely available, and Kasbah Bliss could easily turn out to be one of the bankers of this year's Festival.
Other ante post bets to consider at this stage include:
Walkon (7-1) - Triumph Hurdle
Albertas Run e/w (16-1) - Gold Cup
Wichita Lineman (7-1) - National Hunt Chase
Whilst Punchestowns' impressive victory in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December rightly propelled him to the head of the market for the World Hurdle, it is the current second favourite, KASBAH BLISS, who makes more appeal to us.
He was second to the great Inglis Drever in the race last year and with that horse's future sadly now in doubt after he was injured on his last start at Newbury, the way is clear for a new star in the staying division and there is every reason to believe that Kasbah Bliss will return to action a significantly better horse than he was last season.
For starters, he was in the form of his life on the Flat in the summer where his performances included an excellent fourth in the Group 1 Prix Du Cadran at Longchamp's Arc meeting, when he had the legendary stayer Yeats behind him.
The second reason for such optimism is that Francois Doumen has been bullishly reporting that the horse has really grown up in recent months and is now the finished article.
Doumen certainly knows what it takes to win this race, as he trained Baracouda to win it twice, and with Kasbah Bliss only beaten a length last year he doesn't need to improve much to go one better.
In fact, we think he'll return a significantly better horse and with the World Hurdle starting to look very much like a two horse race, Punchestowns may have to go some to beat this proven championship stayer.
3-1 is currently widely available, and Kasbah Bliss could easily turn out to be one of the bankers of this year's Festival.
Other ante post bets to consider at this stage include:
Walkon (7-1) - Triumph Hurdle
Albertas Run e/w (16-1) - Gold Cup
Wichita Lineman (7-1) - National Hunt Chase
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
Cooldine the real deal!
For the second addition to our ante post portfolio we head again to Ireland and, perhaps not surprisingly, to one of Willie Mullins's novices. However, it is not one of his star trio of novice hurdlers that we are interested in at this stage, but instead one of his slightly less heralded novice chasers, Cooldine.
Cooldine was on many people's radars ahead of last season's Festival as he looked to have a leading change in either the Ballymore Properties or Albert Bartlett. However, he lacked experience at that time and so his connections decided to swerve Cheltenham, a decision that was fully vindicated when Cooldine finished an excellent fourth in the Grade 1 World Series Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.
The decision to avoid a confrontation with the best novices around was not only taken to allow the horse more time to develop, but also in the knowledge that anything he achieved over hurdles was always going to be a bonus anyway. Indeed, ever since the day that Cooldine impressively won his only point to point in Ireland before his career under rules had begun, his connections have merely been marking time before switching him back to the larger obstacles.
With his apprenticeship over hurdles now well and truly served, he looks ready to hit the big time and his two starts over fences to date have done nothing to dissuade us from that view.
The first was a bloodless win over 2m 2f at Thurles, whilst on his second start he finished third to Follow The Plan in the valuable Durkan New Homes Novices Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas festival.
What was so likeable about that run was that Cooldine was able to mix it with some of the best two mile novice chasers around over a trip that was woefully inadequate for a staying chaser in the making. The natural speed he showed that day could prove devastating when he is upped in trip to 3 miles at the Festival for the RSA Novices Chase.
The horse couldn’t be in better hands either, as he has the same owner / trainer combination as the great Florida Pearl (who won the RSA Chase in 1998) and there are a number of striking similarities in the handling of the careers of the two horses, which suggest that Mullins feels that Cooldine could be the real deal.
At 12-1 for the RSA Chase with most bookmakers, Cooldine certainly looks cracking ante post value.
Cooldine was on many people's radars ahead of last season's Festival as he looked to have a leading change in either the Ballymore Properties or Albert Bartlett. However, he lacked experience at that time and so his connections decided to swerve Cheltenham, a decision that was fully vindicated when Cooldine finished an excellent fourth in the Grade 1 World Series Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.
The decision to avoid a confrontation with the best novices around was not only taken to allow the horse more time to develop, but also in the knowledge that anything he achieved over hurdles was always going to be a bonus anyway. Indeed, ever since the day that Cooldine impressively won his only point to point in Ireland before his career under rules had begun, his connections have merely been marking time before switching him back to the larger obstacles.
With his apprenticeship over hurdles now well and truly served, he looks ready to hit the big time and his two starts over fences to date have done nothing to dissuade us from that view.
The first was a bloodless win over 2m 2f at Thurles, whilst on his second start he finished third to Follow The Plan in the valuable Durkan New Homes Novices Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas festival.
What was so likeable about that run was that Cooldine was able to mix it with some of the best two mile novice chasers around over a trip that was woefully inadequate for a staying chaser in the making. The natural speed he showed that day could prove devastating when he is upped in trip to 3 miles at the Festival for the RSA Novices Chase.
The horse couldn’t be in better hands either, as he has the same owner / trainer combination as the great Florida Pearl (who won the RSA Chase in 1998) and there are a number of striking similarities in the handling of the careers of the two horses, which suggest that Mullins feels that Cooldine could be the real deal.
At 12-1 for the RSA Chase with most bookmakers, Cooldine certainly looks cracking ante post value.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
The countdown begins!
Having ushered in the New Year, the focus of all jump racing enthusiasts turns swiftly to Cheltenham in March and the 2009 National Hunt Festival.
Over the coming weeks, our Festival blog will keep you up to date with all the latest news and gossip, and where better to start than with a review of the key trial races held over the busy Christmas period and our idea of the three best ante post bets following those trials.
There is no doubt that the likes of Binocular, Punchestowns, Master Minded, Diamond Harry and, of course, Kauto Star registered hugely impressive performances in December and the first three are now deservingly short priced favourites for their respective Festival targets.
Whilst, none of them are worth backing ante post now, their presence does mean that there is plenty of each way value elsewhere and for the first edition to our 2009 ante post portfolio we are very keen on the Irish trained two miler, Big Zeb.
Master Minded appears to be in a league of his own over two miles and his reappearance in the Tingle Creek at Sandown recently merely underlined his supremacy. Some pundits have questioned the value of that form, especially in the light of the disappointing subsequent performances of Takeroc and Twist Magic. However, nobody was in a better position to judge the merit of Master Minded’s effort than his jockey that day, Tony McCoy, and he was gushing in his praise of the horse in the aftermath of their victory.
So why are we recommending as our first ante post bet of 2009 a horse who’ll have to beat the best horse in training if he’s to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase?
Well, as old adage goes, you should never be afraid of one horse and because Master Minded is as short as he is, all his rivals can be backed at decent each way prices. In addition, getting a horse to the Festival in one piece is no easy task and anything could happen to Paul Nicholls’ star between now and March.
Big Zeb made his seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown’s excellent Christmas meeting, where he beat a decent field including the likes of Watson Lake, Mansony and Thyne Again. That form still leaves him someway short of championship level, but what impressed that day was the way he travelled throughout the race and a high cruising speed is a must for any aspiring Champion Chaser. In addition, he looks sure to improve when encountering better ground.
There is undoubtedly room at the top of the two mile division for a new face or two and with doubts surrounding a number of the others towards the head of the market for the Queen Mother (Tidal Bay and Voy Por Ustedes, for example, are likely to have alternative Festival targets), Big Zeb looks cracking each way value at the 20-1 currently available with Bet Direct and Stan James.
His excellent young trainer, Coln Murphy, has already tasted Cheltenham Festival success with Brave Inca and if Big Zeb’s jumping holds up on the big day it is hard to see him being out of the first three.
Over the coming weeks, our Festival blog will keep you up to date with all the latest news and gossip, and where better to start than with a review of the key trial races held over the busy Christmas period and our idea of the three best ante post bets following those trials.
There is no doubt that the likes of Binocular, Punchestowns, Master Minded, Diamond Harry and, of course, Kauto Star registered hugely impressive performances in December and the first three are now deservingly short priced favourites for their respective Festival targets.
Whilst, none of them are worth backing ante post now, their presence does mean that there is plenty of each way value elsewhere and for the first edition to our 2009 ante post portfolio we are very keen on the Irish trained two miler, Big Zeb.
Master Minded appears to be in a league of his own over two miles and his reappearance in the Tingle Creek at Sandown recently merely underlined his supremacy. Some pundits have questioned the value of that form, especially in the light of the disappointing subsequent performances of Takeroc and Twist Magic. However, nobody was in a better position to judge the merit of Master Minded’s effort than his jockey that day, Tony McCoy, and he was gushing in his praise of the horse in the aftermath of their victory.
So why are we recommending as our first ante post bet of 2009 a horse who’ll have to beat the best horse in training if he’s to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase?
Well, as old adage goes, you should never be afraid of one horse and because Master Minded is as short as he is, all his rivals can be backed at decent each way prices. In addition, getting a horse to the Festival in one piece is no easy task and anything could happen to Paul Nicholls’ star between now and March.
Big Zeb made his seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown’s excellent Christmas meeting, where he beat a decent field including the likes of Watson Lake, Mansony and Thyne Again. That form still leaves him someway short of championship level, but what impressed that day was the way he travelled throughout the race and a high cruising speed is a must for any aspiring Champion Chaser. In addition, he looks sure to improve when encountering better ground.
There is undoubtedly room at the top of the two mile division for a new face or two and with doubts surrounding a number of the others towards the head of the market for the Queen Mother (Tidal Bay and Voy Por Ustedes, for example, are likely to have alternative Festival targets), Big Zeb looks cracking each way value at the 20-1 currently available with Bet Direct and Stan James.
His excellent young trainer, Coln Murphy, has already tasted Cheltenham Festival success with Brave Inca and if Big Zeb’s jumping holds up on the big day it is hard to see him being out of the first three.
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