The ground staff at Kempton lost their battle against the elements this morning which was a great shame as there would have been a fine card on offer tomorrow if the freezing temperatures had subsided. So, with Kempton abandoned and with the Cheltenham Festival just two months away, I am going to turn my attention today to three ante-post bets, all the suggestions at tasty prices.
James Owen is a dual-purpose trainer going places and horses such as Burdett Road have already put him on the map. Owen has a nice bunch of young hurdlers this season including East India Dock, one of the favourites for the Triumph Hurdle on the last day of the Festival. However, odds of just 13-2 on East India Dock for such a competitive contest make zero appeal so far from the race.
A slightly lesser light in Owen’s yard is LIAM SWAGGER, who is two wins and a second from three runs in juvenile hurdles this season. The four-year-old gelding is now on a break and is being aimed at Fred Winter Juvenile Novice Handicap Hurdle on 11 March, day one of the Festival. The intention is to give him a prep race before Cheltenham, probably on the flat to protect his handicap mark over hurdles.
Back Liam Swagger each way at 33-1 with SkyBet offering five places already rather than the standard four. This is a race in which there will be plenty of ‘plot horses’ particularly from Ireland, but the price of Liam Swagger means I am happy to go in now.
Galopin Des Champs seems as good as ever this season judged on his recent win in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown and it is easy to see why he is already an even-money favourite when he bids for a hat-trick of wins in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on 14 March. His seeming invincibility means a lot of his potential rivals will opt to run in the Ryanair Chase a day earlier and over a six-furlong shorter trip.
One horse with a double entry for both races is Lucinda Russell’s AHOY SENOR who has just turned ten, who suffered from injury niggles last season and who has had jumping problems in the past – none of which make him an automatic selection for either race.
However, at his best, Ahoy Senor is a very talented animal as he showed in the Grade 1 William Hill Bowl Chase at Aintree in April, making Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe pull out all the stops before going down by half a length.
Ahoy Senor’s comeback run this season in the Virgin Bet Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase over an inadequate trip was full of promise too but the horse then blotted his copybook when pulled up behind Royal Pagaille in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.
According to Russell, Ahoy Senor will be aimed at the Cheltenham Gold Cup this year – rather than the Ryanair Chase – and so the 50-1 NRNB (Non Runner No Bet) with William Hill or 888sport looks tempting to me each way, three places. That’s because Ahoy Senor will only line up in the Gold Cup field if Russell and her partner Peter Scudamore are convinced that he is back to his best and worthy of his place in the field. If he does not run for any reason, under the terms of the bet, you will get your money back.
There was a lot to like about DJELO’s win in the Grade 2 Trustatrader Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon last month and there is no doubt that Venetia Williams’ seven-year-old, second-season chaser is an improving horse. He beat Protektorat, last season’s winner of the Ryanair, by six lengths that day, receiving only 3 lbs.
Protekotorat may simply not have been at his best last month but Djelo is a lovely, economical jumper and there is no doubt that two and a half miles is his best trip, ideally with a bit of cut in the ground. He has sound Cheltenham form too, gained at last year’s Festival, and so the generally available 16-1 three makes plenty of each way appeal for the Ryanair Chase on March 13.
Fortunately, the weather forecast for next week looks much better than it has been for the first ten days of January, so, hopefully, there will be plenty of good racing to look forward to later this month.
Pending:
1 point each way July Flower at 11-1 for the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Liam Swagger at 33-1 for the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Djelo at 16-1 for Ryanair Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Ahoy Senor at 50-1 NRNB for the Cheltenham Gold Cup paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
Last weekend: quits. Meetings cancelled.
2024-5 jump season running total: – 18.3 points.
2024 flat season: + 41.4 points on all tips.
2023-4 jump season: + 42.01 points on all tips.
2023 flat season: – 48.22 points on all tips.
2022-3 jump season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
Comments
Comment section temporarily unavailable for maintenance.