The National Hunt season really starts to build momentum this weekend with the first major meet of the autumn. Traditionally, the curtain raiser for the jumps calendar, the three days at National Hunt HQ promises to be an action-packed coming together of some top class chasers and hurdlers, all culminating with the feature race on Saturday, The BetVictor Gold Cup over 2 miles and 4 furlongs. I’ve selected the three most appropriate races over the three days which I think represent the best betting opportunities, starting with the The BetVictor Handicap Chase on the Friday.
FRIDAY 11TH NOVEMBER: THE BET VICTOR HANDICAP CHASE, 13.30 Cheltenham
This tight handicap looks extremely competitive and not one single runner stands out as a confident betting proposition with an abundance of question marks against all of them. The Colin Tizzard trained Sizing Codelco looks like he will go off favourite at around 7/2 (available with SkyBet - Bet Here!, Betfred - Bet Here!, Stan James - Bet Here!) and despite getting within 6 lengths of Grand National winner Rock The World at Punchestown last April, he doesn’t inspire confidence. Unseating at the first in the Grand Annual at the last Cheltenham Festival also raises doubts but he is the class horse in the field without doubt. Therefore, some shrewd value hunting should be the order of the day here and I quite like the look of Monbeg River who is going up in class but has not been out of the first three in his last 6 completed runs. He’s clearly consistent and if can keep up with the frenetic pace of 2 miles round Cheltenham and put in a solid round of jumping, he stands a decent outside chance at best price 13/2 (Betfred - Bet Here! and Boylesports - Bet Here!).
MONBEG RIVER, DAY 1
SATURDAY 12TH NOVEMBER: THE BET VICTOR GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE, 14:25 Cheltenham
The feature race of the meeting and the first major handicap chase of the season is without doubt a fantastic punting opportunity thanks to those lovely people at BetVictor who are offering punters an eye-popping SIX PLACES for each way choices!! - Visit & Bet at BetVictor Here! This makes my job a little easier for sure! Therefore, the most viable option here has to be based on the assumption that our selection reflects decent odds and has the potential to tackle the Cheltenham fences. The 2014 World Hurdle champion, More Of That, leads the market and this Jonjo O’Neill trained 8 year old oozes class and Cheltenham credentials after his decent third behind Blaklion in the RSA Chase at last year’s Festival. However, in a competitive race of this type with a big field and little time to gauge a good cruising speed, the potential to come up against trouble over the fences against lesser quality horses is too much of a risk to venture on the 9/2 (Bet365 - Bet Here!, SkyBet - Bet Here!, William Hill - Bet Here!) tag available for More For That. Best watched on this occasion and plenty of value to be found elsewhere.
If you’re enjoying the current good form of trainer Paul Nicholls and think that a horse placed in two Cheltenham Festivals is a testament to ability, then look no further than the JP MacManus owned Bouvreuil. He’s well treated on the weights and has been the subject of some recent anti-post activity. My only concern would be his tendency to not pick up any extra on the run-in, and with the Cheltenham hill needing that additional burst of stamina, I would hope that thet Dicheat team have worked on this in his race prep. The stable have also twice fielded the winner of this race in the last 4 runnings. Nevertheless, with best odds of 14/1 (William Hill - Bet Here!), this is the kind of each way potential one should seize on. Bet Victor - Bet Here! has 10/1 for Bouvreuil but with those 6 places on offer for each way.
BOURVREIL, DAY 2
SUNDAY 13TH NOVEMBER: THE STAN JAMES GREATWOOD HANDICAP HURDLE, 14.30 Cheltenham:
The last leg of the three day meeting is the Greatwood Hurdle which has also been the subject of some recent anti-post activity not least the current race favourite, Winter Escape, trained by Alan King. This very lightly raced unbeaten 5 year old is very unexposed and looks likely to improve. He’s best priced at 3/1 with bet365 although my eye was certainly caught by the performance of Modus in his last race at Ascot, a fast finishing third behind Sternrubin. Modus is now a pound better off against Sternrubin and has Cheltenham ability having been placed in the bumper at the Festival in 2015. He is best available at 7/1 with Stan James - Bet Here!, William Hill - Bet Here! and Paddy Power - Bet Here!
I hope you enjoy what should be a superb 3 days of top quality jumps racing at Cheltenham!
MODUS, DAY 3
SELECTIONS RECAP:
Friday, Day 1: MONBEG RIVER, 1330 Cheltenham (13/2 with Betfred) - Bet Here!
Saturday, Day 2: BOUVREIL, 1425 Cheltenham (10/1 with BetVictor) - Bet Here!
Sunday, Day 3: MODUS, 1430 Cheltenham (7/1 with Stan James) - Bet Here!
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