Big price winner age defined in Pertemps

The Pertemps Final will terrify some punters with 24 runners contesting a seemingly wide open handicap but new research suggests age is a factor and that half the field have less of a chance.

Cheltenham’s three-mile hurdle race will be run at a blistering speed at 2.05 and traditionally the race can throw up some big prices, like 14/1 shot Cape Tribulation last year. Indeed, horses with an starting price of 10/1 or bigger have won 12 of the last 15 renewals.

However, it is emerging from detailed analysis of the race that experience is a key factor in handling the hurly burly of the stamina sapping race

Horse racing stats specialists Proform have uncovered that horses aged 8 or older have won 9 from 15 runnings which significantly is 59% better than expected. The other side of the equation shows that conversely horses aged 7 or younger have won 6 of the 15 renewals but that is from a large total of 206 runners, which is 39% worse than expected.

Eleven of today’s field are seven or under which includes the likely favourite Sam Winner, the mount of inform Ruby Walsh.

Proform have produced a 50 page in-depth statistical guide for the Cheltenham Festival with each race covered in detail with relevant data.

Free Money at Ladbrokes for first day of Cheltenham

It’s that time of year again when the nation’s eyes turn to Cheltenham as the cream of National Hunt racing come together from all corners of the globe to test their mettle.

There’s nowhere quite like Cheltenham and the 2012 Festival promises to be very special indeed. To mark the event, Ladbrokes have dug deep and come up with a sensational offer for new and existing customers.

New customers with Ladbrokes will qualify for a free £50 bet on the first day of the Festival, Tuesday 13th March, while all existing customers also get a free £5 bet for day one.

And there are a lot of interesting prospects for that first day.

A new Ladbrokes customer weighing the possibilities of, for example, Midnight Game in the opening race, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, could find him or herself a free £400 to the good if Willie Mullins’s five-year-old can land the spoils at 8/1.

But the race is something of a lottery as history has shown and if you’re having a free bet, why not make it a real punt on Venetia Williams’s 50/1 Brick Red, for example, or any of the four 100/1 shots currently available with Ladbrokes? You’ve nothing to lose.

Of course, the feature race on the first day is always the Champion Hurdle. This year, all eyes are on reigning champion Hurricane Fly, who is on top of his game after landing the Irish Champion Hurdle in January. This is another Willie Mullins-trained hurdler, but he isn’t offering much value for punters feeling lucky with their free money at about 4/6.

And he’ll have to beat 11 rivals if he’s to repeat last year’s hugely impressive win. So free bet first time Ladbrokes punters may be hoping Overturn can live up to his name by toppling the current champion. Currently 25/1, Donald McCain’s eight-year-old has an excellent each-way fighting chance.

Others to consider include the 2010 winner Binocular (4/1 second favourite), who didn’t run last year, and last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner Zarkandar (5/1). The Paul Nicholls-trained Zarkandar has won his only start this season, the Betfair Hurdle, in quite some style and may be the likeliest challenger to Hurricane Fly here.

It’s certainly a big opening day for Willie Mullins, who also runs Quevega – bidding for her fourth win on the bounce in the Mares’ Hurdle.

And it could be an even bigger day for Ladbrokes’ tills to be emptied if thousands of £50 free bet UK gamblers are shrewd in their Cheltenham day one choices.

Free bets must be placed on any Cheltenham race on Tuesday 13th March 2012. The Free Bet will expire after the 5.15pm race.

More information on the Ladbrokes day one at Cheltenham offer can be found here on the Ladbrokes Website.

Kauto declared fit for Gold Cup

Two-time winner Kauto Star (10/3 in 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup – Non Runner No Bet with bet365) has been declared fit to line up in Friday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup while one of his rivals, Grands Crus, has been taken out of the race to concentrate on the RSA Chase instead.

The 12-year-old, who showed a remarkable return to form when beating rival Long Run in back-to-back big races at Haydock and Kempton earlier this season, was rated “50-50″ after a fall at trainer Paul Nicholls‘ Somerset yard two weeks ago.

But Nicholls has now revealed that Kauto Star will bid for a third Gold Cup with Ruby Walsh on board after coming through a schooling session.

“He came through with flying colours. I had a chat with Clive Smith, his owner, and we were happy to say ‘Yes, he’ll run’,” Nicholls told BBC Sport.

Nicholls and Smith have been given a further boost in that Kauto Star’s potential Gold Cup rival, the David Pipe-trained Grands Crus, will not run in the showpiece race of the four-day festival.

Instead, the seven-year-old, trained by Pipe for owners Roger Stanley and Yvonne Reynolds, will compete in the RSA Chase for top novices on Wednesday (6/4 Grands Crus in 2012 RSA Chase – Non-Runner No bet with bet365).

Long Run remains the favourite at 13/8 with bet365 for Friday’s Gold Cup with Burton Port third in the betting at 7/1.

Gifford: Gone but not forgotten at Cheltenham

How poignant it would be should Tina Cook ride the winner of this year’s St Patrick’s Derby, run as the seventh race on the Thursday of the 2012 Cheltenham Festival. She is one of 12 riders selected to take part to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Tina’s father was none other than legendary trainer Josh Gifford, who sadly passed away earlier this year, and although best remembered for teaming up with cancer-beating Bob Champion to land the 1981 Grand National with Aldaniti, his Cheltenham exploits should not be forgotten. Even those looking at the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2012 betting will spare a thought for him.

Josh was very much an early starter, riding his first winner on the Flat at the age of 14 in 1956, and as his weight rose, teamed up with the late Captain Ryan Price to land many gambles. He was always destined for big things, and was just 19 years-old when storming to victory on Most Unusual in the 1961 County Hurdle.

A year later he captured the Triumph Hurdle aboard Beaver 11, and further Festival successes came with Milo in the 1963 Mildmay Of Flete, Sir Edward (1966 Long Walk Hurdle), Border Jet (1967 Sun Alliance Hurdle), and in 1968, the year that Gifford won the fourth and last of his Champion National-Hunt Jockey titles, he rode a second Mildmay winner courtesy of Merrycourt.

Just two years later he stunned the racing world by announcing his retirement from the saddle at just 28, and embarked on a very successful training career. However, unlike his whirlwind start as a jockey, Josh had to wait 18 years before celebrating a Cheltenham Festival winner-amazingly on that day in 1988, three came along at once! Those looking for Cheltenham betting tips would have been very pleased for him.

Pragada (Coral Golden Hurdle Final) Vodkatini (Grand Annual), and Golden Minstrel (Kim Muir) were the heroes, and from then on the Festival winners flowed.

He had a double the following year with Envopak Token (Sun Alliance Hurdle) and Paddyboro (Mildmay Of Flete), captured the Arkle in 1990 with Comandante, and another Mildmay in 1991 with Foyle Fisherman. His final Cheltenham Festival winner was to be Deep Sensation in the 1993 Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Sadly, Gifford never won a Champion Hurdle, as arguably the best horse he ever had, Kybo, fell when going well two out in the 1979 renewal won by Monksfield.

Europe Sizes up the opposition

The feature race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival is the Queen Mother Champion Chase in which Sizing Europe will bid to become the tenth horse to land back-to-back runnings of this prestigious two mile contest.

Famous names such as Fortria, Hilly Way, Badsworth Boy and Pearlyman have all achieved the feat in the past, while in more recent times Barnbrook Again, Viking Flagship and Master Minded have doubled up. Sadly, one of the greatest two-mile chasers of this generation, Moscow Flyer, was beaten by Azertyuiop in 2004, but did at least gain a second success the following year to win back his crown. Even those looking at the Gold Cup betting will have been impressed.

Now destiny beckons for Sizing Europe, who actually bids for a third successive Cheltenham Festival victory, having won the Arkle Chase in 2010. In fact, the previous year’s Arkle is a very good guide, the last 12 winners of the novice event who have turned up having at worst finished third in the Champion Chase.

Sizing Europe slugged it out with fellow Irish challenger Big Zeb 12 months ago before surging up the hill to score. If his jumping is as good as it was that day, a repeat is very much on the cards and the Cheltenham 2012 Betting reflect this.

Big Zeb did gain revenge narrowly at Punchestown last May, but if anyone was in doubt about Sizing Europe’s form ahead of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, a masterly performance in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December allayed those fears, and just for good measure Henry De Bromhead’s stable star thrashed Big Zeb by 15 lengths at Punchestown at the beginning of February.

Finian’s Rainbow is useful, of that there is no doubt, but Nicky Henderson’s entry is surely just another bit-part player if Sizing Europe runs up to his best form. The Irish have a terrific record in this race, with a staggering strike rate of 45%, and look all set to add to that here.

A Supreme start to proceedings

There must be something about the famous Cheltenham roar that goes up at the start of the very first race at the Festival, the Stan James Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. It seems to galvanise runners to give of their very best for years to come, as winners and placed horses of this event have gone on to make their mark in even bigger races on a regular basis.

A leaf through the history books reveals that great names such as L’Escargot and Bula landed the Supreme before their respective Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle victories, while more recently Brave Inca took the Champion Hurdle two years after his win in this contest in 2004. Anyone looking for tips for 2012 Cheltenham may also pick up a few ideas for the future.

Whatever you do, make a note of the 2012 runner-up as well, because if past events are anything to go by they are destined for greatness. Binocular found one too good in 2008 and went on to win the Champion Hurdle two years later, while the trio of subsequent Gold Cup heroes Best Mate, Kicking King and War Of Attrition all found one too good on the day.

With 38 wins in all, and seven of the last 10 runnings, it is also very likely that the Irish will come out on top again and anyone looking at the Betfair Cheltenham 2012 betting needs to remember this. A quick glance at the leading fancies for Tuesday March 13th suggests as much, with fancied contenders including Steps To Freedom and Midnight Game to name but two.

Despite being Champion Jockey year-in-year-out, A P McCoy’s sole victory was aboard Hor La Loi in 1999, while following the favourites has seen a return of just three from nine runnings.

So, all in all, finding the winner appears to be a case of latching on to a fairly fancied Irish runner with recent winning form.

King thrilled by Grumeti Dovecote victory

Whilst a number of other major yards have been showing very patchy form of late, Alan King appears to have his horses in great shape as the Cheltenham Festival draws nearer as evidenced by the easy victory of his Grade 1 JCB Triumph Hurdle hope Grumeti in the Dovecote Hurdle at Kempton Park on Saturday.

With Tom George’s Baby Mix having returned to winning ways in the Adonis Hurdle on the same card an hour earlier to re-emerge as a major contender for Triumph Hurdle honours, it was up to Grumeti to maintain his winning run having bravely seen off Pearl Swan in a tremendous race for the Grade 2 Finesse Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham four weeks earlier. Sent off the strongly backed 4/9 favourite in the betting online, Robert Thornton’s mount took a strong grip through the early stages of the contest before settling into his rhythm then taking up the running going strongly at the third from home. He only had to be shaken up by his rider over the final two flights, (after Terre Du Vent had fallen when in pursuit but under strong pressure), to comfortably account for the Paul Nicholls-trained Dodging Bullets by an eased down length-and-a-half, a performance that saw him established as 6/1 joint-favourite (with Baby Mix) for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 16. Those following things on Betfair will have been impressed.

Describing the victory of his charge as “perfect”, King was clearly delighted with the way the former mile-and-a-quarter Flat handicapper came through his pre-Cheltenham outing, and it is now all systems go for the son of Sakhee for the big one at the Prestbury track where he has already proved he can perform at a high level in so bravely repelling the well regarded Pearl Swan, the current 8/1 ante-post third-favourite for the Triumph Hurdle.

Binocular looks the one to beat

Former Champion Hurdle winner Binocular put in his final preparation run before the Cheltenham Festival at Wincanton where he won the Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle.

Nicky Henderson’s eight-year old looked back to his best as he won on the bridle ahead of betting market rival Celestial Halo.

Binocular is expected to return to Cheltenham next month for another shot at the Champion Hurdle he won in 2009. He missed the Festival last year after Henderson was forced to withdraw his star following advice from the British Horseracing Authority after they tested the JP McManus-owned horse for banned substances.

Before his run at Wincanton, Celestial Halo had already had three victories so far this season but struggled to match Binocular who showed a good turn of foot after jumping the last at the Somerset track.

Bookmakers and Betfair were forced to cut the odds of Binocular following his second consecutive win. His preparation for the Festival this season has been much better than his last two campaigns, including the year he won the leading hurdle race on day one of the meeting.

Zarkandar’s victory on Friday at Newbury means that all four of the leading contenders for the Champion Hurdle go into the race in good form. Hurricane Fly is set to try and defend his crown after winning the Irish equivalent of the race at Leopardstown last month.

Irish Champion Jockey Ruby Walsh will have the opportunity to choose between Hurricane Fly, Zarkandar and Rock On Ruby, but he is expected to stick with Willie Mullins’ star unless he fails to make to Group One contest in March.

Ted Spread gears up for Cheltenham tilt

Ted Spread is one of Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls’ fancied runners to do well at the Cheltenham Festival next month as connections eye the Conditionals Handicap Hurdle with their five-year old.

Ridden by Ruby Walsh, Ted Spread was a seven length winner at Taunton on his latest start back in January over 2m1f. The son of Beat Hollow did have a successful career in flat racing where he earned over £40,000 for his owners, but a future in national hunt is the future for this gelding as he attempts to win at the Festival in his first trip to Prestbury Park and the Cheltenham Festival betting shows he is in with a chance.

Sweet My Lord picked up his first win in just under a year at Cork in a handicap hurdle race in November. Since then he has finished fourth on both of his previous starts. His last run was in a Grade B hurdle race at Leopardstown which was won by Citizenship and also featured Scottish Boogie and What A Charm who both finished behind Willie Mullins’ mount. Those looking to Bet on Horse racing at Betfair.com should remember this.

One of the young contenders in the Conditionals Handicap Hurdle this year will be Cape Dutch. At the age of five, the Bloomfields-owned gelding has limited racecourse experience but has merited a place at the Festival with his campaign so far that has involved three victories and a second place finish. The season started for Cape Dutch back in August at Huntingdon where he came home fourth in a maiden hurdle. His maiden tag was broken in his very next race at Hexham and he also went on to score at both Carlisle and Musselburgh for trainer John Ferguson later in the year.

Sadler’s Risk an impressive favourite

Triumph Hurdle favourite Sadler’s Risk has only had one run over hurdles but could not have been any more impressive with a 24 length victory at Kempton back in January.

Richard Johnson is expected to return to the saddle on Sadler’s Risk at the Cheltenham Festival in one of a number of good mounts for the Philip Hobbs’ retained jockey and people looking at the horse racing betting will be keeping an eye on his efforts.

Two of the Triumph Hurdle contenders clashed at Cheltenham recently on Trials Day at Prestbury Park. Pearl Swan and Grumeti came up against each other with the latter being promoted from second spot to the winner after the placings were reversed with Pearl Swan following interference in the run in. The incident cost Irish Champion Jockey Ruby Walsh a three day ban after his mount gave Grumeti a knock in the run in during a close tussle up to the line at Prestbury Park.

Minsk could be one of Ireland’s best hopes in the race this year despite not already having a run over obstacles before. The four-year old made it three consecutive wins at the Curragh back in October as he proved his fitness over two miles in the Irish Cesarewitch and anyone searching for Cheltenham 2012 Tips cannot rule him out.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Dildar has had just one run this campaign over hurdles. He was very impressive in what looked an effortless win at Taunton back in January where Ruby Walsh gave his mount a cushion ride to win by just over length, but never had to come off the bridle at any stage. The four-year old will doubt be facing a rise in class at the Festival but connections are quietly confident about their runner in the big race.