The World Hurdle takes centre stage at Cheltenham on Thursday with Paul Nicholls hoping to add to Wednesday’s impressive haul. The Ditcheat trainer interrupted the domination of Willie Mullins by firing a 1430-1 treble including Dodging Bullets in the Champion Chase.
His World Hurdle hopes are Zarkandar and Saphir Su Rheu and I just prefer the claims of the latter. He progressed through the handicap last season and narrowly beat Whisper in the Welsh Champion Hurdle. That horse went on to win the Coral Cup and followed up in the Aintree Hurdle. Nicky Henderson has endured a miserable two days but I am hoping that Whisper can give him something to smile about.
The action starts at 1.30 and Coral are offering 5-1 about the favourite Vautour finishing in the first three here (new customers only). If you don’t already have a Coral account it may be worth considering to a maximum £10 stake. I think Ptit Zig looks the more attractively priced at 4-1 and he could provide Nicholls with his fourth winner of the meeting. He was unlucky to fall at Ascot last time but has jumped around here safely before and should go well.
The Pertemps Final looks wide open and there has been good money for Edeymi and Call The Cops this week. It does not usually pay to back horses that win handicaps impressively on the eve of the festival so Henderson’s horse might not be great value despite carrying only a 5lbs penalty. I am going to side with Big Easy although the handicapper keeps putting him up for being beaten. The Cesarewitch winner has a touch of class and could make the frame.
Johns Spirit loves it round here and looks worth a bet at 11-1 with Paddy Power in the Ryanair Chase. Don Cossack and Balder Succes are the pick on form but Johns Spirit can cut them down late on if Richie McLernon does not go too soon.
The last two races look almost impossible to solve but David Pipe’s Monetaire has a chance in the Kim Muir. He has only raced twice since arriving from France and did well to finish third here after a couple of mistakes on his first run. Lucinda Russell could give Scotland a winner in the last with Clondaw Knight who lost a shoe when beaten last time.
1.30 Vautour @5-1 Coral to finish in first three (new customers only – max. £10)
1.30 Ptit Zig @4-1 BetVictor
2.05 Big Easy @12-1 Totesport (each-way)
2.40 Johns Spirit @11-1 Paddy Power (each-way)
3.20 Saphir Du Rheu @6-1 Paddy Power
3.20 Whisper @11-1 William Hill (each-way)
4.00 Monetaire @8-1 Betfred
4.40 Clondaw Knight @20-1 BetVictor (each-way)
