Tag: Vibrato Valtat

Aintree Thursday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Betfred Bowl is one of four Grade 1 races in the opening day of the Grand National meeting at Aintree.

Tony McCoy is re-united with Jonjo O’Neill’s Holywell after being claimed to ride Carlingford Lough in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Holywell briefly looked threatening four from home but could only plug on at one pace into fourth behind Coneygree. That was still a fine effort, particularly as the rain-softened ground went against him.

He is a real spring horse with all of his seven career victories having come between January and April. He had won at the previous two Cheltenham festivals and also won here last year when slamming Don Cossack by ten lengths in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase. The obvious danger is Silviniaco Conti who was a disappointing favourite in the Gold Cup. He bounced back to win this race last year and I expect to see Noel Fehily adopt more positive tactics than at Cheltenham.

Cheltenham form is also tested in the Aintree Hurdle at 3.25 when Arctic Fire lines up against Jezki. We tipped Arctic Fire at 25-1 for the Champion Hurdle so were delighted with his run in second place behind Faugheen. He holds Jezki on that form and McCoy’s mount is prone to pull too hard for his own good. The only question mark is whether Arctic Fire stays this longer trip but his style of racing suggests that he will.

McCoy should have register a victory in the McManus colours on Hargam in the Juvenile Hurdle. He was third in the Henderson-dominated Triumph Hurdle and was ten lengths clear of Devilment in fourth place. The green and gold colours have several chances on the card, notably with On The Fringe and Ned Buntline.

On The Fringe was always travelling best in the Foxhunters at Cheltenham and Nina Carberry has a great chance of landing the double here. He has yet to tackle these fences and a huge field of thirty is always a worry. If he settles over the first few fences, he is capable of following up. Ned Buntline gets a handy pull in the weights with Next Sensation for Cheltenham. He was fancied to give Tony McCoy a winning send-off but the ground was too soft for him.

Call The Cops is up 7lbs for his Pertemps Final victory but that may not be enough to prevent him from following up in the last. Vibrato Valtat tried to go after Un De Sceaux in the Arkle and had nothing left in the closing stages. He will be ridden with more restraint in the opener where he clashes with Josses Hill.

Vibrato Valtat 1.40 @9-4 Ladbrokes

Hargam 2.15 @Evens Bet365

Holywell 2.50 @15-8 Skybet

Arctic Fire 3.25 @2-1 Bet365

On The Fringe 4.05 @4-1 Bet365

Ned Buntline 4.40 @8-1 Ladbrokes

Call The Cops 5.15 @7-1 Ladbrokes

Arkle Challenge Trophy Preview

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If you are betting on the Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham next week, it is well worth considering the special offer by Paddy Power. They are refunding all bets on losers if the favourite Un De Sceaux wins the race for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh. This offer also applies to each-way bets and on the favourite Douvan in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The favourite suffered his first defeat when falling three out at Thurles in November with the race at his mercy. A year ago, the media were speculating whether or not Mullins would risk Un De Sceaux in the Champion Hurdle but the trainer decided to take him to France instead.

That proved to be very lucrative with Grade 3 and Grade 2 hurdle race victories at Auteuil before being put over fences this winter. Following his fall at Thurles, Un De Sceaux recorded easy victories at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown including a fifteen lengths win over Clarcam in the Irish Arkle Chase in January. He is yet to be truly tested over fences but could face a large field here and his jumping will have to spot on.

His  main market rival is Vibrato Valtat who would probably be favourite in a normal year for Paul Nicholls. The grey was a fair handicapper over hurdles but he looks very classy over fences. Prior to his latest victory at Warwick, I wondered whether he would always keep a bit to himself on the run-in. He does not always seem to find as much off the bridle as appears likely but he quickened four and a half lengths clear of Top Gamble at the midlands track. Odds of around 5-1 with a free bet refund if the favourite wins looks a tempting offer.

Josses Hill would have been on many short-lists at the start of the season but he has not lived up to expectations over fences so far. He has only a workmanlike Doncaster victory to his credit so far, although jockey Barry Geraghty insists that a fast pace will see him in a much better light. It may be that he has been slow to come to himself this season. Henderson’s last four runners have all won including Hurricane Higgins at Lingfield on the flat so the yard could be hitting form at the right time.

Vibrato Valtat @5-1 Paddy Power*

*Money back as a free bet (up to a maximum of £50) if Un De Sceaux wins

Paddy Power Cheltenham money-back offer

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Paddy Power have come unstuck in previous years with their generous money-back offers at Cheltenham and they are at it again this year!

In 2012 they offered refunds on all losing bets in the Arkle Chase if odds-on favourite Sprinter Sacre won. Nicky Henderson’s star chaser made short work of his rivals and the following year is was Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle. Last season Vautour romped to victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Paddy Power refunding bets on the placed horses.

The firm are to refund all losing bets as a free bet on two races at this year’s festival. Willie Mullins is responsible for the favourite in each with Douvan in the Supreme and Un De Sceaux in the Arkle. With the former currently 7-4 favourite and Un De Sceaux the shortest priced favourite of the meeting at 4-7, it is probably a way of generating some interest in the other runners. The offer applies to all bets up to £50/€50 per customer per race.

The offer will be of particular interest to punters who fancy those closest to the favourites in each race. There is a lot of confidence behind Nicky Henderson’s L’Ami Serge in the Supreme and he is currently trading at 9-2 with the Irish firm. The French import remains unbeaten and was particularly impressive when winning the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown last time out.

The market is similarly lopsided in the Arkle Chase with Vibrato Valtat offered at 5-1 with 10-1 bar. Paul Nicholls trains the grey who has won his last three races over fences culminating in the Kingmaker Chase at Warwick earlier this month. He cruised clear to beat Top Gamble by four and a half lengths to follow up his win at Kempton in December.

He is available at 11-2 elsewhere but the 5-1 with the refund offer should Un De Sceaux fluff his lines is well worth considering. L’Ami Serge is generally 4-1 with other firms so the 9-2 will make plenty of appeal to supporters of Nicky Henderson’s star novice. There does not appear to be much depth to the field for the Supreme and the market currently revolves around the two horses. With non-runner – no bet also applying, it could be a good time to get on the second favourites.

L’Ami Serge @9-2 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Vibrato Valtat @5-1 Arkle Chase

*Paddy Power special terms apply

Horse Racing Preview February 7th

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It’s all systems go for a cracking Newbury card on Saturday with the Betfair Hurdle supported by the reappearance of champion chaser Sire de Grugy.

We previewed the Betfair Hurdle last month and our ante-post selections have both made the final line-up. Activial (tipped at 10-1) has been trained for the race and I see no reason to desert him at this late stage. It could be argued that he is badly weighted with Calipto on novice form but I think the favourite has a few quirks and I’m prepared to oppose him.

Vasco Du Ronceray (tipped at 33-1) is currently showing at 75-1 on Betfair and seems virtually friendless in the market. Whether that is because Barry Geraghty has chosen to ride Sign Of A Victory I am not sure but Peter Carberry claims 3lbs and it wouldn’t be impossible for him to make the frame. There don’t seem to be any natural front-runners in the field so I can see the field packed up turning for home and there could be some hard-luck stories.

As expected, Vibrato Valtat has headed to Warwick for the Kingmaker Chase rather than take on Sire de Grugy in the Game Spirit. That leaves the improving Mr Mole as his most likely danger and even still looks a good price about the popular chestnut. Gary Moore obviously won’t have him at 100% for this but I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t fit enough to win. Hopefully he can take this and set up the three-way clash with Sprinter Sacre and Dodging Bullets in the Champion Chase next month.

The Denman Chase is a tricky one with question marks against several of the runners. Houblon Des Obeaux ran a cracker in the Hennessy in November but has been beaten since while Taquin Du Seuil, Harry Topper and Double Ross have all been out of sorts. Unioniste is not quick by any stretch of the imagination while Coneygree has done nothing wrong since returning from injury. It may be between the pair with the Nicholls runner narrowly preferred.

Over at Warwick, Vibrato Valtat takes on the game front-runner Top Gamble in the Kingmaker Chase. The race is perfectly set up for the grey to get a nice lead through the race and challenge at the last. Glens Melody should be able to win the Mares’ Hurdle for a second consecutive year without Mischievous Miss in attendance. The Irish mare produced a great run at the Cheltenham festival behind Quevega and nothing else in the field can boast form at that level.

Vibrato Valtat 2.05 Warwick @6-5 Bet Victor

Unioniste 2.25 Newbury @4-1 Coral

Glens Melody 2.40 Warwick @Evens Bet365

Sire de Grugy 3.0 Newbury @10-11 Sky Bet

Activial 3.35 Newbury @10-1 ante-post

Vasco Du Ronceray @33-1 ante-post, 75-1 Betfair

Imperial Cup Preview

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Sandown’s Imperial Cup has become a qualifier for the County Hurdle at Cheltenham this season with several of the leading fancies needing to win to earn a place in the Cheltenham field. It is a decent prize in itself with £70,000 in prize money but the focus of attention this year is supposed “handicap good thing”, Regal Encore.

The gelding was bought by JP McManus after an impressive bumper victory and finished second at the Cheltenham festival last year. Anthony Honeyball’s six-year-old got off the mark over hurdles at Plumpton but was then surprisingly beaten by 66-1 chance Seeyouatmidnight at Hexham. Connections must have been scratching their heads after that but the run was clearly better than they first thought.

Seeyouatmidnight has since won two races, the most recent being the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock. The gelding’s victims included Celestial Halo, runner-up in the World Hurdle last season. There is a world of difference between a two-mile novice at Hexham and a three-mile Grade 2 event but Regal Encore would appear to be leniently treated on 130 with Seeyouatmidnight now on 155.

Not surprisingly, the bookmakers have put Regal Encore in at around 3-1 favourite and he could be shorter if the field cuts up. Other Cheltenham hopefuls include Lac Fontana and New Year’s Eve. You could not help but be impressed with Lac Fontana at Cheltenham last time as he eased clear of Totalise in heavy ground. I have no idea what happened on his previous start when he was fourth and last behind The Liquidator. The handicapper has shoved him up 12lbs though and that could stop him here.

Swing Bowler ran a really nice race in the Betfair Hurdle after a lengthy absence to be fifth. That looked about the best two-mile handicap run this season and she also has Cheltenham entries. New Year’s Eve is the unknown quantity here as he suffered his only defeat when well backed at Musselburgh, appropriately enough on New Year’s Day! Like Lac Fontana, I cannot explain what happened that day but he has won his subsequent two starts in a hood.

If the headgear has made the difference, he still has chances with just a 7lb penalty. However, the one to be on could be Vibrato Valtat. The grey absolutely laughed at his rivals at Exeter last month and must have had a stone in hand of runner-up Tigris. That horse fell at the weekend so we can only guess at the value of the form but he is fit and fancied.

Vibrato Valtat 13-2 Betfred, Totesport