NEWS – Freebetting Horse Racing Betting
Racing Post Chase
The Cheltenham Festival is less than three weeks away, but the feature race this weekend, the Grade 3 Racing Post Chase, run over 3 miles at Kempton Park, often serves as a trial for the Grand National at Aintree. In fact, two winners of the Racing Post Chase, Rhyme ‘N’ Reason (1988) and Rough Quest (1996) went on to complete the double in the same season. This year’s renewal, which is due off at 3.05 p.m. on Saturday, 27th February, has attracted a total of 16 entries at the 5-day declaration stage. Richard Johnson has the best recent record in the Racing Post Chase, winning the race for three different trainers between 2000 and 2003 and again, for Philip Hobbs, in 2004. A.P. McCoy and Ruby Walsh are not too far behind, however, with two wins apiece in the last 10 years.
Indeed, it is the mounts of A.P. McCoy and Ruby Walsh that dominate the betting. A.P. McCoy has been booked to ride last year’s winner, Nacarat (4/1 generally), for Tom George, whilst Ruby Walsh is on board Fistral Beach (13/2 with Sporting Bet) for champion trainer Paul Nicholls.
It would be fair to say that Nacarat has been disappointing since his easy win in this race last year, most recently plugging on to finish an honourable, but ultimately well-beaten, fourth behind Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. He is, of course, reunited with the champion jockey here, which suggests that a better showing is on the cards, but he remains 11lbs higher in the handicap than last year.
Fistral Beach, who is set to race from 4lbs out of the handicap proper if topweight Madison Du Berlais (11/1 with Totesport), ending a frustrating run of eight places in a row, stretching back to November, 2008, by winning a Class 3 handicap chase over 2 miles 5 furlongs on this course last month. He faces a significant rise in class here, not to mention a 7lb rise in the weights and probably owes his position in the betting market more to his connections than what he has actually achieved on the racecourse.
Last year’s runner-up, Possol (81/ with Bet 365, Totesport, Sporting Bet, Blue Square, 888 Sport, Coral and William Hill), trained by Henry Daly, is almost among the entries this year and meets Nacarat on 3lbs better terms, despite coming here off three wins in a row over fences and hurdles. He was comfortably held by Nacarat last year, however and has an absence of 77 days to overcome; he may run well if stripping fit, but, as a horse that has never won beyond Class 2 level, represents poor value at the odds on offer. It will be interesting to see whether Richard Johnson, who can ride at the minimum weight of 10st, is on board Possol or Private Be, for Philip Hobbs.
Punters may do well to take notice of Philip Hobbs’ entry, Private Be (25/1 with Bet 365, Blue Square and 888 Sport), who, himself, has become a little frustrating, having finished second on three of his four starts so far this term. His two most recent starts were both at Cheltenham, where he was beaten 2¾ lengths and ¾ length in Grade 3 handicap chases over 2 miles 5 furlongs. On the latter occasion, Private Be was beaten less than a length, conceding 9lbs, by The Sawyer, who did so well in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase last weekend, when beaten just 1½ lengths and 1¾ lengths by horses officially rated 26lbs and 24lbs superior respectively. Private Be is another 3lbs higher in the handicap here and has never won beyond 2 miles 4 furlongs, but his form is strong and his performances over 2 miles 5 furlongs at Prestbury Park suggest that 3 miles on a sharp, flat track like Kempton Park should be well within his compass. We know he acts on the forecast “soft” going, so, off the minimum weight of 10st as the weights stand, he looks cracking each-way value at the odds on offer.
Collateral form lines involving The Sawyer suggest that Private Be has something to find with both Emma Lavelle’s Kilcrea Castle (7/1 with Sporting Bet) and Robert and Sally Alner’s Miss Mitch (8/1 generally), who finished third and second to that horse at Ascot last month. However, neither has ever won in this grade and Private Be represents value at three times the price, especially as he may even improve a little for the step up in trip.
