Cheltenham ante-post betting suggestions: weekend review 30-31 January
Slot Betting evaluations the latest Cheltenham Festival ante-post odds after a weekend that featured more performances to note
The final weekend of a tough January introduced a ultimate, merciless blow for Cheltenham lovers because the Festival Trials Day card on Saturday was lost to a waterlogged track.
But with the Cheltenham Festival only a day over six weeks away, there were still some eye-catching weekend performances to notice elsewhere.
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Pauling considers Cob call
Odds right at time of publishing and topic to alter.
Ben Pauling admits he will be coaching The Cob with the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in mind for the subsequent month, though the trainer can maintain tight till thirteen March before forking out the £4,500 supplementary payment to place his spectacular Doncaster scorer The Cob within the Festival Friday race.
Saturday’s River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster is a recognised trial for the Albert Bartlett, and one which Pauling won in 2016 with Barters Hill earlier than that horse finished fourth within the Festival race.
Pauling continued his affinity with the Doncaster race as The Cob made it three wins in six renewals on Saturday, belying odds of 25/1 that his trainer suggests had been too dismissive.
The seven-year-old started the season with victories at Uttoxeter and Haydock before being held at Newbury (2m 4½f, soft) at Christmas. That effort left him “10lb shy” of Cheltenham Festival class, in accordance with Pauling, however he appeared to improve a minimum of that quantity on Saturday when stepped up to three miles on testing ground.
Promising stayers similar to Pats Fancy, Ask A Honey Bee and Fern Hill had been flailing as The Cob scored a nine-length win over Portstorm in the Grade 2 contest, leaving Pauling very much of a thoughts to stump up the supplementary payment for subsequent month’s Cheltenham project.
On Saturday’s proof he might be a participant. Barters Hill started as quick as 4/1 second-favourite after successful the same Doncaster trial in 2016.
De Bromhead pleased with ‘deadly’ Eklat
Odds appropriate at time of publishing and subject to alter.
Henry De Bromhead is plotting a crack at the Festival Novices’ Chase (formerly the RSA Chase) at Cheltenham after describing Eklat De Rire’s win at Naas on Sunday as “deadly”.
The lightly raced seven-year-old has flown under the radar to some extent but now boasts a document of four wins and a second from 5 career begins, including his point-to-point-winning debut.
He justified favouritism at Punchestown in December to win a Beginners’ Chase (3m1½f, heavy) underneath Rachael Blackmore and stepped up properly on that work when he won a Grade three at Naas on Sunday, dismissing major market rivals Escaria Ten and Pencilfulloflead, both trained by Gordon Elliott.
Just as he did at Punchestown, Eklat De Rire minimize out the running and located a lot when asked. De Bromhead suggests good floor may be a drawback, which is worth noting as the Festival nears.
De Bromhead isn’t any stranger to Festival success and is renowned for his handling of chasers. The Co Waterford handler confirmed that the Festival Novices’ Chase was the plan “if Naas went well” and his charge seems to have rubber-stamped his Cheltenham passport.
Arkle-bound Shishkin remains faultless
Odds appropriate at time of publishing and subject to alter.
With Cheltenham off on Saturday it meant Shishkin had centre stage kind of to himself and he didn’t disappoint on his look at Doncaster.
Last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner made it three wins out of three over fences in fantastic style as he won the Grade 2 Lightning Novices’ Chase by over eight and a half lengths from Eldorado Allen.
Of course, Shishkin was lengthy odds-on to prevail at Doncaster, but it nonetheless ranked one other fantastic display from Nicky Henderson’s rising star.
He jumped beautifully and it was noticeable that he never moved higher than when Nico de Boinville requested him to have interaction the pace-setting Eldorado Allen at the fourth final bounce. They put the race to mattress with consummate easy and Shishkin goes to be very onerous to topple within the Arkle.
His physique of work is ever-improving and he looks doubtless to provide his Seven Barrows handler a record-extending seventh Arkle win.
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