Horse Racing Betting – Rain The Big Threat To Favourite’s Champion Ambitions

The burning question then, on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival - will the rest of the Champion Hurdle line-up need field glasses to see which way Binocular went? Bookmakers certainly think so with the Nicky Henderson-trained five-year-old a best 15-8 with Victor Chandler and Paddy Power to go one better than he did in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Festival. Binocular hasn’t looked back since then, scoring at Aintree on his final start of last season and recording two wins this winter, being particularly impressive on his latest start at Ascot when trouncing Celestial Halo (again), defending champion Katchit and Crack Away Jack. They only cloud on the horizon (or should that be clouds?) as far as I’m concerned is the forecast for heavy rain on Monday night, which might blunt some of Binocular‘s famed acceleration. But he is undoubtedly the one to beat and my advice would be if you don’t want to back him at relatively restrictive odds, just enjoy the race as a spectacle. Cousin Vinny will be another short-priced favourite in the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but this could be a market leader worth opposing. The subject of a real gamble in the last few weeks, last year’s Festival Bumper is now on the drift following reports that he hasn’t travelled well over from Ireland. Put that alongside the relative inexperience of his big-race pilot and the fact that he’ll have to step up significantly on what he’s achieved so far over timber to win this and you can figure out why a general 3-1 makes little appeal. Instead, how about a little interest in stablemate Kempes? A very smart performer on the flat, he is improving fast over hurdles and goes on any ground – Coral‘s 12-1 is just too big for an unexposed Willie Mullins‘ novice. I mentioned overnight rain earlier and a deluge would certainly enhance the prospects of Nenuphar Collonges in the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase. Currently priced up at a general 20-1, layers seem to have ignored how well the eight-year-old has run in defeat in a couple of high-class staying handicaps since scoring under a big weight on his reappearance at Bangor. A winner over hurdles at last year’s Festival. Alan King‘s charge has stamina in abundance and, along with Jonjo O’Neill‘s potentially well-handicapped novice Wichita Lineman (7-1 with Sportingbet and Paddy Power) is arguably the pick of the weights in this. No round up of day one would be complete without mentioning the Arkle Challenge Trophy and, as we gave a good word for Calgary Bay (now a widely-availabe 6-1) last week, let me also pass on a whisper for Thomas Cooper‘s Forpadydeplasterer. Chasing was always going to be his game and, though narrrowly beaten on his last three starts, his sound jumping will be a big plus in what is sure to be a strongly-run race, as his ability to stay further. At a general 10-1, he looks a solid each-way investment.