kauto star

There is a real horse racing betting treat happening with online bookmaker Totesport on Boxing Day. There is the King George meeting at Kempton of course which is going to attract all of the highlights of the real. Their Scoop6 Totepool offer with a guaranteed prize of £250,000 for Boxing Day is well worth taking a look at for your Boxing Day horse racing betting. This week’s Scoop6 legs come from both Kempton and Wetherby as well on December 26th. The Kempton legs of the Scoop6 are at 1.25pm, 2.00pm, 2.35pm and 3.10, and then the Wetherby legs are the 1.45pm and the 2.20pm. The Scoop6 means that you need to pick all six winners from those Totepool leg in order to claim the grand prize. All of the races are live on Channel 4 of course, so you can watch the action and hope for the bet.

The Totepool is a great form of horse racing betting, which means that all money staked on a race goes into the Pool, from which the funds are then split between the winners. For the Totesport Scoop6 horse racing betting, there are three funds which will be paid out. The Winners Fund, which will need all six winners to come up, the Place Fund in which you will paid out if all six of your horses place, and the Bonus Fund pays out a winner in the selected bonus race from Totesport. There is a minimum bet of £2 for a Totescoop6 bet. The average win fund of the Totescoop6 is just over £180,000 and it has been won thirteen times. The biggest ever Win Fund amount was over £650,000 back at the end of last year.

For the Boxing Day Scoop6 Totepool, Totesport are guaranteeing a £250,000 Win and Bonus fund. The Christmas treat for the Scoop6 means that the guaranteed Win Fund will stand at £150,000, and winners there will be eligible to enter the £100,000 Bonus Fund the following Saturday. So with this great Horse Racing system from Totesport, you can be in for a big share of some earnings. Of course, the amount of payout will be determined by how many other winners there are in the particular fund. But, for the Boxing Day Scoop6, if you do land all six winners then you will at least be guaranteed a share of £150,000 with a shot at another share of £100,000 next Saturday.

The King George VI Chase goes at 3.10pm at Kempton on Boxing Day, with the renewal of the Long Run and Kauto Star rivalry, with quality added to the field with Master Minded and Captain Chris. Long Run is edging the betting at the moment priced at 5/4, with Kauto Star who recently beat Long Run, is back at 7/2. This is the feature race of Boxing Day and it does fall under the Scoop6 and the guaranteed prize fund from Totesport on December 26th.

The highly popular online bookmaker Totesport, who are respected for their horse racing betting coverage, offer a free £10 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first bet on a new account, up to the maximum value of £10, with a free bet.

The final day of the Cheltenham Festival 2011 is arguably the most exciting, especially as it features the Gold Cup, a race which has the highest prize money and features the best three-mile chasers in the world.

Cheltenham Gold Cup Latest Odds 2011

There are likely to be five horses which go off at single figure odds thanks to a gamble on Kempes which started several months ago and now sees the Willie Mullins horse trading at a best price 11/1 with Paddy Power but as short as 9/1 with Ladbrokes.

There was nothing fluky about the horse’s win in the Hennessy Gold Cup, landing a surprise result at 25/1 and he might yet take advantage of what could be a weak renewal.

Even so, many people backed Imperial Commander last year on the basis of Nigel Twiston-Davies’ confident quotes and the trainer believes that his horse will once again take all the beating, with Ladbrokes offering a best price 4/1 that the champion wins the race for the second time.

Paddy Power have an excellent offer available on the race where they will refund your bets if your horse finishes second to Imperial Commander and that could appeal to backers of Long Run (5/1), with the young horse having comfortably got the better of Kauto Star in the King George Chase.

Nicky Henderson has not had a great Festival and it’s mainly down to the withdrawal of the highly-fancied Binocular in the Champion Hurdle, although the six-year-old looked the part when winning at Kempton and could go close in this race.

Paul Nicholls has two very lively chances in the guise of Kauto Star and Denman, the duo who were supposed to battle it out for last year’s Gold Cup before the Commander took centre stage.

Kauto Star apparently scoped badly after his defeat in the King George and the 11-year-old is 15/2 with William Hill to claim a third crown thus emulating the recent achievement of Best Mate, while Denman is a 13/2 chance with bet365 and could present a sterner challenge.

Denman broke on to the scene in 2008 and hammered his stable mate into the ground, although a series of injuries and breathing problems means that the horse has struggled to regain its best form.

Pandorama is a 12/1 chance to win the race with Ladbrokes and the horse has the class to win a Cheltenham Gold Cup although it appears that the ground is going to count against him. Meanwhile, Midnight Chase has been backed in the past 48 hours and Coral now offer a best price 16/1.

Who will win the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2011? That is the question on everyone’s lips as the highlight of the National Hunt calendar is upon us. The Cheltenham Festival gets under way on Tuesday, with the big race, the Cheltenham Gold cup, hitting the start tape on Friday. The big race of the meeting is the Gold Cup, and the build up for that has been going on pretty much since the finishing of the last race twelve months ago, which was won by Imperial Commander. The Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase, and horses five years and older are eligible for entry. The distance goes over 3 miles and two and a half furlong, with twenty two obstacles in the way. This is the most valuable, non handicap chase in Britain. Now it is time for Punter and Bookmaker to square off again, at the prestigious meeting as tensions rise again for the big meeting. The line up in the race is just incredible, with all winners from the last four runnings of the race taking the tape. Imperial Commander sets out to defend the crown, while two time winner Kauto Star looks to secure a hat trick of wins, while 2008 winner Denman is also in the mix. But while the established guard will all draw the majority of the betting, punters are not being too shy in not looking beyond some outsiders. So who will win the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2011?

Long Run (11/2 at Victor Chandler), one of the most highly touted youngsters in the National Hunt, is ready to take stage as well, and is drawing a lot of interest. He is the young pretender in the pack, and after winning the King George in astonishing fashion, taking the crown ahead of Kauto Star (who came in third), and it was something which firmly put his name amongst the potential winners here. However, the one hesitation of the rookie, is that in two previous runnings at Cheltenham, he has looked less than confident, and maybe the course does not suit him. Long Run finished third in both of those previous race meetings, and the biggest questions was over the jumping technique on the famous course. There was just not the same conviction over the jumps which he had shown in previous times. Long Run wasn’t out of things completely, but it just showed exactly what a raw talent he is, and are things that time and experience will probably iron out. Long Run has the edge over Kauto Star in the betting at the moment, and that will be on the strength of his King George triumph.

Defending champion Imperial Commander (7/2 at SportingBet) has just such a good track record at Cheltenham, winning five out of six runnings over the jumps there. He hasn’t ran since November, and while that will be a concern for punters, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is carrying good form at the moment, and Imperial Commander looks to be full of running. While a lot of the headlines will gravitate towards Kauto Star and Denman, it is Imperial Commander who looks the most assured of the three main challengers to be honest. The last ten winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup have been in the top three of the betting, so the likelihood is that gives a strong leaning towards Imperial Commander, who is favourite at the bookmakers at the moment. The front runners in the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting at the moment, is Imperial Commander, Long Run and Kauto Star. So the youngster has the potential to make a big impact, but must get over his Cheltenham jitters.

Kauto Star (13/2 at Extrabet), two times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, took a tumble last year, and hasn’t has a season which has seen him on top of his game. Couldn’t match what Long Run had to offer at the King George. Does that mean he should be counted out of your betting? Of course not. His record at Kempton (where the King George is ran) simply wasn’t great to start with, and there were concerns over his health there. But Trainer Paul Nicholls insists that Kauto Star is as good as ever, even though age may now be working against the 11 year old. Sixteen of the last seventeen Gold Winners have been aged between seven and nine, perhaps casting doubt on Kauto Star’s chances. But then, along with Imperial Commander and Denman, all three will be over nine, something to be considered as you ask yourself who will win the Cheltenham Gold Cup? Kauto Star is still coming in shorter and shorter all the time in the odds, and will always stay at good value none the less. Cheltenham is more of a stamina test than the King George, so we could yet still see Kauto Star land his third Gold Cup crown, and there probably could not be more of a popular winner. There could be a major deciding factor for Kauto Star, and that could be the presence of Ruby Walsh in the saddle, something which trainer Nicholls insists will make a big difference. AP McCoy was in the seat for the third place finish behind Long Run at the King George, and the feeling is that Walsh and Kauto Star are a better, more familiar team.

What of Denman (7/1 at Paddy Power), Kauto Star’s stable mate? Ran brilliantly in the Hennessey, giving away two stones in weight to Diamond Harry, but Denman is also looking fitter after being treated for health issues as well. If he is fully fit, then he has to be near the front of the pack, and just like Kauto Star, should be worth taking at a good price. We could genuinely see a resurgent Denman at Cheltenham this week. Probably more of a sound each way bet in terms of value than Kauto Star realistically, but you never know with him. So who will win the Cheltenham Gold Cup? Well, the bookies are predicting something unexpected. The stats weigh heavily against any of the three established brigade, Imperial Commander, Denman and Kauto Star picking up a victory (such as the stat that no runner over the age of 10 years old has won since 1969), and while those three will take the bulk of the betting, it could be a good day for the bookies on Friday. Long Run, who may be considered as an upset if he were to win by some, also doesn’t have a convincing record at Cheltenham to firmly put him at the front of the betting. The course could also be a bit quicker than normal because of the dry weather, and the Course usually runs at good to soft, so the pace may be picked up, working against the older runners.

So where to look for an outsider? Maybe Pandorama (14/1at Bet365), but he could be hampered if the track is running a big faster than normal, but does have the class to compete. Tidal Bay (20/1 at SkyBet) has a good running record at Cheltenham, and is good value in the betting at the moment, for a very strong finishers. If the course is running a bit faster than normal, than it could bring What a Friend (50/1 at Stan James) into play, who, like Pandorama has the class and with the going in his favour, could also make an impact. So will we see an established name hit the line first, or will we see, as bookies are predicting, a winner come from nowhere? It is time to decide who will win the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2011 for your horse racing betting, and while the field looks narrow, there is plenty of great value around at the moment to get your wagers down early.

Kauto Star Odds for the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2011 are realistically showing that questions over the great champions age are a concern. Kauto Star is a two times winner of the prestigious race at Cheltenham, but took a tumble last year while chasing home. He is back to try and make it a hat trick of honours, going for gold again. Owner Clive Smith is insistent that Kauto Star is as good as ever, perhaps even in his prime, although age would suggest otherwise. But the stables are laughing off reports that Kauto Star is too old to make an impact, and are saying that his chances are actually better than ever because Ruby Walsh is back in the saddle. Starting the race as an eleven year old, doesn’t point to great success for Kauto Star though, as 16 of the last 17 winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup have been aged between 7 and 9. The Gold Cup is an enduring race, with a lot of stamina needed, and that is generally what works against the older horses. Best Odds on Kauto Star have him coming in at third favourite for the race 11/2 at Bet365 at the moment, just outside the price of second favourite, Long Run. While Kauto Star definitely has a winning pedigree in the Gold Cup, and plenty of experience, Long Run, the challenging six year old youngster, has the edge of youth on his side, and that is something which Kauto Star and Ruby Walsh will have to find a way to deal with. Not only that, there will be the experience of Denman and Imperial Commander to shut down as well. He will also have to overcome history, as the last 11 year old winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup was Mandarin back in 1962.

Long Run destroyed Kauto Star at the King George at Kempton in January, but it was discovered that the horse had suffered a cut, so the stables dismissed the performance as forgettable. A P McCoy was deputising in the saddle then, but now Walsh is back to take the ride after injury. Clive Smith is assuring fans that Kauto Star is ready, is running well, and has not suffered from the King George run. The quality that Kauto Star has shown over the years is remarkable, winning six of his last nine starts, one of the upsets there was when he feel in last year’s Gold Cup. But there is still a lot of talk that Kauto Star is still the horse to beat when the runners take to the tape at 3.20pm on Friday, March 18th. Those best odds on Kauto Star pretty much sum up his chances perfectly. No, he is not going to be as quick as he has been throughout his career, but he still can take a huge vote of confidence from punters. For once some pressure will be off Kauto Star, after a mixed season where he hasn’t looked his dominant best, and that could mean both jockey and ride are relaxed. Coming in at 11/2 with Bet365 at the moment, is reads that he should well be challenging, but there is still some hesitation about whether the great horse is past his best or not. That remains to be seen, but with the other front runners for the Gold Cup, defending champion Imperial Commander, and Kauto Star’s stable mate Denman both getting on in age as well, the playing field could be levelled. On an even keel, would you be confident enough to go against one of the greatest chasers in recent history? Kauto Star odds for the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2011 really are still worth taking, as they represent good value.

Maybe Kauto Star is a greater doubt than he has ever been, but the stables are sure that he is fired and primed for his big race. He has Walsh on his back, who holds the record for wins at the Cheltenham Festival, and together, the team could pull it off again. It will be the fourth time that Kauto Star has gone up against Denman at the Gold Cup and expect the fireworks to fly again. Best Odds on Kauto Star show that the bookmakers are expecting one last hurrah from the legend in his fifth Gold Cup.

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We’re only a few weeks away from the Cheltenham Festival and there were some significant price movements that took place on Saturday, with Binocular winning the Christmas Hurdle and Kauto Star failing to win a fifth consecutive King George VI Chase.

Champion Hurdle 2011

The market is hotting up and Binocular is now the horse they must all beat according to the bookmakers. William Hill offer 7/2 that the Jonjo O’Neill trained horse is victorious once again in the Champion Hurdle and it was comfortable victory at Kempton Park that sent the layers running for cover.

However, Hurricane Fly looks as though he will finally get a chance to line up for this race, having missed out on the past two occasions. Bet365 offer 9/2 that the second favourite lands the spoils, while Menorah is available with 5/1 with bet365.

It’s not yet certain whether Cue Card will run in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (for which the horse is 5/2 with Paddy Power) or instead be given the chance to run in this race (20/1 bet365).

Gold Cup 2011

Kauto Star has been on the drift since finishing third in the King George Chase on Saturday. The 11-year-old simply ran out of steam in the final half mile and it now appears that the legendary horse’s best days are behind it.

Even so, there might be some sentimental backers of the 12/1 currently available with William Hill, although a horse that’s gone the other way in the betting is Long Run. The winner of the race at Kempton Park has now proved that he can last over three miles and is the second favourite at 7/1 (William Hill).

Imperial Commander remains favourite to repeat his 2010 heroics and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained horse is on course to line up for the race despite injury hampering the early part of the season. The race favourite could be an each-way bet to nothing.

Denman has become something of a forgotten horse, although Hills go 8/1 about The Tank and the Paul Nicholls charge might represent the stable’s best chance in this race.

Diamond Harry is a lively contender at 10/1 (bet365) and Pandorama is available at 16/1 (Skybet).

Queen Mother Champion Chase 2011

Master Minded may have failed to complete a hat-trick of victories in this race last year, although it remains the horse to beat according to the layers, who offer a best price 7/4 (William Hill) that the Paul Nicholls-trained horse wins Wednesday’s showcase race.

Big Zeb was the 2010 winner and has been respected by the bookies with a 7/2 quote (Skybet) and the neutrals would love to see these two horses going toe-to-toe as they approach the last fence.

Sizing Europe looks set to be switched to this race after failing to line up for the King George Chase and last year’s Arkle winner is 10/1 with bet365 to win.

It will be here before we know it, and already the fires are being stoked ahead of the 2011 running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 18th. It is hard to ignore some of the stories going around for the big race at the moment, from the forgotten legend of Denman, to the threat of Pandorama coming to take down all of the champions. For all intents are purposes, there will be two horses in the race, and that is Imperial Commander and Kauto Star. These are the two stars of the National Hunt, who had traded blows over the past four years. Kauto Star is gunning for his third Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Imperial Commander will be keen to show the dominance he showed last year in crossing the line first. While Kauto Star was heavily backed last year to complete the Gold Cup hat trick, his uncharacteristic fall at fence 19, meant that the 8/11 favourite had to hand over his crown. Imperial Commander, ridden by Paddy Brennan, wasted no time for local trainer Nigel Twiston Davies and romped home a 7/1 winner ahead of Denman. Imperial Commander also landed the Betfair chase to his 2010 honours, as is showing as favourite in the Antepost betting for the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Shopping around, sees the best price of 9/2 at William Hill on the defending champion at the moment. But it will be interesting now to see how fit and ready Kauto Star is again, after falling on his neck at the last running of the race. Kauto Star was all set up to run the King George VI Chase just after Christmas, but the race was postponed until January 15th, 2011 because of the bad weather.

Avid punters will see Kauto Star go for a record fifth win at the prestigious race at Kempton. Interestingly, the big Kempton race could now be won twice in the same year by the same horse, and Coral are giving out odds of 5/1 for Kauto Star to win the Kempton feature in January and in December this year. We could have had an idea now of how well Kauto Star is primed for the Gold Cup, but we’ll just have to wait a little bit longer. Still, with his great record in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the richest non-handicap chase in Britain. It ran over 3 miles and 2 and a half furlongs, over the famous old course. It is open to horses which are five years or older only, being a Grade 1 National Hunt chase. It is one, if not the biggest spectacle in the horse racing calendar, and the show stopper for the Cheltenham Festival itself. But former Champion Denman seems to be the forgotten horse of the pack, even though the 10 year old is looking extremely fit and ready to go. His defeat at the Hennessy Gold Cup won’t have done him any favours in the betting, where he is now currently out at around 8/1 with Bet365 for Cheltenham. Age is really against Denman now, so it seems, and the record books show that no horse over 10 has won the Gold Cup since 1969. He may just be running of fuels of past dreams than realistic chances of staying with the two front runners.

But there appears as if there may just be two strong challengers for the front this year, which could make for a tremendous race. Diamond Harry, who beat Denman for the Hennessy Gold Cup, looks ready to take to the field for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was pulled from the Lexus Chase due to weather, and the owners were happy enough to take the time to get his ready and setup instead for the Gold Cup. Diamond Harry showed well during 2010, and in the Hennessy victory, he saw off not only Denman, but Burton Port, Carruthers and Pandorama, all who have hopes for this year’s race. The eight year old has only been chasing for a year now, but he really could be a massive threat, as long as there is none of his old fussiness around. Being priced at 14/1 with Stan James are the moment, Diamond Harry is well worth an early price, and he will probably shorten substantially. Pandorama makes for the other interesting entrant, and is back at 16/1 at Boylesports in the Gold Cup Antepost betting. Pandorama put in some strong strides to win the Lexus chase (Diamond Harry wasn’t there) from a strong field. This is the big wildcard, the outsider which is being touted around as a potential dark horse for the Gold Cup. After the Lexus Chase win, the odds on Pandorama were cut for the Gold Cup. There may be just too much to do against such a higher quality of opposition at Prestbury Park, but is showing in the odds and worth tracking.

The King George VI Chase is the highlight showpiece of the Boxing Day horse racing festivities. This is just part of the great Winter Festival at Kempton, featuring a host of Grade I races. This is about now half way through the season for the jumps, and the prestige surrounding this classic chase, can only really be surpassed by the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The King George VI Chase sees the runners go over a right handed 3m course and some famous names have landed the title more than once of the years, with Kicking King, See More Business and Desert Orchid some of the most famous names on the list. Current champion Kauto Star goes for his fifth King George, after Ruby Walsh rode him home first last year. That was the fourth consecutive victory for Kauto Star, in a race which has always been epitomised by the sight of the famous grey, Desert Orchid romping home. 2010 sees the 60th running of the Chase, with the William Hill Winter Festival being one of the most attended meetings of the year.

The Kempton track, in particular the King George VI Chase plays up to speed. There really is no biding your time in the King George VI Chase, there is the necessity to cruise round at high speed as well as having immaculate timing over the jumps. Trainer Paul Nicholls has the chance to record an unique five in a row with Kauto Star, surpassing all of the greats which have gone before. Kauto Star, a two times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup will naturally start as favourite, and with Imperial Commander out of the picture for the feature race, gelding Kauto Star will naturally take heavy backing in the run up to the start. You should be able to still pick up a decent shout of Evens on him at the moment, with some Antepost betting at your online bookmaker. Looking over the card (which will be no more than 14 runners), he is the outright class act in the field, and will be hard to touch due to his rankings. Are there any worthwhile prices to consider betting against the great champion? Of course there is. In horse racing betting, just as with any other sport, you just never know. Falls happen, form dips when unexpected and strange things happen.

Here is a guide to your King George VI Chase Antepost Betting

Kauto Star – Evens at Bet365

Simply outstanding, there is no other word for him. Just a quick glance over his form will tell you where to put your money. Five wins out of his last six runs, two of them at Kempton, two of them at Cheltenham, and we know what races those were in. The horse can make himself a bit of history, as Kauto Star would surpass Desert Orchid’s four wins in the race. Always looks superlative and he will be the one to beat in the race. Had a good warm up at the beginning of December, finishing four lengths clear of Sizing Europe, one of the rivals for the King George VI Chase. Kauto Star simply has the jumping power, the stamina and most of all the speed, and is so well built for this race it will be hard to take him down. This is something of a unique style of race and you need the entire package to pull it off. Time and time again the partnership of Ruby Walsh and Kauto Star have proven to be just far too good, but there is a twist in the tale for this year. Walsh will not be in the saddle, as he is still nursing a broken leg. Instead the deputising jockey of Noel Fehily will be there. Still, you have to think that it will take some kind of luck for one of the other to prevent him from winning the King George VI Chase for the fifth time.

Long Run – 11/2 at Stan James

Is being touted as the one who can finally end Kauto Stair’s run, however this is youngster compared to the experience of Kauto Star, and that could be the one thing which pushes him back. If you are talking about raw talent, then Long Run has it, and has been showing remarkably well during only his second season of steeplechase. Long Run showed well at Kempton last year in the Grade 1 Feltham Chase (which is the undercard for the King George VI Chase), finishing a massive thirteen lengths clear of his nearest rival. The only question remains is whether the time is right for the pretender to surpass the king. He may just be a year or two away from being able to take Kauto Star on toe-to-toe, but while the followers of Kauto Star see still that old magic in the ten year old, the five year old Long Run is breathing down his neck. Ran in third in a Grade 3 at Cheltenham in mid November, four lengths back of the winner. If Kauto Star slips, then Long Run could be in the spotlight. In a field without Kauto Star in it, you would be leaning towards Long Run. This will be a serious test of how far he has come along though, because his finishing time over the track last year, was well back of that posted by Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase. Can he push on for that extra stride of pace and not disrupt his jumping rhythm? Incidentally, no five year old has ever won the race either.

Forpadydeplasterer – 11/1 at Stan James

He comes the Irish challenger for the race, who has to break the ignominy of finishing second, which he has done in his last six outings. The eight year old has been the bridesmaid over the past couple of years, but hasn’t quite come through with the big proposal to take the tape. Another thing which could just push him back in the final outcome, will be an issue of stamina, having never gone over this length of course before. Having to do that for the first time and keep up with the speed of Kauto Star, is a big ask. Eight of the last ten King George VI Chase winners had all won over the distance before. A quick sizing up of the odds really sums up the chances of the rest of the runners in this field. No, there is no Imperial Commander, but the early indications is that this is still going to be a two horse race, with Kauto Star ultimately shining through. Forpadydeplasterer, there is potential, but potential alone isn’t enough to win the King George VI Chase.

Riverside Theatre: 12/1 at SkyBet

Trainer Nicky Henderson looks the best bet to usurp Kauto Star in this race. Henderson has three runners in the race, with Riverside Theatre, Long Run and Burton Port. Long Run looks to have the  best chance of them all though. Henderson has 53 winners from 182 runners at Kempton, and when you weigh up that strike rate really, it isn’t bad at all. But Riverside Theatre, who did win at Kempton on November 1st with Barry Geraghty in the saddle, is a good talent, and looks as if Kempton suits him. That’s four wins from four runs at Kempton now. All of Henderson’s entrants here are in the second season of Chase, and with none of them really having shone in the race before, it is tough to see them closing the gap. A steady performer, but you have to look at Henderson’s Long Run as being the one with the most potential to push Kauto Star.

Sizing Europe: 14/1 at Victor Chandler

The other Irish entrant, who has been beaten in the races he has gone in when stepping out of novice company. However, looks as if he is well suited to the race, but need to break out of the tough second year Chaser company to win his first race. Again, should be one of the chasing pack, but ultimately and also-ran. Well beaten by Kauto Star already this season.

Nacarat: 14/1 at Paddy Power

History is working against the odds of Nacarat running home first. Each of the last ten winners of the King George VI Chase have all had a Grade 1 victory under their belt, something which Nacart does not have. Finished a couple of lengths behind Planet of Sound at Haydock in December, and is just one of the chasing pack which really is not expected to show that well near the front.

Planet of Sound: 16/1 at Bet365

Out there in the odds, but may just be worth looking at for reaching each way. His one big moment came in beating War of Attrition at Punchestown in April at the Punchestown Gold Cup, and came in almost ten lengths back of Imperial Commander at Haydock at the end of November. That is something to judge him by, because if Imperial Commander was in this race and challenging Kauto Star, instead of being held back for the defence of his Cheltenham Gold Cup, Planet of Sound wouldn’t get near the front two. Has experience, but not of the real quality to take this race by the scruff of the neck. Could get in the mix with a good run, and may just be worth a second look on the day.

Albertas Run: 20/1 at BetFred

A great outsider tip. Well worth a little each way flutter. Has had a pretty good year, and the nine year old has good experience in the race. Albertas Run finished second to Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase two years ago, but really showed his worth at the beginning of the year, winning Grade I races at Cheltenham and Aintree. The victory at Aintree saw him finish around three lengths clear of Forpadydeplasterer. Ridden by Sports Personality of the Year A. P. McCoy, you know he will be ridden well, and the only thing which is perhaps keeping him out in the odds, is his fall last time out on November 20th. If he gets up from that and runs to his full potential, he could be in the mix for a top three finish. At this price, not one to really refuse looking at.

Other Runners

Burton Port: 20/1 at SkyBet
What A Friend: 33/1 at Totesport
The Nightingale: 40/1 at Bet365
Madison Du Berlais: 40/1 at SkyBet
Noland: 66/1 at SportingBet
Ollie Magern: 200/1 at Bet365

Pin badges, tea-towels, car stickers or t-shirts. Take your pick of the merchandise and choose your corner for the big fight between Kauto Star and Denman! To my mind, the Cheltenham Festival is just too big to narrow it down to one race between two stablemates but the Gold Cup bandwagon has been on the roll for a while now and evryone seems to have an opinion about who will come out on top. For me, that has to be Kauto Star (7-10 with sportingbet). He trounced Denman (a general 4-1) here last year and has won both races since, edging out Imperial Commander (9-1 with Paddy Power and William Hill) when not fully wound up on his reapperarance this season at Haydock before routing the opposition in a fourth King George at Kempton in December. What would worry me about Denman is that he’s failed to complete in two of his last three starts and may be lacking a little confidence whereas Kauto Star appears to have improved in that department as he’s matured. The Gold Cup, of course, is just one of several championship races this week. Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle is a fascinating contest – what will current favourite Go Native (4-1 with sportingbet) find when pressed, for example, and how fit is the other great Irish hope Solwhit (13-2 with the same firm)? I wouldn’t desert Punjabi (8-1 with Coral), who will relish the quicker ground and showed his class when winning this 12 months ago. The Queen Mother Champion Chase will determine whether Master Minded (10-11 with totesport) retains his title as Europe’s top two-mile chaser. Paul Nicholls‘ seven-year-old probably has the lightly-raced Kalahari King (a general 5-1) and last year’s Arkle winner Forpadydeplasterer (a general 9-1) to beat, though the Ditcheat handler is also expecting a big run from Master Minded‘s stable companion Twist Magic (widely available at 7-1). The Irish hold a strong hand in the Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase with Captain Cee Bee (a general 11-4), winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in 2008, a leading fancy. He would have gone very close to beating Sizing Europe (5-1 in most places) at Leopardstown on Boxing Day had he not fallen at the last and has won since. Somersby (4-1 with most layers), unbeaten over fences so far, looks the pick of the home defence in this. Big Bucks is hard to oppose again the World Hurdle (a general 8-13) but what’s my value banker of the meeting? For that, I’m waiting for Friday and the Triumph Hurdle. Alaivan may have been well beaten by Carlito Brigante (5-1 in most places) at Leopardstown in December but he pulled much too hard that day. He was really impressive when ridden with more restraint at Fairyhouse last month and, Group standard on the Flat, can outclass his rivals in the final-day opener. Edward O’Grady‘s charge can be backed at a general 4-1.

Many of us won’t need reminding that the highlight of the National Hunt season is taking place in March, with Cheltenham providing us with four days of high quality horse racing that represent one of the busiest periods of the UK betting calendar.

Starting on Tuesday 16th March and finishing on Friday 19th March, this four-day period will see the bookmakers really go to town with their free bet offerings. With so many people wanting to bet on the Cheltenham Festival these days, you will see many bookies increase their new customer bonus, while existing customers can also expect to see a few emails in their inbox which offer them a free matched bet.

It doesn’t matter if you’re not the world’s biggest horse racing enthusiast as the bookmakers don’t always specifically require you to place qualifying or free bets on a particular market. Therefore, if you’re predominantly someone who bets on soccer, tennis or cricket, then you can often simply take advantage of the firms wanting to appeal to the many potential customers who will be betting on some or all of the twenty-six races that are being run at Cheltenham.

It’s particularly worth keeping your eyes peeled for what William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral are prepared to offer new and existing customers. The ‘Big Three’ in terms of UK high street presence aren’t renowned for being overly generous with their free bet offering, although horse racing is a hugely important sport for these firms and we might expect to see them double their current £25 free bet offers or even quadruple them. Therefore, this might be the perfect time to open an account with these bookmakers if you haven’t already done so.

As far as betting on the Cheltenham Festival is concerned, the races are very competitive and it’s hard work to make a profit. If you are looking to place some horse racing wagers and increase your balance, you need to be disciplined and only pick a handful of races in which to place a bet. There are many ‘bankers’ that get tipped ahead of the Festival, although previous years have shown us that very few of these good things actually finish first in their race!

The highlight event of the week is the Gold Cup, which takes place on Friday 19th March. There’s the exciting prospect of Kauto Star and Denman going head-to-head once again, with Paddy Power offering a best price 11/8 that the former wins this race for the third time, although it was Denman who won the event in 2008. Ladbrokes offer 9/4 that no other runner lives with the high cruising speed of the Paul Nicholls horse.

Dunguib runs in the first race of the Festival and will be heavily backed to get the punters off to a flyer. Paddy Power and Coral both offer 5/6 that there plenty of hats thrown into the air as the horse passes the post in first place, and this appears to be one of the few occasions where an odds-on favourite merits the price.

Just like seeing the Turkey on the table for Christmas Dinner, Boxing Day brings its own great feast of sporting action. Undoubtedly the biggest horse race of the day is at Kempton, where it is time once again for the prestigious William Hill King George VI Chase. This race is open to horses (obviously!) which are 4 years and above. It is an arduous chase over 3 miles around Kempton, and being a National Hunt, there are a few fences thrown in to make it more interesting. How many fences? There will be eighteen hurdles which the combination of jockey and steed need to overcome.

Second only in prestige to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the William Hill King George IV Chase is the one everybody wants. Desert Orchid is one of the major names that will crop up when looking at the history of the King George IV Chase as the great grey was crowned champion four times. Now the latest and greatest horse is the mighty Kauto Star who is chasing a fourth consecutive King George VI Chase title. The two times Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner and triple Betfair Chase winner will start as favourite in the field of thirteen, which gets underway at 3.05 pm.

So who can chase down and stop Kauto Star, who will be ridden by Ruby Walsh again on Saturday? Madison Du Berlais may be one of the best outside chances, but there is some thought which that the David Pipe horse has been punching above its weight, especially when winning the Hennessey Cognac Gold Cup last year. He has put in some decent performances through the year, beating the more famous Denman at Kempton, and Exotic Dancer at Aintree, but his form fell away recently in a showing at Haydock. Still, this could be a very good each way bet to take.

The strongest showing to challenge Kauto Star though, and the showdown which most punters will be looking forward to on Boxing Day at the William Hill King, will be the effort put from by the awesomely named Imperial Commander. Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, Imperial Commander ran Kauto Star right to the wire (at a starting price of 9/1) when they came together at the Betfair Chase at Haydock, with the Kauto Star winning by just a nose. Paul Nicholl’s Kauto Star led from two out, being ridden hard though, was chased down by Imperial Star and only just about held on.

Kauto Star – 8/13 at Sporting Bet
Current Form: In 22 outings, Kauto Star has won 15 with a 68% win average. There have been 5 second places for those who fancy an each way.

Imperial Commander – 13/2 at Victor Chandler
Current Form: In 14 outings, Imperial Commander has won 6 times with a 42% win percentage. There has been two losses to Kauto Star along the way, but had every chance in the run in against his more illustrious combatant at Haydock.

Madison Du Berlais – 10/1 at William Hill
Current Form: There have been 9 wins in 28 outings, at a 32% win percentage. Tony Scudamore is the usual jockey, kept on well in the run in while beating Exotic Dancer in the last victory back in April.

Deep Purple – 14/1 at Bet365
Barbers Shop – 18/1 at Totesport
Nacarat – 18/1 at SportingBet
Albertas Run – 25/1 at Ladbrokes
Master Medik – 50/1 at Ladbrokes
Tartak – 50/1 at Paddy Power
Our Vic – 66/1 at SportingBet
Racing Demon – 100/1 at William Hill
Ollie Magern – 150/1 at Totesport
Sandymac – 1000/1 at SportingBet