Betdaq Handicap Chase Odds and Preview – Horse Racing Betting February 24

Mauresque can rediscover the Art of winning in the Betdaq Chase

Horse Racing Betting

The Grade 3 Betdaq Handicap Chase at Kempton is the big betting race this Saturday and is on a card that also features three Grade 2 races which should provide a few final pointers for next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

Betdaq Handicap Chase History and Trends

Betting exchange Betdaq are re-entering the world of horse racing sponsorship with a bang. They’ve been away from track sponsorship since 2016 but have their name on this long-established chase for the first time this year having taken over from bookmakers BetBright.
This race was first run in 1949 but it wasn’t until the Racing Post took over sponsorship in 1988 that prize money improved significantly. Run over 3m, the race features 18 fences at Kempton and has become an established Grand National Trial. Rhyme ‘N Reason, in 1988, and Rough Quest, in 1996, both won the Racing Post Chase before winning at Aintree. BetBright sponsored the race between 2014 and 2017 but now it’s up to Betdaq to raise its profile.

Two chasers have won the Betdaq Handicap Chase twice – Docklands Express and Nacarat – and Theatre Guide, third last year and successful in 2016, will carry top weight this year in an attempt to follow their lead.

This is generally a race in which those with decent recent form fare well and those officially rated 139 or higher have won 13 of the last 15 renewals. It also a race for younger chasers with only one of the last eight winners having been older than nine. However, Kempton is a flat, easy course so winning form over 3m isn’t necessary.

Despite the name, Acting Lass is a gelding and the general 7/2  favourite having won all three starts over fences. He’s never raced beyond 2m5f but, as explained above, that shouldn’t be a problem. Master Dee looks a solid each-way bet at 13/2 with Coral as he has yet to finish out of the places over fences in 11 starts, though hasn’t run since November.

ART MAURESQUE ticks plenty of boxes and could be the value bet at a general 14/1.

Paul Nicholls’ eight-year-old fell at the first on his only previous try over 3m but is back on the same mark as when winning at Chepstow last season. He couldn’t live with Waiting Patiently at Kempton last time but the winner is in the top bracket over fences nowadays and Harry Cobden’s mount jumped superbly. If he puts in a similar performance this weekend, many of his rivals will struggle to cope.

At a general 20/1, Label Des Obeaux also catches the eye and the consistent mare Theatre Territory also looks overpriced at 14/1.

Betdaq Handicap Chase Current Best Odds

Acting Lass 7/2, Master Dee 13/2, Tintern Theatre 8/1, Go Conquer 9/1, Art Mauresque, Theatre Territory and Ballykan 14/1, As De Mee, Josses Hill and Theatre Guide 16/1, Relentless Dreamer, Vibrato Valtat and Label Des Obeaux 20/1, Loose Chips and Monbeg Charmer 25/1