Alex Hammond: Best bets and preview for Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock
Sky Sports News' Alex Hammond previews the upcoming action in her latest blog with Clan Des Obeaux fancied to upset the star names in the Betfair Chase.
Ruby Walsh is keeping faith in Faugheen despite his Morgiana defeat are you?
If he’s good enough for Ruby, he’s good enough for me. It was obviously disappointing to see the champion beaten on his reappearance given the obvious lack of a serious looking rival, but horses aren’t machines (despite his moniker) and it was his first run since April. At 10, rising 11, he isn’t going to be getting any faster and it’s worth bearing in mind that his final win of last season came over three miles. I know he won the Morgiana last season, but he was rated 17lb higher than anything else and was able to dictate the race from the front. I’m sure you’ll say he was 12lb higher than anything in opposition on Sunday, but he was taken on up front and the race wasn’t run to suit. I would like to see him step back up to two-and-a-half or three miles and whilst I don’t think he’s a serious Champion Hurdle contender nowadays, there should still be some very nice races to be won with him. He’s 10/1 with Sky Bet to win the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Saturday's Betfair Chase looks a cracker. Where's your money going?
This race sometimes turns into a slog on testing ground, but it doesn’t appear that it will be like that this weekend, with the mid-week going described as good to soft, good in places and no significant rain forecast. So conditions should be perfectly fair for the classy line up we expect to see in the three mile Grade 1. Last year’s winner Bristol De Mai is back for more, but twelve months ago he had the benefit of a run under his belt coming into the race, which he hasn’t had this time round. It’s easy to forget that he’s still only seven-years-old though and shouldn’t have reached his peak yet. It’s the clash of the first two home in the Gold Cup that gets the pulse racing. Can Native River beat Might Bite again in another epic tussle? Given the slightly shorter trip and better ground I fear he may struggle to replicate the result, with Nicky Henderson’s King George winner hot favourite to get the better of his Cheltenham conqueror. Might Bite is Sky Bet’s even money favourite Native River 11/4 with Bristol De Mai 11/2. The horse that is tempting me at the prices is the Paul Nicholls trained Clan Des Obeaux at 9/1 and he could offer a bit of each-way value. He's held in high regard by his trainer, who needs another top class chaser to fill the considerable void left by the likes of Silviniaco Conti, Denman and Kauto Star. He has had to go straight to Haydock for his seasonal debut as he hasn’t had his favoured conditions until now and it’s slightly questionable if he’ll get his perfect ground on Saturday as Nicholls has said he prefers some cut. Let’s hope it has enough ease in it though as he looks capable of improving on last season’s form, where he signed off his campaign with a third to Might Bite and Bristol De Mai at Aintree after an interrupted owing to a splint problem over Christmas. Let’s not forget another of the 9/1 shots either. Thistlecrack has something to prove on his first outing since the King George last term, but it will be interesting to see how he is after such a long layoff.
What about the Coral Ascot Hurdle. Can any of the home team shake up Laurina?
It looks difficult, but unless you fancy backing her at 8/11 then you are a bit scuppered. She’s already 5/1 with Sky Bet to win the Champion Hurdle and I expect Willie Mullins will be gutted if another of his star names gets beaten. So, let’s look for some each-way value and I think it could lie with last year’s versatile winner Lil Rockerfeller. He’s a 12/1 shot to repeat his performance of 12 months ago and he will have to revert from chasing having won his first two starts over the larger obstacles, but he’s such a superstar that you wouldn’t put it past him running a blinder and finishing in the places, IF he lines up. It’s worth bearing in mind he is also entered over fences over the weekend, so keep your eyes peeled. In all honesty, Laurina should be hard to beat.
Anything else catch your eye this weekend?
Well there’s plenty to get stuck into and given the recent form of Gary Moore’s stable, it might be worth siding with Benatar in the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot. He’s 7/1 with Sky Bet to give the likes of Politologue and Min a run for their money. You can cut him some slack for his over enthusiastic performance a month ago at Newton Abbot as he tanked round there, blowing any chance and in this better race he will hopefully get a stronger pace and will be less fresh now he has got a run under his belt. He ran well to be third in the JLT Novices’ Chase on his final run last season, which was his first defeat over fences, so perhaps we will see him back to his best on Saturday as he’s only six-years-old and should have plenty to offer.
Theinval might be one to keep on the right side of in Ascot’s Gerard Bertrand Hurst Park Handicap Chase. Nicky Henderson’s runner is 7/1 with Sky Bet to win this 2m1f event and should give us a run for our money. This is his first run since signing off last season with a win at Ayr and providing the ground isn’t too soft at Ascot should run a big race. He a pretty consistent performer, but prefers better ground.
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