Cheltenham tips: Best value bets for ITV action on Saturday December 10
It's day two of the International meeting at Cheltenham and Matt Brocklebank has a fresh selection to accompany his antepost position in the big betting race of the weekend.
Value Bet tips: Saturday December 10
1pt win Sole Pretender in 1.50 Cheltenham at 14/1 (General)
Long-range fancy Simply The Betts remains top of the shortlist for Saturday's AIS December Gold Cup Handicap Chase despite stablemate Il Ridito now heading the market for Cheltenham.
Simply The Betts almost came good on his third start for Paul Nicholls over this course and distance in January, finding only the well-treated and thriving Vienna Court too good and pulling 10 lengths clear of the third. He’s only raced three times since then but now runs off a 4lb lower mark, having initially been nudged up 4lb to 157, and he’s consequently back on his last winning rating (149) which was achieved when completing a New Course double in the Plate at the 2020 Festival for previous trainer Harry Whittington.
Last month’s Paddy Power Gold Cup seventh was far from disgraceful and was a run that just looked to be needed, but above all he’s never been quite as effective on the sharper Old Course, with this track far more his thing.
On 2lb better terms, he’s fancied to reverse the form with Il Ridito, who has youth on his side but could be more effective over a less demanding course going forward.
One who looks a possible threat – and a very backable price to boot – is the Irish runner SOLE PRETENDER, very much a stable star for the relatively small training operation of Norman Lee.
This horse has broken blood vessels in the past, but he’s looked on good terms with himself in three novice runs during the autumn, two of which have come at this venue, and he’s open to considerable further improvement now stepped back up in distance.
The front-running eight-year-old won a handicap hurdle over two and a half miles at Ballinrobe a couple of years ago, before proving himself a genuine Graded horse by beating the rock-solid Darasso in last summer’s Grimes Hurdle (2m), and he immediately took to the larger obstacles when recording back-to-back wins in this sphere at Ballinrobe and Roscommon earlier this year.
His placed efforts behind Straw Fan Jack and Banbridge over two miles on the Old Course in recent months represents sound form in the context of this race and have strongly hinted that he’ll benefit from a return to the longer trip.
Importantly, they’ve also resulted in his BHA mark easing slightly, now down to 145 over here having been as high as 151 over hurdles in Ireland, and the booking of excellent 5lb claimer Michael O’Sullivan – fresh from his maiden Grade One win on Marine Nationale last weekend – looks a statement of intent.
He's the one I don't want to be beaten by and will supplement the antepost each-way position with a small win-only dart.
Second-season novice Outlaw Peter looks to offer a touch of value against favourite Weveallbeencaught in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle but I’m happy enough to let these shorties run without getting heavily involved, personally, and I couldn’t find anything else I wanted to back at Cheltenham.
The ITV4 action from Doncaster isn’t much more inspiring, unfortunately, and the closest I came to striking a bet was Fete Champetre, who can go close in the Bet Boost At bet365 Handicap Chase if putting in a clear round.
Sadly, that looks too much of a risk after a terrible exhibition of steeplechasing on his Kelso comeback last month and while that first outing for the best part of a year is entitled to have sharpened him up in every department, the desire to part with any cash around the 8/1 mark is nowhere near strong enough.
Published at 1530 GMT on 09/12/22
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