Cheltenham ante-post betting picks: weekend evaluate, 11-12 December
Get our racing expert’s newest 2022 Cheltenham Festival ante-post betting picks after the weekend’s developments in the UK and Ireland
Our ante-post collection wanting at the Cheltenham Festival in March continues this week as the countdown to Christmas and some main racing prizes gathers pace.
After the International Meeting at Cheltenham and some main contests at Doncaster over the past weekend, listed below are our latest considerations for the large Cotswolds assembly on 15-18 March.
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Blazing a path for Byrnes
It’s relatively unusual for Irish coach Charles Byrnes to be so effusive about one of his costs, so it was all the extra noticeable when he advised final week that Blazing Khal is already deemed the best horse in his yard.
The bay gelding, by Kalanisi out of Blazing Sonnet, duly enhanced his Cheltenham Festival claims by making it back-to-back course victories in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle on Saturday afternoon and is now the general 5/1 ante-post favourite for the Festival contest bearing the same name.
Blazing Khal, a winner on his hurdling debut at Galway earlier than successful a Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle trial at Cheltenham last month over 2m 5f, confirmed his superiority over runner-up Gelino Bello in Saturday’s race despite the concession of a 5lb penalty for his November Meeting success.
In doing so, the double-figure costs for March have been worn out. Ridden confidently by Donal McInerney, Blazing Khal made a mistake at the second last impediment however nonetheless managed to power up the hill and report a decisive success.
There appears to be plenty more in his tank and, based mostly on his early portfolio of hurdles work, the Irish raider shall be a very onerous nut to crack over three miles come March. Five Irish trainers have accounted for six of the final eight Albert Bartlett winners since 2014 and Blazing Khal can improve that report nonetheless additional.
Heaven certainly has a prayer
The Grade 2 International Hurdle on Saturday at Cheltenham was received by Guard Your Dreams for Sam and Nigel Twiston-Davies, gamely repelling the previous year’s winner Song For Someone up the hill. As Champion Hurdle trials go, this was underwhelming to say the least and it is unlikely to have triggered Honeysuckle any sleepless nights over the weekend.
The Irish mare looks rock-solid to retain her two-mile crown and is priced accordingly – but one other Irish female ran on Saturday, the Paul Hennessy-trained Heaven Help Us in fourth.
She was overwhelmed by round 10 lengths into fourth spot beneath Danny Mullins and maybe odds of 33/1 underestimate the hopes of her touchdown the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle come March.
She is already a dual Cheltenham winner, landing her maiden in October 2019 over 2m ½f after which the 2m 5f Coral Cup again there in March off a mark of 138.
Her two runs this season have seen her come up short in Listed/Grade 2 firm but she came good in the spring last year, successful on the Dublin Racing Festival (2m 2f) and then Cheltenham.
The 2m 4f trip in the Mares’ race might be best for Heaven Help Us – and with the most effective of her intercourse set to contest the Champion Hurdle, she is one to note at a giant worth given her form in the Cotswolds.
Knight not getting the recognition he deserves
A sensible type on the Flat with Andrew Balding, Knight Salute is now 4-4 over hurdles having joined Milton Harris and is still being quoted at 16/1 for the Triumph Hurdle in March regardless of successive Grade 2 wins at Cheltenham and Doncaster. Perhaps if he had been from a more high-profile yard he might be half that price
He impressed at Sedgefield and Kempton, defeating Nicky Henderson’s promising Impulsive One in his second begin before bagging a Triumph Trial on the November Meeting in good fashion. He was nonetheless as massive as 4/1 for Saturday’s Summit Juvenile Hurdle on Town Moor the place he was delivered after the final flight to score beneath Paddy Brennan.
There isn’t a lot of Knight Salute however he may properly have gained that race with extra in hand had Brennan not turn into unbalanced on the run to the line.
The bare form isn’t going to be good enough to win a Triumph on probability. But he was a lot worse off on the weights with Impulsive One compared with their Kempton meeting and had his measure again, strongly suggesting he is still improving with every run. There will be some smart varieties emerging in this market as the calendar turns to 2022 but Knight Salute deserves more credit score than he has got thus far.
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