Champion Hurdle Betting
'whit and Healthy?
Like pretty much every trainer ahead of Cheltenham, Charles Byrnes' assessment of his own horse's chances is about as useful as a jockey in the NBA. "We naturally wouldn't be as confident as we were. That said, we wouldn't be here unless Solwhit was in top form. He seems very well in himself and he never appeared to be as sick as such, but he'll be monitored and at the moment he's a definite runner." Second favourite for the Champion Hurdle, behind fellow Irish raider Go Native, Solwhit's participation was in doubt after an illness which required antibiotics, just over a week before the race, and Byrnes isn't going to know how much it's taken out of him until he runs. Go Native is on course for a £1 million bonus but will his trainer Noel Meade be the one left feeling sick by Solwhit?
Horse Racing Betting
Tuesday's Racing
It's the start of the Cheltenham Festival so the people getting mentioned in our horse racing bit must really be top class celebs to merit inclusion. Yeah, you'd think that wouldn't you? Jimmy Nail blows out 56 candles today and fittingly – as at four days, the Festival is only slightly shorter than her marriage – Scientology's newest recruit, Peaches Geldof turns 21. Mind that silver spoon when you're blowing out those candles. Along with the affore-name dropped Cheltenham, we've got meetings from the all-weather track at Southwell and the most weather as long it's not too wet, cold or foggy track at Sedgefield where's it's paddypower.com race day. Don't forget, we pay out on disqualified winners and official result on all UK & Ireland races.
David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle
Twiston His Words
Not sure who to go for in this year's David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle? Then have a read of what Nigel Twiston-Davies had to say about his own horse: "Amber Brook has very much been forgotten, she's a very long price. She broke a blood vessel last time at Doncaster and everyone has forgotten her because of that. She's a handy price. She'd not done it before, she's not done it at home since and I don't think she'll do it again. She did it very early on when she wasn't really under any race pressure. I'd be happy that she'd be OK." So she could win, but she probably won't, but then you never know what might happen. Straight from the Cheltenham Trainer's Guide to ambiguous answers. Quevega and Voler La Vedette are the clear favourites but could there be a twist in the tail of Day 1? Tues 4.40pm
Cross Country Chase Odds
Well Placed Once Again
You'd need to visit some pretty well hidden Amsterdam establishments and hand over some serious cash to witness the same level of domination Enda Bolger has had on the Cross Country Chase. He's won four of the five contests and led by Garde Champetre, Bolger-trained horses made up first the three home in last year's race. He's got a typically strong team going to post this time around and aside from the big guns we've all seen before, he talked up the chances of Freneys Well. Sort of. "It all depends whatever side of the bed he gets out of in the morning as he could run a big race or he could run a stinker," he said wonderfully inconclusively. Is Freneys Well a decent outside bed to land a place for Bolger? Cross Country Chase Odds, Tue. 4pm Ch. 4
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