Cheltenham Betting: In-play angles on International Hurdle day

Tipping / Graham Cunningham / 09 December 2011 / Leave a Comment

Grandouet is impressive both in the paddock and on the track

"Grandouet boasts a strikingly impressive cruising speed and left a deep impression both with his paddock appearance and his performance when bolting up at Haydock on Betfair Chase day."

Take last year's International Hurdle winner, add two major young improvers and the most popular dual purpose horse around alongside two corking handicaps and novice events and you have another big winter Saturday at Cheltenham. Here's Racing UK analyst Graham Cunningham with the best value in running angles.

Time to salute Flo on a back-to-lay basis
Ask anyone who trades Betfair markets in running on a regular basis and they will testify that bold jumping front runners tend to shorten appreciably the moment it becomes clear they have found their rhythm.

And, despite the fact that he has been absent for 616 days, Salut Flot looks a very sporting back to lay proposition in Saturday's Spinal Research Gold Cup at 14:30.

David Pipe comes at this valuable handicap mob handed with four runners headed by Great Endeavour, but this likeable grey is being asked to peak in a big Saturday handicap for the third time in four weeks and I suspect he might come up just short after travelling well for a long way.

Indeed, it would come as no surprise if the unexposed Salut Flo proved the pick of the Pipe posse here.

Granted, there is an element of speculation involved in backing any horse after 616 days off the track, but this ex-French gelding caught the eye in no uncertain terms when powering clear at Doncaster on his British debut last season and did so again when finishing miles clear of the remainder behind Prince de Beauchene in a warm race at Haydock.

Bold and accurate jumping on the pace were the hallmarks of both those performances and for all that this big pot has drawn a big field there don't seem to be too many trailblazers on show.

Either way, the fact that he reappears at this level suggests that Salut Flo is still highly regarded at Pond House and I'm more than happy to take a chance and back him at a big price with a view to trading out at much shorter if he lives up to the promise he showed before his enforced break.


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Champion to hold Court in the novice chase
With very solid favourites like Hinterland in the opener at 12:10 and Oscar Whisky in the finale at 15:35 a couple of Saturday's Cheltenham races don't stack up all that well from an in running viewpoint.

However, I'm interested in the novice chase at 12:45 and the International Hurdle at 15:05 and the two horses who attract me most are Champion Court and Grandouet.

Champion Court faces two stern rivals in Mossley and Join Together in the 12.45, but the former may not have learned a lot from his bloodless Kempton chasing debut and the latter is a thorough stayer who might well come off the bridle and drift on the second circuit if the evidence of his recent course win is a reliable guide.

By contrast, Champion Court has the speed to travel sweetly with the leaders for a long way here. His Aintree win and a fine second here giving weight to the season's leading novice Grands Crus also read well and backing him at around 5 with a view to trading out short in the run looks the potential value play here.

I've spent the last 48 hours wrangling with the International Hurdle and reaching a final decision hasn't been easy even allowing that the tactical shape of the race looks easy enough to assess.

The doughty Overturn looks bound to make the running in his bid to add this to his increasingly impressive big race haul, while Brampour will doubtless stalk the pace in an attempt to add to his Greatwood Hurdle success.

However, I suspect that last year's winner Menorah and the up-and-coming hold-up horse Grandouet can come through to dominate from the last here.

Menorah was impressive in this race last year and the return to hurdles makes sense after a late accident at Exeter on his chasing debut, while Grandouet boasts a strikingly impressive cruising speed and left a deep impression both with his paddock appearance and his performance when bolting up at Haydock on Betfair Chase day.

Splitting the two is tough, but Grandouet gave the strong impression that he's still progressing at Haydock and backing him at [4.0] or bigger with a view to trading at at even money if he ranges up on the bridle between the last two looks to have plenty of upside.

Recommended Bets
Cheltenham 12.45: Back Champion Court @ [4.5] and lay off in-running at [2.5]
Cheltenham 14:30: Back Salut Flo @ [13.0] and lay off in-running at [6.0] and [2.0]
Cheltenham 3.05: Back Grandouet at [4.2] and lay off in-running at [2.0]