Six of the last ten winners of the
Betfair Hurdle started at odds of 12/1 or longer, including Heathcote
(50/1) and Splash Of Ginge (33/1) last year. This year’s renewal
looks as competitive as ever, so we hope it’ll be another
profitable week for those of us who like to look beyond the market
leaders.
The Betfair Hurdle is a handicap, and a
Grade 3 handicap at that, but you can’t tell me that, in a field of
24 runners, just two warrant odds longer than 33/1. The ante post
market is, frankly, disgraceful.
Anyway, as we like to do in such
circumstances, let’s have a look at one of the complete outsiders
of the party. Bordoni (40/1) didn’t cut much ice on his
reappearance, over 2 miles 3 furlongs, at Newbury in December, but is
probably better judged on his previous start in the valuable Galway
Hurdle, over 2 miles, in July. On that occasion, he kept on well to
finish fifth, beaten just 4½ lengths, and is just 1lb higher in the
weights here. He’s won a couple of times on soft ground and is
reunited with winning jockey Brian Hughes (who’s 2-5 on the yard’s
hurdlers), so his chance is by no means as forlorn as his current
odds suggest.
I must confess, I had to look up the
name of Sparsholt trainer Harry Whittington in the Racing Post
because his name was unfamiliar to me. However, my ignorance may not
prevent his promising novice Arzal (33/1) from running well at
generous odds. The five-year-old French import was far from disgraced
when third, beaten 9½ lengths, behind Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
hopeful Jollyallan at Kempton on Boxing Day and doesn’t look
overburdened for his handicap debut. He’s proven on soft ground,
open to significant improvement after just three starts in this
country and, although due to be ridden by a 7lb claimer, attractively
weighted.
Evan Williams’ seven-year-old On Tour
(16/1) appears to be improving by leaps and bounds this season and
his 77-day absence suggests that he’s been trained with this race
in mind, en route to the Cheltenham Festival. His recent winning form
has been over further, but this should be run at a decent gallop on
soft ground, so his abundance of stamina could be a blessing. Indeed,
the form of his most recent win, at Haydock in November, has worked
out brilliantly and he looks massively overpriced at his current
odds.
So, voila mes amis, our three against
the field this week, in no particular order, are Bordoni (40/1 with
Coral), Arzal (33/1 Bet365, Totesport, Betfred and others) and On
Tour (16/1 with Ladbrokes). Why not back the three of them in
forecasts and tricasts with your local independent bookmaker and
watch the colour drain from his cheeks as the field turns into the
straight? Good luck!