There are two big handicap chases looming over the next fortnight: the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury and the BoyleSports Becher Chase at Aintree run over the Grand National course. I am hoping there are good ante-post bets to be had in both races.
The Coral Gold Cup, still known as the ‘Hennessy’ by many older racegoers after its former sponsor, takes place a week tomorrow and the runner I am keen to get onside is BROADWAY BOY for the Twiston-Davies yard. Trainer Nigel has one son Willy as his assistant and another son Sam as his stable jockey and they are all convinced they have a horse to go to war with.
This race, worth more than £140,000 to the winner, has been Broadway Boy’s target for some time and, as a six-year-old, second-season improving chaser, he has the look of a well-handicapped horse off an official mark of 148.
Connections believe his next run could tell them whether he is a Cheltenham Gold Cup horse of the future or a Grand National sort. The yard was certainly getting excited about his work on the gallops in the run-up to this year’s Cheltenham Festival but an unsatisfactory scope meant Broadway Boy missed his intended target, the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
His seasonal comeback run, when third at Cheltenham late last month, was only moderate but that will surely have been a prep for the Coral Gold Cup. He can step up on that run, especially on the likely softer ground, so back him each way at 10-1, four places, with bet365, SkyBet, BetVictor, Ladbrokes or Coral.
The two horses ahead of him in the market for the Coral Gold Cup look likely to have a say in events in eight days’ time: Colonel Harry is trained by Jamie Snowden who won this race a year ago with the ill-fated Datsalrightgino, while Henry de Bromhead’s Senior Chief was pretty impressive when winning at Cheltenham on his seasonal debut last month with Broadway Boy back in third.
Each season the BoyleSports Grand Sefton Chase run at Aintree in November often offers clues to the result of the BoyleSports Becher Chase run in early December. This is because both races are run over the National fences, the former over a distance of two miles five furlongs, the latter over a trip of three miles two furlongs.
The current favourite for the Becher is King Turgeon, who won this year’s running of the Grand Sefton for the David Pipe/Jack Tudor trainer/jockey combination. However, that was off a rating of 125 and he must race off a mark of 133 on 7 December.
The distance of five furlongs further should hold no fears because King Turgeon won over three miles two furlongs at Chepstow in late October. However, I prefer the chances of GABORIOT for joint trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.
Gaboriot was beaten just over four lengths behind King Turgeon in the Grand Sefton last month but that was on ground too quick and a distance far too short. He prefers softer ground and a distance of up to four miles: the trip he won over at Cheltenham in May. It not surprising that at Aintree last month the seven-year-old gelding did all his best work in the final two furlongs.
If Coco Beach stays in the race, Gaboriot will have to race from a few pounds out of the handicap but a softer terrain and the extra distance could easily see him improve a further 10 lbs next month.
Back him each way at 10-1 with almost any of the leading bookmakers, except for William Hill which already has him two points shorter. If the current top weights in the race drop out and Gaboriot is no longer out of the handicap, then I would expect him to go off favourite for the Becher.
Tomorrow’s big race is the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock. I have already tipped Ahoy Senor for this race and I am happy enough with that bet. I had expected the field to cut up more in which case the 6-1 each way, three places, would have looked really good. In fact, Lucinda Russell’s charge is trading at similar odds two weeks later and with the same number of places but, hey-ho, that’s ante-post betting for you.
Pending:
1 point each way Ahoy Senor at 6-1 in the Betfair Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Broadway Boy at 10-1 for the Coral Gold Cup, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Gaboriot at 10-1 for the Becher Chase, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
Last weekend: quits
1 point each way Straw Fan Jack at 33-1 in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Go Dante at 9-1 in the Greatwood Hurdle, paying 1/4 odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Florida Dreams at 25-1 in the Greatwood Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. 5th. + 4 points.
2024-5 jump season running total: – 11.2 points.
2024 flat season: + 41.4 points on all tips.
2023-4 jump season: + 42.01 points on all tips.
2023 flat season: – 48.22 points on all tips.
2022-3 jump season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
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