Bullet-proof bet on Simonsig in Arkle at Cheltenham
Published:The trends say that he can’t be beaten and his performances this season suggest that he is one of the bankers of the Cheltenham Festival, but Ladbrokes are ensuring that punters cannot lose out by backing Simonsig to win the Arkle.
From now up until March 11th, any punter backing Simonsig to win the Arkle will have their stakes up to £25 refunded, should he be beaten in the 2m novice contest.
The offer is only available to bets placed via internet or mobile and for win singles only. Full terms and conditions for the promotion can be found here.
Simonsig is the clear favourite in the Cheltenham betting for the Arkle at 4/7 and fits numerous trends that are familiar among previous winners.
Among the most significant that boost his claims are that four of the last six renewals have been won by seven-year-old entrants, half of the last 10 were won by a horse to finish in the first four in a Grade One hurdle at the previous Festival and all of the last 10 winners were situated in the first five in the betting.
However, there will be some punters who believe that he can be beaten, with Overturn looking more than respectable opposition on paper.
The main doubts relating to Simonsig are that he missed an anticipated preparation run in the Game Spirit Chase because of a dirty scope, which may have set him back slightly, while he is not guaranteed to find any extra when taken off the bridle.
In Overturn, Simonsig has a rival that is sure to force a fast pace, which may get him off the bridle, while he was the highest-rated hurdler of all the entrants in the Arkle (6lb higher than Simonsig after coming second in last year’s Champion Hurdle).
Therefore, some punters may not want to side with such a short-priced favourite against this calibre of opposition, but the opportunity to have a no-lose bet, must surely sway even the biggest Overturn supporter.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
