Racing Post Trophy dark horse heads Channel 4 Racing double
Published:
With the end of the Flat season crossing over with the new National Hunt campaign, we’ve picked out a massive each-way double from the plethora of horse racing action on Channel 4 this Saturday.
The pair’s current combed price is almost 350/1, so do be sure to back each-way:
Aidan O’Brien’s Yucatan heads the market at 1/1 after finding only high-class stablemate Capri too good over his last couple of outings, while Rivet is of keen interest under jockey Andrea Atzeni, who will be looking to land this for the third year in succession.
O’Brien has a fine recent record in this race, taking it thrice in the past seven years and each time with the favourite, but all of the last seven Racing Post Trophy winners – six of whom were jollies – went into it off the back of success.
Even last year’s shock 33/1 victor Marcel had managed to eke out a maiden immediately prior, so winning form seems a prerequisite to landing this prestigious prize, which banks the triumphant owner over £100,000.
The O’Brien horse that best suits is therefore Finn McCool, with Donnacha O’Brien aboard after hopping off Yucatan to make room for Ballydoyle number one Ryan Moore.
Having steered the jolly to a win and a runners-up spot in Yucatan’s last two starts, and winning with his latest charge at Navan earlier this month, the trainer’s youngest son looks just the jockey to boot Finn McCool home.
Over at Prestbury Park, the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (qualifier) looks an intriguing affair, with 14 runners priced between 6/1 and 28/1 suggesting it’s anybody’s game.
Horses far down the weights don’t tend to do particularly well in this event, with 11-4, 10-13, 10-10 and 10-7 lugged to victory over the past six years, so keeping sights high could pay.
Alan King’s The Tourard Man would be just about the oldest horse to win this race since its inception seven years ago, but four wins in the 10-year-old’s past five runs can’t be sniffed at.
He grabbed a fine third in the Pertemps Final at the Festival 17 months ago – The Tourard Man’s only other run at Cheltenham – and appears as likely as any to land this under a reasonable-looking 11-3 weight.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
