Good morning/evening everyone, I hope we are all counting down the days to the Cheltenham Festival and getting appropriately excited for the roar on day one. Today has the potential to get National Hunt hearts pounding with the long and eagerly awaited return of Sprinter Sacre in the Clarence House Chase where he will face four opponents. The chief danger of those four on the betting front looks to be Tingle Creek winner Dodging Bullets for Paul Nicholls and Noel Fehily. Elsewhere we also have The New One in action at Haydock where he has a fairly straight forward Champion Hurdle Trial to win.
As always @OnTheOtherHoof have prepared a video preview for you as we look ahead to all of Saturday's action on Channel 4. Joining me on the panel this week are @Adamwebb121 and @Calummadell as we run you through the best bets of the day.
Clarence House Chase Day Preview
Now onto the all important selections
1:55 Naas - Rule The World
A rare trip over Ireland to start us off today with Rule The World who brings by far the best hurdles form into the race. He signed off last year with a good sixth in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham behind More Of That and Annie Power. He was also successful on this card last season when winning the Grade Three Limestone Lad in the minimum of fuss and beating a useful field in the process.
We have only seen him once this season and that came on his sole start over fences to date. His performance that day would have been more than enough to win most Beginners Chases, but he bumped into Adriana Des Mottes who is an above average mare and received a stone and a half in weight. Rule The World looked like coming out the wrong end of the fight at the last before getting the better jump than his rival, but he faltered late on and got caught in the shadows of the post.
That was a more than adequate chase debut though and the fact he turns up in a Grade Two next time out speaks volumes about how highly he is regarded. With an eye to the future, he is currently a best priced 25/1 for the RSA at Cheltenham in March which will shorten significantly were he to win well today. (7/4)
3:25 Taunton - Fayette County
JP McManus provided us with a winner a few weeks ago through Mr Mole and he teams up with Tim Vaughan and Fayette County at Taunton today. He is a difficult choice on form as he is yet to complete in two starts over fences, but has had chances both times when falling three out.
Since switching over to England from Ireland he has won two novice hurdles after a victorious bumper campaign, and mixed it with some nice types including Don Cossack. Since then things haven't exactly gone his way over fences but he has ran with tremendous promise on both occasions. He was last seen when falling three out at Newbury when still travelling strongly, Far West went on to win that race from Seventh Sky and both have boosted the form in a big way since. The main danger to Fayette County tomorrow likely won't be his opposition as he looks by far the best in this field, but the fences and in particular the third last which has been his nemesis twice now. If he can overcome that fear then he should take all the beating here. (10/3)
NAP - Rule The World
Nb - Fayette County
Have a good weekend everyone and as always, happy punting!
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