Cheltenham Festival 2011 (15/16/17/18 March.

Not sure who will be making the trip in March, but betting starting to take shape after yesterdays King George meeting.

on the 15th highlights should be the Champion Hurdle and the Supreme Novice.

Champion Hurdle where after a good win yesterday Binocular tops the boards at 3/1 but plenty stiff opposition from Hurricane Fly 5/1 and Menorah 11/2. Cue Card can win the Supreme Novice 3/1.

16th is the "Bumper" have no idea at this stage, will have to see what emerges over the next few weeks.
Champion Chase should go to Master Minded 2/1

17th the festival banker Big Bucks 7/10 should again win the World Hurdle.

18th is the big day and the Gold Cup where Kauto has blown to 10/1, Imperial Command has gone 4/1, Long Run 7/1 and Denman 8/1

Will keep you updated.

www.cheltenhamfestival.net/index.php

Kauto bled after King George next race will be the Gold Cup.

Good racing today "Victor Chandler" day at Ascot

Champion tests loom for Master and Peddlers


CONNECTIONS of star chasers Master Minded and Peddlers Cross are taking nothing for granted as the duo prepare to put their Cheltenham Festival credentials to the test at Ascot and Haydock on Saturday.

Kauto Star recovering well from infection

OWNER Clive Smith on Friday reported Kauto Star to be recovering well from the infection he was discovered to have had after his surprise defeat in last weekend's King George VI Chase.


Blood tests taken after the defeat showed signs of inflammation and a low-grade infection but Smith said on Friday that things are going well with the superstar chaser.

"I have seen him this morning and he is in very good shape," he said. "He is recovering after his exertions and he had a slight infection that has been treated by the vets this week so he is looking good for a gradual recovery."

On his way to Cheltenham (tu)

Master Minded scrapes home in Ascot thriller

Report: Ascot, Saturday

Victor Chandler Chase (Grade 1) 2m1f 5yo+

MASTER MINDED smashed his way through the £1million prize-money mark as he recorded a seventh Grade 1 win with a hard-fought success from the fast-finishing Somersby.

The highest-rated 2m chaser in training has sauntered to victory in each of his previous two runs this season but he was pushed every yard this time by the runner-up, only gaining a second win in this as he got the verdict by a short-head in a photo.

Has drifted to 5/2

Stylish Grandouet new favourite for Triumph

A NEW favourite for the JCB Triumph Hurdle emerged on Saturday when the Nicky Henderson-trained Grandouet blitzed his rivals in the juvenile hurdle at Ascot.

The Al Namix four-year-old, who, like last season's Triumph winner Soldatino, is owned by Simon Munir, strolled home by six lengths under Barry Geraghty.

He is as short as 6-1 (from with Stan James, but most firms, including Paddy Power (from 10) and William Hill (from 12), go 7-1.

Grandouet will have the chance to cement his position at the head of the market when he contests the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton on Racing Post Chase day next month [February 26].

Walkon, a Triumph Hurdle runner-up in 2009, was another ante-post mover after he finished second to Tiger O'Toole on his first run for 660 days in the Grade 2 Holloway's Hurdle.

Hills halved him to 8-1 for the Totesport Trophy on February 12 and make him a 25-1 shot (from 50) for the Stan James Champion Hurdle. Paddy Power cut Tiger O'Toole to 25-1 (from 66) for the Totesport Trophy.


On a cracking day of racing at Ascot, Master Minded was one winner whose ante-post odds for Cheltenham did not shorten.

Despite recording a victory over Somersby in the Grade 1 Victor Chandler Chase, the classy eight-year-old was eased to 2-1 (from 7-4) by Blue Square for the Sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Totesport cut Somersby to 7-1 (from 20) for the Champion Chase and made him 9-2 joint-favourite (from for the Ryanair Chase.

Big Zeb, who is vying with Master Minded for Champion Chase favouritism, was made a 9-4 shot (from 3) by Stan James.

Time For Rupert in 'great form' for Argento test

EXCITING novice chaser Time For Rupert will face a stern examination of his talent when taking on more experienced horses in Saturday's Argento Chase at Cheltenham's Trials Day, for which Paddy Power make him the best-priced 7-4 favourite.

Imperial Commander on track for Cheltenham

NIGEL TWISTON-DAVIES said on Wednesday his Totesport Gold Cup champion Imperial Commander is working perfectly towards the defence of his crown in March.

Last year's winner is to head direct to the Cheltenham Festival after just the one race this season, November's Betfair Chase, after missing the King George VI Chase due to an infection which took hold in a near-fore cut sustained in the Betfair.


After the December 26 King George meeting was lost to frost Twiston-Davies said Imperial Commander could have made the rearranged January 15 date, but with the race not being re-opened has instead focused on getting his charge ready for the festival.

Twiston-Davies said: "He's 100 per cent, not a bother on him. There's nearly seven weeks to the Gold Cup and he is bang on course. We would have run in the King George and when he couldn't we knocked off him for a bit.

"We were hoping to make the King George and didn't quite get to the Christmas one, but we would have been ready three weeks later."

Imperial Commander is the 7-2 favourite for the Gold Cup.

Champion Chase the target for Somersby

SOMERSBY will take on the cream of the two-mile chasing division at the Cheltenham Festival in six weeks' time after the Champion Chase was confirmed as his target by trainer Henrietta Knight.

The seven-year-old had been under consideration for both the Sportingbet.com-sponsored contest and the Ryanair Chase over five furlongs further.


Bookmakers had taken the view that the Ryanair provided Somersby with a better chance of festival success - he is as short as 4-1 with Bet365 and Victor Chandler - after he produced a storming late run to almost catch Master Minded in the 2m1f Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot last month.

However, Knight has decided to keep her stable star, who was second in last season's Irish Independent Arkle Chase at the festival, to two miles.

Writing on her website, Knight, who trained Edredon Bleuto land the 2000 Champion Chase, said: "Somersby is extremely well and fresh. We have decided that his most likely race at Cheltenham will be the Champion Chase on the Wednesday. That is our aim."

Somersby is the general 8-1 fourth favourite for the Champion Chase behind past winners Master Minded and Big Zeb and the Paul Nicholls-trained Woolcombe Folly.

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Binocular and Peddlers among Sandown entries

AN intriguing rematch between last year's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle hero Binocular and his Stanjames.com Fighting Fifth conqueror Peddlers Cross remains a possibility after both featured among seven entries for Saturday's Totesport-sponsored Contenders Hurdle at Sandown.

Peddlers Cross remains a possible for the Welsh Champion Hurdle the same afternoon, with trainer Donald McCainlikely to leave a final decision until later in the week.


The Nicky Richards-trained Noble Alan, along with Siberian Tiger and Barizan from Evan Williams' yard, also feature in both races.

Binocular could be joined in the race by stablemate Ruthenoise, while McCain has also entered Peddlers Cross' stablemate Dorabelle.

Entries for the race had been re-opened until Tuesday, after less than ten runners were engaged for the race at Monday's original entry stage.

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Oscar and Binocular fuel Champion changes
Racing Post

WINS for Binocular and Oscar Whisky on an action-packed Saturday of racing proved to have opposite effects on the Nicky Henderson-trained contenders' Stan James Champion Hurdle prices.

Binocular, who was unspectacular in victory at Sandown, was eased slightly for his defence of his crown, while stablemate Oscar Whisky's dashing romp at Ffos Las and subsequent confirmation for the Champion Hurdle led to a cut in his price.


It was a case of deja vu for Binocular backers at Sandown. A year ago they watched him limp to a one-length victory over Dee Ee Williams in the Toteplacepot Contenders Hurdle and on Saturday he again failed to impress against a small and unglamorous cast of rivals.

He was pushed out to 3-1 (from 11-4) by Paddy Power and Totesport, while Stan James went 10-3 (from 3) and Ladbrokes 7-2 (from 11-4). Victor Chandler withheld judgement, leaving Binocular a 5-2 chance.

Oscar Whisky was far more convincing at Ffos Las, demolishing his rivals in an eight length victory.

He was cut to 11-1 (from 14) for the championship race by Totesport and 10-1 (from 12) by Boylesports after Henderson confirmed he would take on Binocular at Cheltenham next month.

Victory for Medermit in the Totepool Challengers Novices' Chase prompted a slew of cutsfor the Alan King-trained gelding's festival prices. In the Arkle Paddy Power went 7-1 (from 10) and William Hill went 6-1 (from 11), while for his alternative target, the newly constituted Jewson Chase, he was cut to 7-1 (from 10) by Hills.

Baby Run gave Willy Twiston-Davies, younger brother of Sam, a debut victory under rules and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained horse was cut to 5-1 (from 7-1 favourite) for the Christie's Foxhunter Chase by Paddy Power and Victor Chandler.

Wayward Prince was a solid winner at Wetherby and his RSA Chase price was largely unchanged at between 12-1 and 16-1, although Boylesports went 14-1 (from 16).

Jewson the likely target for Hell's Bay - Tizzard

COLIN TIZZARD, who has plenty of options for his Cheltenham Festival team, on Sunday revealed that he is leaning towards the Jewson Novices' Chase for Hell's Bay.

Winner of the Dipper Novices' Chase at Cheltenham on his last start, Hell's Bay is a general 10-1 chance for the race, and Tizzard said: "He is in the Jewson and the RSA but I might take him out of the RSA because we are as certain as we can be at this stage that he will go for the Jewson - it is the obvious race.

"He beat Medermit over course and distance and we've seen what he's done since. I think he is a major player."

Tizzard added that a decision on Supreme Novices' favourite Cue Card's Festival target - either the Champion Hurdle or Supreme Novices' , both backed by Stan James - will be made later in the week.

The Supreme Novices' market shifted dramatically on Sunday as Spirit Son created waves when slamming his rivals at Exeter to remain unbeaten over hurdles in Britain and France.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, the five-year-old beat Cedre Bleu by 21 lengths and is now as short as 6-1 (from 12) with Victor Chandler. Spokesman for the firm, Charlie McCann, said: "With Sprinter Sacre also on course for the race Nicky Henderson looks to have every chance of getting the Festival off to a flier."

Other firms also slashed Spirit Son's price, with William Hill now offering 8-1 (from 14), along with Paddy Power (from 12).

Another market mover on Sunday was Saturday's Irish Hennessy winner Kempes, who was trimmed for the Totesport Gold Cup on Sunday by both Paddy Power and William Hill.

Both firms now offer 16-1 for the festival showpiece from 20-1 (Paddy Power) and 25-1 (William Hill).