Champion Hurdle Betting

It’s been a strange couple of weeks for Nicky Henderson.

Champion Hurdle Betting

Firstly Binocular (10/1 with Bluesq) is out for the season with a muscle problem and now there is nothing wrong with him and McCoy says he has missed no work so the Champion Hurdle looks back on the cards.

It would appear he is now going to take his chance again which means that McCoy will be required to ride him.

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So Zaynar (15/2 with Bet365) could now be ridden by Andrew Tinkler, who won on him at Ascot, as Henderson stated Geraghty will almost certainly ride Punjabi.

He ran a disappointing trial at Kelso, but that was on unsuitably heavy ground and it’s probably best to put a line through that.

However, his trainer has always said that he’s a stayer and this old course is much speedier than the new one he won the Triumph on 12 months ago. The cheekpieces will be back on, but he is unlikely to have the tactical speed to live with the quickest in this race, so he’s another who will be doing all of his best work at the finish.

I still feel the each-way money will come for Punjabi (8/1 with William Hill) who is proving to be a popular selection on the Preview Evening circuit.

Last year’s Champion Hurdle winner has never received the plaudits he deserves and although he beat nothing at Kempton recently, he travelled and jumped well.

He takes his racing very well, is as genuine as they come and is probably a spring time horse nowadays. Some argue that last year’s Champion was a poor race and we will know soon enough if that was the case, but he has travelled like the best horse in every race since and punters have no doubt that he can last up the hill.

He is also only a seven-year-old so there is still plenty of scope for improvement.

In addition to Go Native (7/2 favourite with Ladbrokes) the quickening up of the ground is certainly in favour of Starluck, who won over a mile last week in his final prep, as that can help him last the trip out better.

He could potentially become one of the richest hurdlers ever if he wins this and lands the £1million bonus for connections. Noel Meade doesn’t have a great record at the Festival, but has kept this fellow fresh and he should arrive at Prestbury Park in top form.

The world and his wife seem to know that Go Native is going to cruise through the pack rounding the home bend, but the key question is will he do what his stablemate Harchibald couldn’t and put his nose in front on the line.

As well as Medermit, who Alan King is convinced is better on better ground, despite winning at Haydock on a testing surface but against Solwhit and Khyber Kim.

And what is it with lame horses this season? Sublimity was found to be lame on Saturday and now misses the race.