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List of available free bets on the Champions
Hurdle |
Champions Hurdle
11th March 2008
Taking a glance at the betting for this year’s Champion
Hurdle indicates that there is no doubt that there is a real
freshness about it. The new kids are on the turf and they’re
taking over! Gone are most of the great gallant Irish
challengers that have decorated the decade with such
determination. Brave Inca is out until at least April, Macs
Joy sadly was fatally injured at Cheltenham before Christmas
while Hardy Eustace, although in the betting, may opt for
the World Hurdle 48 hours later.
Champions Hurdle Contenders
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The new guard are headed by Henry de Bromhead’s exciting six
year-old Sizing Europe who built on his November Cheltenham
win with an emphatic 8 length victory in the AIG Europe
Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown at the end of January. The
nature of the victory plus the fact that it came in one of
the best trails of the season means that Sizing Europe is
the current 9/4 favourite to succeed on March 11th. There’s
no doubt that he is the one to beat.
Sizing Europe finished ahead of Osana back in November at
Cheltenham but David Pipe’s horse was giving the Irish
challenger 6lb that day so his 4 length defeat now looks
mightily impressive. The Pond House inmate has since gone on
to record an outstanding 8 length win in the Boylesports
Hurdle at Prestbury Park just before Christmas and will be
strongly fancied to follow up in the third race of the
Festival. He is available at 6/1 with
Sportingbet.
Last year’s winner Sublimity will be
fancied by some to do the job again like Istabraq and Hardy
Eustace did in the last 10 years but there are big question
marks over the defending champion after his uninspiring
reappearance in the Boylesports Hurdle in December. The form
of last year’s race hasn’t really worked out and the
doubters are lining up to knock John Carr’s horse from his
champion hurdler position. Still fancy him? We’ll get on at
11/2 with Bet365.
Let’s hope Harchibald (17/2 with
Totesport) turns up on
March 11th as this horse makes every race that bit more
interesting. Who will ever forget 2005 when he failed to get
up despite cruising up to the final hurdle? There’s no doubt
that this lad has his critics but to come back from his bad
injury and perform so well this season deserves respect.
Whether his time has come and gone in this race is open to
debate but at 9 years old he may find it hard up against
Sizing Europe and Osana.
Champions Hurdle Other Contenders
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Straw Bear, buoyed by a legendary AP McCoy ride, posted a
tremendous run in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day to edge
out Harchibald but his follow up in the Contenders Hurdle
six weeks later was a massive let down.Katchit, last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner, has ran
creditably all season finishing in the frame in the Fighting
Fifth and Boylesports Hurdle and winning the Kingwell. You
get the impression a place is the best he will be able to
achieve come Festival time plus his tender years spell
trouble in this race.
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