Racing Post Novice Chase: Runner by runner betting guide
It’s a shame Majborough was not declared today, as we would have loved to see his response to Sir Ginos’ win over Ballyburn at Kempton. Nonetheless, some of the top two-mile novice chasers are lining up with the hugely exciting Inthepocket, looking to make up for lost time and cement himself as the leading Irish hope for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival Arkle Novices’ Chase. Key Stat: From the last nine Grade 2 Racing Post Novice Chase runnings, Willie Mullins or Henry de Bromhead have won all bar one renewal. Get all the latest Cheltenham Festival ante-post odds here from the leading online horse racing bookmakers. Grade 2 Racing Post Novice Chase runner by runner betting guide Now it’s time to take an in-depth look into runners of the Grade 2 Racing Post Novice Chase and the best horse racing bookmakers to help you make a winning bet. 3 Inthepocket Age: 8 Weight: 11st 4lb Form: 41/2-1 Rating: – Jockey: Rachael Blackmore Trainer: Henry de Bromhead Odds: 6/5 After a novice hurdle campaign that brought Grade 1 success at the Aintree Festival, there were high hopes for Inthepocket going into his novice chasing career last season. It started well with a tender handling second to the late Facile Vega, but injury put future plans on hold. He came into this season still a novice and made up for lost time with a facile eight-length win over fellow Grade 1 winning novice hurdler Farren Glory (who has won since, as has the third place). So much is expected from Inthepocket here, and I don’t see him leaving his connections down. He is a hugely exciting horse that can take this on his way to tackling the Arkle Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Won at a canter on his comeback Grade 1 winning novice hurdle Fast over his fences May get taken on for the lead Star rating: Bet on Inthepocket with talkSPORT BET 1 Firefox Age: 7 Weight: 11st 4lb Form: 322-13 Rating: – Jockey: Sam Ewing Trainer: Gordon Elliott Odds: 5/2 Firefox made a good start to his chasing career when going toe-to-toe with Mossy Fen Park over two miles and four furlongs at Down Royal in November, eventually winning snuggly. Four weeks later, he was sent off a strong favourite for the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse, where a combination of over-racing off a steady pace cost him his chance of winning. The winner, Croke Park, has since followed up that win with another Grade 1 win at Leopardstown, giving the form substance (the second Heat Wood was well beaten since in the Savills Chase). Straight after his defeat at Fairyhouse, a drop-in trip would likely be what Firefox needed, and he gets that here. For a horse that jumps his fences so well, I would leave him to stride on and use his jumping. But the question is, will they want to do that with the likelihood that Inthepocket and Ile Atlantique will also want to force the pace? If they want to get the best out of him, I see them letting him stride on, but they can slot him in behind if there is too much pace on and take a lead. Tactically, it will be interesting to see what they do with Firefox, and I am a big fan of him, but he may find it hard to get the better of Inthepocket. Drop in trip Gains lengths at his fences Can over race Star rating: Bet on Firefox with Sky Bet 2 Ile Atlantique Age: 7 Weight: 11st 4lb Form: 2357-1 Rating: – Jockey: Paul Townend Trainer: Willie Mullins Odds: 5/2 Ile Atlantique put in a faultless display on his chase debut at Navan over two miles and four furlongs, but he steps back down in trip here today, which I don’t see as a positive. He was Grade 1 placed over hurdles at two miles and four furlongs, and when tried over this trip in graded company over hurdles, Ile Atlantique was beaten 55 lengths. He’s not a horse that looked like he was crying out for a drop in trip, and this looks to be a fact-finding mission to see how he lays up with the two miles chasers because, like many novice chasers in training, he would have been targeted at the now scrapped Grade 1 Truners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. For all that I can see him running well, he looks the one from the top three in the betting that will lack the gears here. Won well over further on chase debut Wasn’t the most consistent over hurdles Not sure he wants to be dropped in trip Star rating: Bet on Ile Atlantique with Paddy Power 4 Kilbarry Saint Age: 6 Weight: 10st 11lb Form: 126-34 Rating: – Jockey: Darragh O’Keeffe Trainer: C O’Keeffe Odds: 66/1 Connections are simply on a black-type mission here, with Kilbarry Saint out to match her Graded place finish over hurdles. She usually races up with the pace, but if they want to achieve her best finishing position, they should have her well off what is likely to be a strong pace here. If they try to
It’s a shame Majborough was not declared today, as we would have loved to see his response to Sir Ginos’ win over Ballyburn at Kempton.
Nonetheless, some of the top two-mile novice chasers are lining up with the hugely exciting Inthepocket, looking to make up for lost time and cement himself as the leading Irish hope for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival Arkle Novices’ Chase.
Key Stat: From the last nine Grade 2 Racing Post Novice Chase runnings, Willie Mullins or Henry de Bromhead have won all bar one renewal.
Get all the latest Cheltenham Festival ante-post odds here from the leading online horse racing bookmakers.
Grade 2 Racing Post Novice Chase runner by runner betting guide
Now it’s time to take an in-depth look into runners of the Grade 2 Racing Post Novice Chase and the best horse racing bookmakers to help you make a winning bet.
