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Cheltenham Festival 2013 |
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Cheltenham Hopefuls Look to Put Finishing Touches to Cheltenham Preparations at Newbury 07/02/13
My Tent Or Yours has been heavily-backed in the ante-post markets for this weekend's feature race, the Betfair Hurdle, at Newbury on Saturday but can the exciting six-year-old thrust joy back into the Nicky Henderson, AP McCoy and JP McManus camp after that triumvirate suffered heartache at Doncaster on Monday with the fatal fall of Champion Hurdle hope Darlan?
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The Seven Barrows inmate is just one of the star names ready to strut their stuff at the Berkshire track as trainers look to put the finishing touches to their Cheltenham Festival battalion and it’s My Tent Or Yours who could be the shining beacon at the end of an ultra-competitive card.
Currently the 7/2 favourite with Paddy Power to win the Betfair Hurdle, My Tent Or Yours was superb when trouncing Population in a Huntingdon event last time out and the way he travelled suggested that he could be potentially top class and that dominant victory saw him cut significantly for the 2013 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. However, he will need to produce the goods on Saturday if he is to be a player in the Cheltenham curtain-raiser and with 11st 2lbs on his back, there's a suggestion that he could well be miles ahead of the handicapper.
Zarkandar won the event 12 months ago when sent off a clear favourite and he duly went on to become a Champion Hurdle contender for Paul Nicholls, so My Tent Or Yours will be aiming for those sort of heights in the future and AP McCoy will most certainly want to venture back into the headlines for positive reasons following an emotional week.
The Betfair Hurdle maybe the big betting contest of the weekend, but punters will be treated to a box office star in the shape of eccentric grey Simonsig, who will look to emulate stablemate Sprinter Sacre's win in the same race 12 months ago, by easing to victory in the Game Spirit Chase on the same card.
Already an odds-on shot for the 2013 Arkle Challenge Trophy, last season’s Neptune winner has shown flashes of brilliance and his 35-length Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase romp at Kempton Park over the festive period suggested that he could be taking over the mantle of the leading novice chaser and Paddy Power certainly believe he will have no problem maintaining his unblemished record over the larger obstacles, as he is 4/9 to land the Game Spirit on Saturday.
Long Run’s absence from the Betfair Denman Chase has seen that Grade Two contest lose some intrigue, but Silviniaco Conti showed when getting the better of the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero in the Betfair Chase that he has potential to be the next Nicholls-trained winner of the blue riband event at the Cheltenham Festival and he will be another odds-on jolly at Newbury.
Two wins out of two this season have propelled him up the Gold Cup betting and he looks to have a perfect stepping stone to the four-day Prestbury Park extravaganza, but with the likes of Ryanair Chase hopeful Menorah, last year’s Gold Cup runner-up The Giant Bolster and Tom George’s interesting French recruit Mail De Bievre he should face a decent test.
