Recent entries on Betfair Ireland
The 2010 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle odds
Wayne Bailey / 26 October 2009 Free Bet View Market
Hurricane Fly seen here winning at Punchestown
“Unfortunately, Hurricane Fly was ruled out of Cheltenham last year due to a splint problem but he did win the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown without breaking any sweat.”
For the past three years, favourite backers have been burned in the Champion Hurdle with Punjabi, Katchit and Sublimity all winning at double figure prices. With that in mind, the [4.4] on offer about Hurricane Fly for 2010 might be a little short at this early stage - although I will admit that the horse looks an outstanding prospect. Unfortunately, he was ruled out of Cheltenham 2009 due to a splint problem but he did win the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown without breaking any sweat. He's been kept under wraps ever since and the noises coming from Muine Beag are all positive.
Binocular (currently trading at [5.3]) was the subject of huge debate last season and many punters considered him the banker of the festival. He eventually went off at [2.8] in the Champion Hurdle, but was upstaged by his stablemate and ended up third. Nicky Henderson has also kept this one away from the racecourse over the summer, and has touted the exciting option of taking on the Irish horses on their own turf:
"Binocular won't take the same route as he did last year, though the Boylesports.com International Hurdle at Cheltenham on 12 December will be part of the plan before the Champion Hurdle. I don't want to head straight to the Champion with him. There will be something in between....At some stage I think he'll head to Ireland but that might be a brave thing to do, taking on the best Irish hurdlers on their own patch."
A trip to Ireland for Binocular would certainly energise the Irish/English Cheltenham rivalry and would be sure to get racegoers out in big numbers.
Solwhit is next in the betting at [9.6] and it's worth remembering that the Charles Byrnes trained gelding has now won eight races from twelve starts. The five-year-old ran a cracking race in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle back in May, and when you consider the fact that Punjabi, Jered, Sizing Europe, Quevega and Muirhead all finished behind him that day, his claims are fairly clear.
As of 26th October 2009, the 2010 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle odds on Betfair are as follows:
Hurricane Fly: [4.4]
Binocular: [5.3]
Solwhit: [9.6]
Celestial Halo: [14.5]
Punjabi: [17.0]
The rest of the field are priced [18.0] and upwards
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