After a couple of quieter weekends to kick off 2021, Ascot and Haydock stage Graded events which could reasonably have a major effect on the Unibet Champion Hurdle and Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase betting on Saturday.
More of that later but the race with the best betting shape is the Matchbook Better Way To Bet Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle, a Grade Three event over two miles five furlongs with the in-form Harry Fry providing the current ante-post favourite in his prolific winner Lightly Squeeze.
He was third in the big handicap run over two miles on the Saturday before Christmas and everything about that run suggested he would improve for this step up in trip. The handicapper has left his mark alone, indeed he finds himself on the same one as when falling at the last in last year’s Betfair Hurdle when plenty felt he’d have taken a hand in the finish.
This will be his second run back after a breathing operation and it’s hard to find anything negative to say about him but surely he’ll be no shorter come the off.
One place behind him in December was Benson, a horse who’d already won a couple of autumn handicaps prior to Ascot and he too looked like he’d appreciate further when staying on from some way off the pace.
Of the two I’d say he was more eye-catching and certainly likely to benefit from a stiffer test than he got there.
Nicky Henderson is one of the first points of call when assessing big handicap hurdles around Ascot and his Craigneiche must be thought capable of major improvement after winning at the second time of asking at Doncaster. A winner right-handed in his bumper days he could be anything but it’s guesswork on what we know.
Mick Easterby has Alberts Back, on a hat trick after wins at Wetherby and Haydock before Christmas, entered and he looked really progressive on the latter occasion through which he holds War Lord and Our Power. He seems really solid with the only question mark his ability to act going this way round.
The Irish trainers have plundered some big prizes this season but not the usual suspects and Henry De Bromhead, who has Dancing On My Own, and Jessica Harrington, with Winging A Prayer, are either keen to give this a go or interested to see what the British assessor thinks of their marks with Cheltenham in mind.
I can’t see a form reason for backing either but that’s quite normal with Irish trained horses who tend to improve markedly once sent handicapping on these shores.
There are two horses who interest me here, the first is Jonjo O’Neill’s ARRIVEDERCI, who was all the rage for the Betfair Exchance Hurdle Hurdle we’ve already discussed in relation to the favourites for this race. He came in for sustained support into 5-1 favouritism that day but never seemed comfortable over the shorter trip. He’s a potential big improver here and has some very solid right-handed form to his name. At 12/1 he’s one of my two against the field.
