Home / Horse Racing / Tolworth Hurdle Winner Captain Conan Priced Up For Supreme

Naas winner Monksland well backed in the Neptune betting at Cheltenham Festival

Another busy weekend of national hunt horse racing offered a few clues to several races at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival in March. There were several notable winners at Sandown but it was Monksland's win at Naas on Sunday which provided most interest as Noel Meade's gelding was installed at 16/1 for the Neptune by Stan James.

Monksland secured a third win in a row, including a second over timber, when the 5-year-old claimed the Slaney Novice Hurdle. Meade's entry stepped up in class for the Grade Two and cruised to victory over two and a half miles as he showed excellent stamina on the soft-to-heavy ground to win by four and a half lengths. StanJames immediately priced him at 16/1 in the betting for the Neptune Novices Hurdle, with the unbeaten Fingal Bay still 5/1 favourite.

There was plenty of action to take in at Sandown on Saturday and Captain Conan secured a surprise victory in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle. Nicky Henderson's 5-year-old had drifted right out in the betting in the moments leading up to the race as he went from 7/2 to 9/1. However, he took full advantage of Colour Squadron's failure to keep straight on the final stretch to win by a short head on his first start on British soil.

StanJames.com installed Captain Conan at 16/1 in the betting for the Supreme Novices Hurdle, while Colour Squadron, who had been 11/8 joint favourite for the Tolworth, is also available at 16/1 for the Supreme. Paul Nicholls' Prospect Wells had been joint favourite at Sandown but failed to make any impression, with Stan James easing him out to 25/1 for the Supreme.

There was better new for Nicholls at Sandown though as the progressive Hold Fast won a handicap chase in fine style. The 7/2 favourite accelerated up the Sandown hill impressively and eventually notched a seven length win, with Stan James making the 8-year-old the joint second favourite at 12/1 in the betting for the Grand Annual.

Also at Sandown, Colebrooke notched a juvenile hurdle victory for one of the smaller stables in national hunt racing as Renee Robson's 4-year-old dug deep to beat Nicky Henderson's 11/10 favourite Soliwey, with StanJames going 33/1 on his chances in the Triumph Hurdle.

Elsewhere, Chris Grant's Lucematic was a debut winner on the flat at Newcastle on Saturday and is a 16/1 chance for the Champion Bumper.

Willie Mullins' Quel Espirit was the big winner at Thurles as the 2/7 favourite ousted four others in a Grade Three chase to make it two from two for the season. The 8-year-old endured a torrid 2011 season as he failed to finish three from four but he has down signs of improvement and could well step up in class next, with his chances of winning the Ryanair Chase currently priced 20/1.

Latest 2012 Cheltenham Festival Ante Post Betting

Neptune Novices Hurdle Odds

4/1 Fingal Bay, 10/1 Make Your Mark, 10/1 Simonsig, 12/1 Boston Bob, 16/1 Monksland, 16/1 Babatos, 16/1 Super Duty, 20/1 BAR

Supreme Novices Hurdle Odds

8/1 Steps To Freedom, 8/1 Waaheb, 12/1 Darlan, 12/1 Simonsig, 16/1 Captain Conan, 16/1 Cash And Go, 16/1 Galileos Choice, 16/1 Colour Squadron, 16/1 Cinders And Ashes, 16/1 Montbazon, 20/1 BAR

Triumph Hurdle Odds

7/1 Baby Mix, 10/1 Grumeti, 10/1 Minsk, 12/1 Urbain De Sivola, 14/1 Ut De Sivola, 14/1 Hinterland, 16/1 Ranjaan, 20/1 BAR

Ryanair Chase Odds

6/1 Noble Prince, 6/1 Rubi Light, 7/1 Captain Chris, 8/1 Riverside Theatre, 10/1 Albertas Run, 10/1 Kauto Stone, 12/1 BAR

Champion Bumper Odds

12/1 Don Cossack, 12/1 Shutthefrontdoor, 14/1 Un Atout, 14/1 The New One, 16/1 Champagne Fever, 16/1 Population, 16/1 Gevrey Chambertin, 16/1 Lucematic, 20/1 BAR

Grand Annual Odds

11/1 Oiseau de Nuit, 12/1 Kumbeshwar, 12/1 Hold Fast, 12/1 Astracad, 16/1 Tanks For That, 16/1 Oh Crick, 16/1 Anquetta, 16/1 Imsingingtheblues, 20/1 BAR

Odds supplied by StanJames.com, who provide ante-post betting for all Cheltenham Festival races.

Posted: Monday, 9th January 2012
Author: Chris James
Tags: cheltenham festival, monksland, neptune novices hurdle, captain conan, stan james,

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