With Cheltenham Festival just a matter of days away there will remain plenty of interest in the Festival specials markets, not least on who will finish as the top trainer. Competition is always strong for the 'Thomas Pink Leading Trainer Award' which goes to the trainer with the most wins come the end of the Festival, and at the moment there is nothing to separate Cheltenham legends Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls according to Totesport bookmakers.
Tote price them both at odds of 6/4 and Henderson is reigning champion after claiming three winners in 2010 to end a run of four consecutive top trainer titles for Nicholls. Henderson boasts an enviable hand once again this year and it is unsurprising that he heads the odds this year as he has 37 Festival wins to his name - the most of any current trainer. Those victories include three Champion Hurdle wins and one Queen Mother Champion Chase win.
He will be hoping that last year's Champion Hurdle winner Binocular can repeat the trick this year as he is well backed at odds of 3/1, while he also boast Finians Rainbow - a 7/2 punt for the Arkle, and Spirit Son, who is 11/2 for the Supreme Novices and a winner in the opening race would be the perfect start for Henderson.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls also boasts a strong hand though as he lays claim to two of the leading Gold Cup contenders in Denman and Kauto Star, who are available at odds of 6/1 with Tote, and Champion Chase contender Master Minded. With Big Buck's an evens favourite for the World Hurdle, Nicholls will be confident of adding to his Festival tally of 27 wins, which includes four Gold Cups and three Champion Chases, and could even look to beat the record of five winners he set in 2009.
Nicholls will undoubtedly give Ruby Walsh plenty of his leading contenders and Walsh himself is hot favourite to be top jockey this year despite only recently returning from a broken leg.
Elsewhere, 17 time Festival race winner Willie Mullins looks strong as third favourite for the top trainer title and is priced at 6/1 with Totesport.com. Many believe his Quevega is a shoe in for the David Nicholson Mares and the Irishman also boasts Hurricane Fly (9/2 for the Champion Hurdle), as well as Zaidpour and Golden Silver.
Away from the top three there are a clutch of proven trainers at odds of 16/1, with Nigel Twiston-Davies the joint most successful of them with 13 winners. Imperial Commander brought the Gold Cup home for him last year and he is 10/3 favourite to win the Festival's feature race again this year. Philip Hobbs also has 13 wins, including the Champion Chase and World Hurdle, and has a leading fancy in Menorah for this year's Champion Hurdle.
Alan King has 11 wins to his name since 2004, despite failing to record a single win last year, and he is a proven performer with Arkle, Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle winners in the past. But as the odds suggest it looks to be a huge challenge to threaten the legendary names of Henderson and Nicholls for that top trainer title this year.
6/4 Nicky Henderson
6/4 Paul Nicholls
6/1 Willie Mullins
16/1 Nigel Twiston-Davies*
16/1 Alan King
16/1 Philip Hobbs
20/1 David Pipe*
33/1 Donald McCain*
33/1 Jonjo O'Neill
50/1 BAR
*Denotes Industry Best Price. Odds supplied by Totesport.com bookmakers, who provide a variety of specials betting markets for Cheltenham Festival 2011, which starts on Tuesday 15th March.
Posted: Thursday, 10th March 2011
Author: Chris James
Tags: cheltenham festival, thomas pink leading trainer award, nicky henderson, paul nicholls, totesport,
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