Home / Horse Racing / Menorah Installed As Ante-post Favourite Ahead Of Reigning Champion Binocular

Menorah heads betting for Champion Hurdle following impressive win at Cheltenham

Menorah's hugely impressive performance in winning the International Hurdle at Cheltenham at the weekend has let to him being installed as ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle. He was 8/1 with Bet365 before Saturday's race but on the basis of his display has now shortened to 4/1 to send out a real message of intent to the likes of Binocular and Peddlers Cross.

Saturday's International Hurdle involved nine entries but was very much a three horse race as Menorah took on the young pretenders Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti. Menorah showed a tremendous turn of pace to emerge victorious by four and a half lengths from Cue Card to justify ante-post favouritism. The Supreme Novices' winner appears to be getting better and better, and the five year old's slick hurdling was a feature of Saturday's performance.

The course at Cheltenham is clearly one he enjoys as he boasts a formidable record there and in proving his Champion Hurdle credentials on Saturday he appears to be a serious threat to Binocular. Menorah is in safe hands with trainer Philip Hobbs, who of course trained the great Rooster Booster, and he has announced that Menorah will almost certainly go straight to Cheltenham in March with no other trials on the radar.

Menorah's challengers are going to have to go some way to displace him as ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle. Cue Card finished second on Saturday and is another who is likely to go straight to Cheltenham in March, with Bet365.com offering him at industry best priced odds of 20/1. Although a more realistic target for the 4-year-old is likely to be the Supreme Novices and he is in fact odds on 5/2 favourite with Bet365.

Elsewhere, with the Christmas Hurdle on the horizon, Binocular has again flattered to deceive in the early part of the season as he did last year. The Champion Hurdle winner failed to justify an-post favouritism for several races last year before coming good at Cheltenham and he is at odds of 5/1 with Bet365 to successfully retain his Champion Hurdle crown. He has been the beaten favourite in four of his last six starts and could only finish third in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle most recently. He could well race at Kempton in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day, which could provide a rematch against Khyber Kim who came second to Binocular in the 2010 Champion Hurdle. Khyber Kim is 14/1 in the betting with bet365.com for the 2011 race, and will definitely run on Boxing Day.

Meanwhile, Peddlers Cross joined Binocular at 5/1 in the odds for the Champion Hurdle but definitely won't race at the Christmas Hurdle. He beat Binocular in the recent Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the 2010 Neptune Investment Management Hurdle winner is likely to be another serious contender for Binocular's crown come March.

2011 Champion Hurdle Odds

4/1 Menorah
5/ Binocular*
5/1 Peddlers Cross
7/1 Hurricane Fly*
14/1 Khyber Kim
14/1 Silviaco Conti
16/1 Solwhit*
20/1 Dunguib*
20/1 Cue Card*
25/1 Go Native*
25/1 Starluck*
33/1 Soldatino*

* denotes best Industry Price.

Odds supplied by Bet365.com, best odds guaranteed on all of the racing action from Cheltenham Festival.

Posted: Monday, 13th December 2010
Author: Chris James
Tags: champion hurdle, menorah, binocular, peddlers cross, bet365,

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