Home / Horse Racing / Irish Graded Races Give A Few Cheltenham Festival Clues

Big Zeb bounces right back near head of 2012 Queen Mother Chase Betting

There were some interesting ante-post market moves for the 2012 Cheltenham Festival following this weekend's racing from Ireland. Naas hosted a useful card on Saturday whilst their were three graded contests at Navan on Sunday.

Whilst the Jessica Harrington trained Steps To Freedom was winning the Sharp Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and securing his place at the head of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle betting, the Dermot Weld trained Unaccompanied was winning well in a listed race at Naas. The 2011 Triumph Hurdle runner-up was sent off odds on favourite for the Naas Vet panel Supporting Racing Fishery Lane Hurdle and obliged beating Sailor's Warn by three lengths. The result of which was Stan James introducing the four year old into their betting for the David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, as second favourite at odds of 8/1. She has also been given quotes as short as 16/1 for the Champion Hurdle, although she is best price 33/1.

At Navan on Sunday the first of the three graded races was the Lismullen Hurdle. Former Neptune Novices' Hurdle winner Mikael D'Haguenet had been reverted back to hurdling after a rather fraught attempt over fences last season, but the Willie Mullins trained seven year old could only finish a well beaten third, behinf Fully Funded and the winner Voler La Vedette trained by Colm Murphy. This was a good Grade 2 win for the mare, her eleventh win under rules and she was clipped in to 10/1 for the David Nicholson contest at Cheltenham, a race she's previously finished runner up in behind the unbeaten Quevega who continues to head the betting for a fourth straight win and is in danger of scaring off any half suitable opponents.

The Grade 3 'For Auction' Novice Hurdle was won by the Noel Meade favourite Il Fenomeno by one and three quarter lengths and has been given quotes of 33/1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle by bookmaker Stan James.

The big race on the card was the Grade 2 Fortria Chase where just five runners went to post. The 2011 Jewson Novices' Chase winner Noble Prince had been backed into favourtism prior to this two mile contest but it was former winner and Champion two mile chaser Big Zeb who showed there were plenty of miles left in the ten year old's legs by winning by two lengths at odds of 6/5.

The Colm Murphy trained ten year old was also giving away weight all round which made the win all the more impressive and it was no surprise to see Stan James shorten his Queen Mother Champion Chase odds to 11/2 second favourite behind last season's winner Sizing Europe.

Noble Prince remains a 14/1 chance for the Wednesday highlight of the Cheltenham Festival, but it's likely he'll run in the two and a half mile Ryanair Chase on the Thursday, a race which he is best price 7/1 to win.

Latest Ante-Post 2012 Cheltenham Festival Betting

David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle Odds

6/5 Quevega; 8/1 Unaccompanied; 10/1 Voler La Vedette; 16/1 Alasi; 25/1 Jacksonslady; 33/1 Whatwillwecallher

Queen Mother Champion Chase Odds

4/1 Sizing Europe; 11/2 Big Zeb; 8/1 Finian's Rainbow, Captain Chris; 12/1 Master Minded; 14/1 Noble Prince, Medermit; 20/1 BAR

Ryanair Chase Odds

7/1 Noble Prince; 8/1 Master Minded, Albertas Run, Captain Chris; 12/1 Riverside Theatre, Medermit, Kauto Stone, Poquelin; 14/1 BAR

Odds supplied by Stanjames.com.

Posted: Monday, 14th November 2011
Author: Russell Lloyd
Tags: cheltenham festival, queen mother champion chase, big zeb, noble prince, stan james,

10 Latest Horse-racing Articles

	Height Of Fashion Stakes Odds Goodwood hosts Listed Oaks Trial Coquet And Gathering Head The Betting	23rd May
	Bonfire clipped in the latest Epsom Derby betting following key trial win 2000 Guineas Winner Camelot Remains Favourite	21st May
	Lockinge Stakes Odds Frankel all the rage in betting on seasonal reappearance Sir Henry Cecils Stable Star Long Odds On At Newbury	18th May
	Yorkshire Cup Odds Red Cadeaux heads the Group Two betting Harris Tweed Could Provide Value At York	17th May
	Middleton Stakes Odds Izzi Top Likely Favourite in Close Betting Race at York I	16th May
	Dante Stakes Odds Bonfire Set to Light Up York in Derby Trial Mandaean And Ernest Hemingway Also Being Backed	16th May
	Duke of York Stakes Odds Hoof It and Mayson Dispute Favouritism Ahead of York First Day Feature Restiadargent Looks Good Bet For Each Way Backers	15th May
	Musidora Stakes Odds The Fugue Should Start Favourite for Oaks Trial at York Twirl The Big Danger From Ballydoyle	15th May
	Betfred Victoria Cup Odds Lightning Cloud Can Strike for Kevin Ryan 24 Go To Post For Ascot Feature	11th May
	Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes Betting Wrote favourite for Ballydoyle Aidan O'Brien Has Won Five Of The Last Six Renewals	11th May

Archive - Previous 5 Horse Racing Articles

	Ante Post 2012 Cheltenham Festival Betting Hots Up Following Open Meeting Novices stake early season claims at Cheltenham	14th Nov
	Independent Newspaper Novices Chase Betting Arkle Hope Al Ferof Odds On With Ladbrokes Bellvano second favourite at Cheltenham	13th Nov
	Hyde Novices Hurdle Odds Fingal Bay Heads Betting In Neptune Trial African Broadway can score for in form Pipe team	13th Nov
	Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase Tips Plenty Of Optimism For Wishfull Thinking Mon Parrain Heavily Backed to Land the Odds in Cheltenham Feature	11th Nov
	Greatwood Handicap Hurdle Odds Sanctuaire Tempting Proposition Despite Top Weight Pateese Favourite for Cheltenham Open Meeting Day Three Feature	11th Nov

Headline News

	England V West Indies 2nd Test Odds Hosts Start Hot Favourites At Trent Bridge Tempting Odds For Ian Bell To Score A Century
	2012 BMW PGA Championship Tips Ben Curtis A Good Bet To Score On English Soil Again McDowell And Fraser Also Fancied To Do Well
	Crowne Plaza Invitational Odds Zach Johnson Heads The Betting At Colonial David Toms Returns To Defend His Title In Texas
	Height Of Fashion Stakes Odds Goodwood Hosts Listed Oaks Trial Coquet And Gathering Head The Betting
	Second Eurovision Semi Final Odds Graham Norton Gets Prepares To Poke Fun

£250 Free Bet - Paddypower

BRAND NEW £250 free bets offer.

Open a new account with Paddy Power and place an initial bet of between £10 and £50
Paddy Power will match this with a free bet to the same stake
Paddy Power then let you repeat this a further four times to allow you to claim a maximum of £250 in free bets.

Open Account - Free £250 Bets With Paddypower