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2011 Ladbrokes World Hurdle Odds: Big Bucks Still the one to Beat

This week’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival looks set to make the record books as the great Big Bucks looks to win the race for the third year in succession a feat that eluded past staying legends such as Inglis Drever and Baracouda. Backed into odds on with Skybet, Big Bucks can still be snapped up with odds of 11/10 available from VC Bet but with so much antepost betting activity that price is also likely to shorten.

Big Bucks, trained by Paul Nicholls, is fast becoming a racing phenomenon having won his tenth straight race when claiming his second Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury in January, a race he won at a canter finishing six lengths clear of Lough Derg. It was his second win of the season having earlier taken the Long Distance Hurdle in November, another race he won easily. He is said to be in great form at home and will be aided by being re-united with regular jockey Ruby Walsh.

There are many pundits suggesting that this year Big Bucks will be up against a real prospect in the shape of Grands Crus from the David Pipe stable who has arrived at the top level of National Hunt with a bang, after winning three staying hurdle races including the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle over this course and distance in January. He took that race in fantastic style finishing all of ten lengths clear of Knockara Beau, subsequent winner of the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle qualifier at Carlisle last month. Also behind him that day was Bensalem winner of the big Handicap Chase on the opening day of this year’s Festival. Certainly there is no doubting that Grands Crus comes to the race with a big chance but is really ready to tackle the almost impregnable claims of the ‘champion stayer’? The Bookmakers by and large have his odds for the race at around the 9/4 mark.

The Irish challenge this year will come from the Willie Mullins pair of Mourad and Fiveforthree, who have odds of 9/1 and 10/1 respectively with Victor Chandler.Mourad has shown good winning form this season with two wins from his three starts. The latest of those came in the Grade Two Galmoy Hurdle over three miles on soft ground at Gowran Park in January, a race he won by six lengths looking mightily impressive in the process. There are doubts however regarding him handling the faster ground he will find at Cheltenham this week; that said he ran third on ground good to soft in the 2009 Triumph Hurdle when third behind Zaynar.

Fiveforthree also showed good winning form this season when easily winning a good quality hurdle at Punchestown last month over two miles on heavy ground. It was the nine year old’s first appearance on a racecourse for almost two years after a series of setbacks kept him at home. Prior to that he had won the Grade One Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle at the 2009 Punchestown Festival and as a novice he won the Ballymore Properties Hurdle at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival This race may have come a little too quick for him bearing in mind his long lay-off but he certainly would have a chance of a place.

Of the rest Celestial Halo, stablemate of Big Bucks and second in the Champion Hurdle last year will have an outside chance of a place, where his price of 33.1 is excellent value for each way backers particularly as he won at Grade Two level in February. Zaynar too at 16/1 would also represent solid each way value.

World Hurdle Odds

11/10 Big Bucks
9/4 Grands Crus
9/1 Mourad
10/1 Fiveforthree
16/1 Zaynar
25/1 Askazar
33/1 Celestial Halo
40/1 Powerstation
50/1 BAR

Odds Supplied by Victor Chandler.com who provide a very competitive range of betting facilities for the Cheltenham Festival

Posted: Wednesday, 16th March 2011
Author: Rodney Wise
Tags: cheltenham festival, world hurdle, big bucks, ruby walsh, bet365,

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