Merhoob is the horse to back at +300 with Bovada to win the Class 2 Betway Live Casino Handicap at Lingfield. There are no Class 1 races across four meetings on Friday, so this contest is the best race of the day. The distance is six furlongs and there are only five declared runners, which means the place terms are one-quarter the odds for two places. There is no each-way betting when there are four runners or less.
There are three Class 3 races at the jumps meetings at Chepstow and Musselburgh. The most lucrative race of the three is the novices' chase over almost three miles at Chepstow. Vision Des Flos is the standout horse on ratings and the best price is -137.49. There are only three runners declared to run in this race, so only win bets are allowed. None of the runners can be ruled out, but the selection is the form pick and the horse to back.
The latest Cheltenham Festival betting news concerns Saldier, who goes straight to the Champion Hurdle. The horse appeared to be getting the better of Espoir D'Allen in a decent hurdle race in 2018. Saldier fell and Espoir D'Allen won that race and the 2019 Champion Hurdle. Sadly, Espoir D'Allen won't be defending his crown because he suffered a fatal injury in training. Saldier is progressing nicely and is on offer at +500 odds to win the Champion Hurdle.
SkyBet are the first online bookmakers to offer non-runner/no bet on the Champion Hurdle and other races at the Festival. You can back Saldier at bigger prices with other bookmakers, but the downside is that if the horse is withdrawn before the day of the race all bets count as losers. Ante-post betting for the Cheltenham Festival will become more attractive as other bookmakers introduce the NRNB concession. Saldier is one of 36 declarations for the Champion Hurdle.
The four days of Cheltenham are in stark contrast to the moderate fare at Lingfield this Friday. There are seven handicaps at the lower end of the class spectrum and one novices' stakes. Merhoob is a course and distance winner that has not won in 11 starts, but the horse has an excellent opportunity dropping in level and champion AW jockey Adam Kirby is in the saddle. Merhoob has won at the level, in this class and on the projected going so is the nap of the day.
The best jumps horse in action is Vision Des Flos and even the odds-on quotes may be underestimating his chances at Chepstow. The horse was a decent hurdler that looked a good prospect in his first races over fences. Vision Des Flos was fifth of six runners behind the winner Champ at Newbury. The Chepstow race is a huge drop in grade and Vision Des Flos can show the improvement to win this novice chase by a wide margin.
From now until the Cheltenham Festival, every decent effort by a jumps horse will be reported in the context of Cheltenham. There are no potential contenders for the jumps meeting that matters most running on the all-weather at Lingfield and Newcastle, but there are some opportunities to boost your Cheltenham Festival betting bank. Merhoob and Vision Des Flos are the pick of the fancied horses, and the double pays +600 with Bovada.