Holywell Favourite For Betfred Bowl

Silviniaco Conti goes to Aintree looking to defend the betfred Bowl title he picked up last season. The now nine-year-old enters the 3m,1f Grade One steeplechase without favouritism after failing to pick up the Cheltenham Gold Cup despite being the short priced market leader there. Instead, the favourite to steal his crown is Jonjo O`Neill`s Holywell who can be picked up at the best price of 7/4. These odds can be found at bet365 and most other bookmakers.

Holywell performed much better than Silviniaco Conti in the Gold Cup, finishing just six lengths shy of a place position in a remote fourth. Paul Nicholls` favourite completed right back in seventh. Perhaps the eight-year-old`s key strength, however, is his good form around the Aintree course. Prior to him unseating Richie McLernon here back in December, the Gold Well-sired charge picked up the 2014 Grade One Mildmay Novices` Chase following a second placed finish in the 2013 Liverpool Hurdle. His Christmas time unseating has been the only time that the horse, owned by Gay Smith, has failed to finish outside of the top two at Aintree.

This season Holywell managed to secure a 3m,2f class two chase at Kelso, justifying odds-on favouritism in a four-strong field prior to his Festival outing. O`Neill`s mount saw off Fentara, his nearest rival, with ease, recording a 25 length victory.

What of the reigning champion? Silviniaco Conti has had four runs this season, three at Grade One level and the other having Grade Two status. The Nicholls` charge managed to secure the Haydock betfair Chase and Kempton`s King George before bombing at the Festival.

Like Holywell, the Potensis Bloodstock charge has a solid record over the Aintree obstacles, picking up the 2012 Mildmay Chase by 13 lengths from Champion Court before grabbing a third in the 2013 renewal of this race. Again, he would eventually take the honours the following year, beating off Dynaste by a length-and-a-half.

Whilst it is hard to know which Conti is going to turn up, trainer Nicholls will have a renewed will to get his stable star in top form following his failure to make an impression on the Gold Cup. The Ditcheat handler will also know that securing this race will see him become the race`s all-time leading trainer, having saddle both 2000`s Seemorebusiness and 2010`s What A Friend before Conti in 2014.

The best price of 11/4 (bet365 and others) says that the highest rated horse in the race (173) will retain his betfred Bowl crown.

Nicky Henderson has the only mare in the race in Ma Filleule, this charge hoping that its 7lb allowance will help her get the better of her opponents tomorrow. Unlike her rivals, she is coming into this race off the back of a relative Cheltenham success after she took second in the Ryanair Chase, finishing five lengths off Uxizandre.

Ma Filleule was also the 9/1 winner in the 2014 Topham Chase as a six-year-old, negotiating the Grand National fences with aplomb to finish eight lengths to the good of second placed Bennys Mist. This typifies the horse`s talent and jumping ability and demonstrates how she has managed to seal back-to-back Grade One places.

Whilst her last success at this sort of distance came in the December of 2013, Ma Filleule is available at a price of 4/1 (bet365 and paddy Power).

Elsewhere, elder statesman of the field Menorah will have to reverse some serious form on Silviniaco Conti at a price of 8/1 (bet365) with Ballynagour hoping to give David Pipe his third win in the race at 18/1 (bet365). Warren Greatrex`s Vukovar is the outsider of the seven at 25/1 (Bet365).

Go To bet365

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08/04/2015     © Frixo 2024