Cheltenham 2014 : World Hurdle Betting

The old warrior will meet the young pretenders in the feature race on Thursday in the World Hurdle, just who will emerge on top though? Here is our guide to the runners and riders.

In the Blue corner is the challenger Annie Power who has been talked of as potentially the best mare that Ireland has ever produced. The Willie Mullins runner is now unbeaten in ten starts with the lowest margin of victory in the last four races coming at a disappointing (sarcasm alert) five lengths. The six-year-old beat the talented Zarkandar three starts ago by five lengths before extending this to eight lengths on her penultimate start. Last time out the margin of victory was a remarkable 15 lengths ahead of runner-up Doyly Carty. This is an elite horse and yes they are chinks in the armour (lack of Festival experience and concerns over the stamina). That being a victory at Cheltenham shows the course should not hold much fear and even at 7/4 still looks excellent value.

In the Red corner is Big Buck’s who is a four time winner of this race and was cruelly denied a chance to make it five last year due to injury. Since missing Cheltenham the horse has made three appearaces, winning at Aintree and Newbury before coming third last time out at Newbury. Sam Twiston-Davis took the blame for that loss for going for home too soon though that defeat over hurdles (a first since 2007) showed a vulnerability to speed and power. Paul Nicholls is adamant that the horse will be at the best when turning up this time around and there would be few more popular winners than Big Buck’s. I think though that the cruel injury in 2013 means that the best days of this fine champion are now behind it and therefore will not be getting involved at 7/2.

If not one of these two then At Fishers Cross (8/1) is the next most likely to emerge victorious. The Rebecca Curtis runner loves it around here with three wins and a second from four appearances including victory in the Albert Bartlett. That being said it is up against two elite horses here while the form this season has been disappointing. He was fourth of five at Newbury three races ago before unseating a rider on the penultimate start. Quevega is still officially in the field though I can not imagine she will run after winning on Tuesday and making history. bet365 are going 8/1 if the horse stays in the field.

Rule the World is 9/1 and this is another who could be in the mix. The Mouse Morris runner came second to The New One at the Festival last season in the Neptune and since then has been carefully raced to bounce back from an injury.

If the career of More of That was a Hollywood movie then it would be dismissed as unlikely. The Jonjo O’Neill runner went off at 20/1 on debut and won at Folkestone and has kept on winning since then making it four from four in a seamless rise through the grades. No doubt this will be the hardest challenge yet, but no horse in this race seems to have a bigger heart so never rule him out at odds of 10/1.

Others expected to go well and might offer place value are Zarkandar (12/1) who always does well here though tends to find one or two better and Salubrious )20/1) is another who might be worth a little each-way interest with two seconds and a first from three Cheltenham runs.

RECOMMENDATION: Annie Power to win, bet365, best price guaranteed

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12/03/2014     © Frixo 2026