Peace And Co Looks Good For The Triumph Hurdle

Peace And Co is the clear 3/1 favourite for the opening race of the last day of the 2015 renewal of the Cheltenham Festival. This price can be found at just 32red and 888sport and isn`t expected to be available for much longer. The JCB Triumph Hurdle, this opening race, is an event held over 17f and sees the field of 17 entrants tackle a total of eight hurdles. It currently has Grade One status.

The favourite is one of three mounts for Nicky Henderson, the Lambourn trainer on the up after his first win of this meeting on day three. Confidence in this four-year-old comes from the fact that the horse is already a two-time Grade Two winner, scooping these victories on his only pair of career outings. Whilst the former 2m win saw him put 19 lengths between himself and the Fred Winter placed Starchitecht at Doncaster, he was a three length winner at this course and distance on his reappearance when burdened with 3lbs more than either second or third.

Whilst Peace And Co is undoubtedly the best horse in the race, the Falco-sired mount of owner Simon Munir already rated 155, both of the charge`s previous runs have come on soft ground. A lot of rain will need to be unloaded over Gloucestershire for the going to change so considerably. The favourite will be helped by the form of his jockey, Barry Geraghty.

It is another of Henderson`s horses who is Peace And Co`s nearest rival in this market, this being the JP McManus owned Hargam. The grey can be backed at the best price of 7/1 at a number of bookmakers.

Hargam has already had two attempts at Cheltenham, finishing behind Fred Winter faller Golden Doyen on his debut before picking up a course and distance win back in December. In this class two trial for this race, Hargam beat Karezak by a length-and-a-half, a month later this Alan King charge would finish six off Peace And Co. This is another valuable factor in the favourite`s corner. Tangentially, Karezak can be backed at 20/1 (Numerous) to reverse the form on both fancies.

This Henderson second-string picked up his first class one race when completed first in a listed Musselburgh two-miler. The horse beat Starchitecht, that Donald McCain mount that Peace And Co defeated by 19 lengths, by a `mere` six lengths.

Could 8/1 (32red, 888sport, Betvictor, Coral) chance Beltor be the favourite`s biggest opposition then? This Robert Stevens trained entrant is another unbeaten over hurdles following the end of his length career on the flat. He was 16/1 when scooping a Ludow 2m event by seeing off the Fred Winter pair of Arabian Revolution and Sebastian Beach by over two lengths before picking up a Grade Two at Kempton over the same distance.

The Alison Mossop owned fancy took this race in fine style, putting five lengths between himself and Festival finisher All Yours. Very much like the favourite, however, both of Beltor`s hurdles wins have come on soft ground and will have to adapt to go on this good surface.

Beltor shares 8/1 (Numerous) status with Top Notch, the third of the Henderson runners. Top Notch is currently unbeaten in three though all of these wins have come in vastly superior races at Newbury, Ascot and Haydock respectively. He did, however, take down Golden Doyen over 2m at Ascot and should have Hargam in his sights as a result. On his last outing at Haydock he ran out the nine length winner in the 2m class two.

The best of the rest at bigger prices include Petite Parisienne at 11/1 at Betvictor, Coral and Skybet and Pain Au Chocolat who is available at a price of 22/1 at Coral.

Go To bet365

#Ad

12/03/2015     © Frixo 2026