Horse Racing Betting Tips: Tronador looks diamond of a bet in the Boodles
CONDITIONS will be really tough at Cheltenham this afternoon and that could play to the strengths of the Gordon Elliott-trained TRONADOR in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (4.50pm).
Elliott saddles five of the 22 runners in a contest he won two years ago with Veneer Of Charm and back in 2013 with Flaxen Flare.
The market suggests that his Aramax is the one to beat, but he is pretty short at around 5/1 and punters may have got carried away with the fact that he won the same prep race as last season’s winner Band Of Outlaws.
However, it is the stable’s Tronador that catches the eye towards the foot of the weights at 8/1 with Paddy Power.
He stayed on well on bad ground over a trip further than this last time and stamina looks to be the order of the day this afternoon.
All eyes will be on TIGER ROLL as he looks to win the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (4.10pm) for an historic third year on the trot.
If he were to be successful, that would be a fifth win at the Cheltenham Festival to add to his two Grand National victories which would cement him as one of the greatest of all time.
This will be a tough test for him, but off level weights it is just impossible to oppose him and if he comes here in anywhere near the same form as 12 months ago he will be tough to catch.
French raider Easysland will make him work hard, but I’d rather side with Tiger Roll at 10/11.
If the short-priced Envoi Allen wins the opening Ballymore Novices Hurdle and Tiger Roll gets the job done in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, bookmakers will be bracing themselves by the time the Weatherbys Champion Bumper (5.30pm) comes along.
Appreciate It is already as short as 7/4 and will potentially be the last leg of many trebles so could yet get shorter still.
He was hugely impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival and is without doubt a very special talent.
However, this promises to be a real slog and there may just be a bit of value in taking him on with a couple at big prices.
All week I’ve been keen to get with Roger Teal’s Ocean Wind but all the recent rain has somewhat dampened my confidence about one that won so well on good ground last time.
I respect the David Pipe-trained Israel Champ who has won on bad ground and also has some nice course form, but I cannot help but have a few quid each-way on Tom Lacey’s ADRIMEL at 28/1 under Champion Jockey Richard Johnson.
He defied a penalty nicely at Doncaster last time and having won his point-to-point over three miles shouldn’t struggle in the stamina department.
I’m also interested in one of Elliott’s three runners and that’s DARLING DAUGHTER at around 20/1.
The stable look to have better fancied chances in Queens Brook and Eskylane, but she won so well last time and gets a handy 7lb allowance.
POINTERS
Tiger Roll 4.10pm Cheltenham
Tronador e/w 4.50pm Cheltenham
Adrimel e/w 5.30pm Cheltenham