Horse Racing Betting Tips: Copperhead and Minella Indo look most likely to become RSA champs
AP MCCOY was a truly extraordinary sportsman and the horse named after him, Champ, will be many punters’ idea of the banker in today’s RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase (2.10pm).
Nicky Henderson’s son of King’s Theatre had finished first or second on his first 11 starts, but last time in the Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day he fell at the second last with the race seemingly in the bag.
It is never ideal coming to the Festival on the back of a fall and he will have to sharpen up his jumping if he is to see off some very promising novice chasers.
I wasn’t particularly taken with him at Newbury the time before, so at just 3/1 with Sporting Index Odds I will be looking elsewhere.
Colin Tizzard has an abundance of talent within his Dorset yard and he must be thrilled with the progress shown by COPPERHEAD this season.
His chasing debut at Chepstow in October was a little underwhelming, but two handicap successes in December followed by an incredible display in the Grade One Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot last month, have seen his rating fly from 125 to 155.
Regular readers of this column will have a nice ante-post slip in their wallet, as we backed him at 16/1 prior to Ascot and he is now no bigger than 9/2.
I’m still very keen on his chances, and he will love the ground, but I also think it’s worth adding last year’s Albert Bartlett winner MINELLA INDO to the portfolio.
He was one of the biggest shocks of the Festival when landing that staying prize for novice hurdlers at 50/1, but he proved it was no fluke when following up in another Grade One at the Punchestown Festival.
Henry De Bromhead’s seven-year-old has only had two starts over fences, which is a lighter campaign than you normally want in this race, but he is an out and out stayer who has won four from five over three miles.
He came alive in the spring last year and his trainer’s horses always improve over fences, so he looks to have very solid claims at 7/2.
Sporting Index offer a number of match bets on the spreads and I will be siding with him against Champ.
Allaho, who finished third in the Albert Bartlett, is another danger but he has been a bit keen in his races and will need to settle better to get home.
POINTERS
Minella Indo 2.10pm Cheltenham
Buy Minella Indo in match bet with Champ 2.10pm Cheltenham
Copperhead (already advised 16/1 e/w) 2.10pm Cheltenham