Ante-Post Update

My Festival list will be on a separate thread from now until mid March and I have three bets to update. The first was actually placed a week or ten days ago but I was so caught up with my Cheltenham wagers that I didn't think to include it on the list. I took 8/1 about Zarkandar when the prices came out for the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury next month. I've only placed £10 on as yet because there was some doubt about whether or not that race was his target. Proof below as I do prefer to post my bets not long after they've been placed. The Triumph he won has turned into a white hot race from a form point of view and Nicholls hurdler gets into this race off a lenient looking mark.

Bet Ref: 37/37
Zarkandar @ 8/1
The Betfair Hurdle Race
The Betfair Hurdle Race
Event date:
Unit stake
Total stake	£ 10

On Saturday we have a mouth watering Gold Cup trial where Novice Grands Crus takes on the likes of Captain Chris, Time for Rupert and Diamond Harry. Captain Chris is 6/1, longer odds than both DH and TFR and I think that is wrong. The horse ran a cracker in the King George on a track he didn't look that at ease with and back at Cheltenham I think he has an outstanding chance of further enhancing his Gold Cup claims. Grands Crus is still a huge danger novice or no and I may cover on him on the day.

Also on Saturday up at Doncaster we have the Sky Bet chase over three miles. This is a competitive looking handicap and the horse I've backed for this is the Nick Williams trained Shalimar Fromentro. I backed him in his last race at the beginning of December at Aintree in the Becher Chase over the National fences where he travelled and jumped really well until coming to grief at Bechers Brook. I think we can forgive any horse who falls at that fence and he runs on Saturday off the same mark (130). My concern is that over three miles on ground potentially faster than he's raced on before things might happen a bit quick for him. But ultimately the sponsors have him at 20/1 and I think that's just too big a price. I've kept my initial bet on the small side as I fear he might not run if we get genuinely good ground.

Argento Chase:

Captain Chris £40w @ 6/1

Sky Bet Chase:
Shalimar Fromentro £10ew @ 20/1

Betfair Hurdle:

Zarkander £10w @ 8/1