CHELTENHAM 2008 - WORLD HURDLE

TIPBITS

Key Races
Eight World Hurdle winners since 1989 have previously run in the Long Walk Hudle, the latest being My Way DeSolzen who won the Long Walk before winning the World Hurdle.

Lough Derg was an impressive winner this season and had several likely World Hurdle contenders behind him. - cheltenham-betting.co.uk

Cheltenham Tips - Champion Horses Have Recent Form!
With the big championship races (The Gold Cup, World Hurdle, Champion Hurdle and Queen Mother) you can rule out horses which didnt finish in the first three on their latest start. 31 of the last 32 winners of these races all ran in the last three on their most recent run.

Cheltenham Tips - Age of Championship Winners
Out of the last 32 Championship winners at the Cheltenham festival, 28 were aged between seven and nine. A great tip which will rule out a lot of runners. - cheltenham-betting.co.uk


Recent Winners
The trend towards better ground at the Festival has meant that the event has become less of a slog and has enabled the classier horses to dominate. Not since Anzum, in 1999, have we seen a double figure price winner of the race. - cheltenhamfestival.net

KASBAH BLISS 2 pts WIN @ 10/1 with BET365

A FREE matching bet is available for anyone opening a new account with BET365.



Kasbah Bliss wins Rendlesham Hurdle Grade 2 Ascot Feb 2008

KASBAH BLISS is in the yellow colours with the white cap. Check the turn of foot after the last.



Key Trends
No 5 year-old has ever won, although plenty have been placed.

Only one winner older than 9 (Crimson Embers in 1986).

No Irish trained winner for 13 years.

The last 20 winners finished in the first 4 last time out.

No shock results of late. 8/1 the highest SP in last seven years. - cheltenhamreview.net

INGLIS DREVER is fancied to win this and is some peoples idea of a festival banker.

Timely couple of winners

ANYONE with a Cheltenham ante-post portfolio featuring horses trained by Howard Johnson and Jonjo O'Neill would have been encouraged to see the pair fire in a winner apiece yesterday – particularly Johnson, who had gone 21 days without success.

Despite the brouhaha over the scuppering of Johnson's plans to give his squad a pre-festival gallop at Hexham, he's already proven that he can ready one for Cheltenham without resorting to awaydays, and the victory of Cool Operator at Catterick is merely reassurance that whatever was ailing the stable is all but over.

O'Neill has had a quiet time of it, but you can bet Cheltenham has been at the forefront of his mind for most of the season, and the victory of Golden Oak, who traded at 50 in running in the staying handicap chase at Fontwell, was a nice tonic six days before the big one starts.

Roll on Tuesday! - racingpost.com


However, last years 3rd BLAZING BAILEY and last years 5th home KASBAH BLISS were 5yo's who will have strengthened up a huge amount this year and will present more of a challenge.

"The Ladbrokes World Hurdle has taken on increased significance in recent years, thanks mainly to the exploits of the great French champion Baracouda.

Yet I am reminded of the words of Captain Tim Forster, who once remarked: "There is only one thing more boring than a two-mile hurdle... and that's a three-mile hurdle!"

To be honest, from a jockey's perspective, the feature on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival is not the most exciting Grade 1 race we ride in during the season.

Yet top-class performers like dual winner Baracouda and Iris's Gift have given the race some panache in recent years, and the trend towards better ground has meant that the race is no longer the slog is sometimes could be. The classier horses have tended to dominate and not since David Nicholson won it with Anzum in 1999 have we seen a double-priced winner of the race.

Neither have we seen an odds-on winner. That could change this year, though. For Inglis Drever, already Evens favourite with most firms, looks a very good bet to record a hat-trick of victories in the race.

The Howard Johnson-trained nine-year-old, who first won this race in 2005 and again last year, having missed the 2006 renewal through injury, will be many people's idea of their Festival banker.

He does hit flat spots in his races but he always finds a second wind and there was a lot to like about the way he dismissed Blazing Bailey in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January.

In fairness, the holes in his opponents' form have been widening as the trials have unravelled. Wichita Lineman, last year's Brit Insurance Hurdle hero, took a lot of stoking up when getting three miles for the first time this season in the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock. That race was won in style by Kasbah Bliss, who finished fifth in last year's World Hurdle, but who was scoring for the first time in Britain since his Adonis Hurdle success two years ago. From the same Francois Doumen stable as Baracouda, Kasbah Bliss would also appreciate soft ground, which is not a common occurrence at the Festival.

Adding a touch of class to proceedings is Hardy Eustace, the dual Champion Hurdler, who will hope to give Ireland their first victory in 14 years. He is getting a bit long in the tooth at the age of 11, though, and it is hard to get away from the impression that this trip will tax him.

With his exciting novice season a fading memory, out-of-form Black Jack Ketchum's supporters have long since deserted him. But if Jonjo O'Neill can reignite his spark, he looks a big price at 33-1 (Ladbrokes).

The 2006 winner and last year's Arkle hero My Way de Solzen has disappointed over fences this season and any plans are being put on hold until he runs in the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on Sunday. If he does run, he'd have a chance, but it is hard to see beyond the first three in the betting.

For that reason, BLAZING BAILEY, best-priced 7-1 (Stan James, Betfred, Boylesports) looks the each-way bet at this stage" - Richard Dunwoody

Last years World Hurdle race can be viewed below.