8th Mar 2011 | Cheltenham Festival
Champion Hurdle Tip: Oscar Whisky
3.20 Tue: With all the attention focused at the head of the market, there is a forgotten outsider.
The Champion Hurdle is run at 3.20, it is an excellent renewal and one of the most anticipated races of the festival.
It is very hard to crab the form of the big guns; Binocular and Hurricane Fly, but in such a competitive race they don’t represent any value. Binocular laboured last time out at Sandown and Hurricane Fly has yet to face a big field or Cheltenham.
At longer odds Oscar Whiskey is my fancy. Winner of two races this year, including the Welsh Champion Hurdle, he continues to move in the right direction. His only defeat was in last year’s Supreme Novices and he re-opposes the winner, Menorah.
Both look very closely matched on this year’s form, yet Menorah is 5/1 whilst Oscar Whisky is 12/1. There must be value in backing the latter.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 14:20 8th Mar, 2011 but subject to change
