Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle
Formerly known as the Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle and before that, the Royal and Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle this is a grade one race over 2miles 5 furlongs for novices.Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle Trends
All of the last ten winners were aged five or six
Nine out of the last ten winners have started in the first six in the betting
Nine out of the last ten winners had finished first or second last time out
Nine out of the last ten winners had won at least 50% of all their hurdle hurdle runs
Nine out of the last ten winners had already won over at least 2m 4f over hurdles
Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle Tips
Looking at recent winners of this race, a five or six year old with recent good form and at odds of 20/1 or less looks like what we should be looking for. Easy!
Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle Tips
We gave Mikael D'Haguenet as our tip in this race last year and he obliged at 5/2 having been available at bigger odds earlier in the week.
Willie Mullins trained Mikael D'Haguenet to victory last year and Fiveforthree won for him in 2008 - could he possibly have a hat-trick in this race?
Here at Cheltenham Betting Guide we think Quel Esprit could make it three out of three for the County Carlow based trainer in the 2m 5f Novice Hurdle.
The six-year-old grey gelding has recorded three wins out of four this season. His sole defeat by Coole River at Leopardstown came as something of a shock at the time but with that horse going on to further Grade Two success it should not be viewed negatively, especially as Quel Esprit had to make much of his own running that day.
He will have no such concerns at Cheltenham where his fast, accurate jumping will make him hard to beat.
Back Quel Esprit at the best odds by clicking on the bookmaker logo by its name below
If you are looking for an ante-post bet in this race take extreme care as this race is right in the middle of the novice hurdle distances and your selection could possibly go for this race and also have an entry in one of the other novice hurdles.
If you do make an ante-post wager make sure you get decent odds and keep stakes to a minimum until you are sure your selection is heading for this race.
It may pay to stay away from horses who have been at the Festival before when looking for the winner of the Ballymore - only two of the last ten winners had raced at the Festival before - this is probably as this race tends to go to later maturing novices and is in stark contrast to a number of other races in Festival week.
Neptune Novices Hurdle Odds
The Neptune Novices hurdle odds, or if you prefer the old name, Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle odds, are listed below for the 2010 race. Click on the bookie logo to place your bet at the best odds.
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