Hunter Chase - 4.50 Fontwell

[Darran]

This race is one of the most unique races ever run in my view and quite frankly I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole for betting purposes. Kelvingrove ran at Charing on Saturday so we will be down to 4 runners and you don't need me to tell you that baring mishaps that Alcala and Bob And Co will fill the first two places home. That of course will mean they qualify for Cheltenham. Nicholls has been forced to run in them in the same race as this is the last chance for them to qualify for the Foxhunter and it will all be about getting home safe without having had a race. We are less than 3 weeks out from the Foxhunter and the last thing either horse wants is a slog over 3m2f in heavy ground. Neither horse would be running if it wasn't for qualification and I am sure they won't really care who wins. If Bob And Co settles as well as he did at Bangor I can see the two of them going round at a sensible pace and then making a race of it after the last as they will have to be seen to be trying to win the race or else the stewards won't be happy. Because of this how can anyone possibly have a bet on the race? I suppose you could say that Alcala has the better jockey and has 5lbs less to carry, but neither horse to me wants 3m2f in the mud and it could just turn out who has the most pace at the end of the race. As I type the market can't really split them and that is my view on it. If they were from different yards it might be different, but even then I can imagine they would have sorted it so neither horse had a hard time. One of them will win, but it is a total guess as to which one.

All being well we should see some much better betting opportunities in the hunter chases to come next week.

[paceman]

Definitely a no betting race for me.