Best Of Bets

Day: 6 February 2023

  • Cheltenham Festival: Will Honeysuckle Retire Before Cheltenham Festival or take on the Mares’ Hurdle?  

    Cheltenham Festival: Will Honeysuckle Retire Before Cheltenham Festival or take on the Mares’ Hurdle?  

    Cheltenham Festival: Will Honeysuckle Retire Before Cheltenham Festival or take on the Mares’ Hurdle?  

    Honeysuckle suffered only her second even defeat on Sunday in the Irish Champion Hurdle – her second loss on the bounce after an incredible run of 16 straight wins. However, the unfortunate recent results means that owner Kenny Alexander has ruled the 9 year old out of the Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdle next month. Does this mean that the Mares’ Hurdle be Honeysuckle’s next race?
    With the risk of stating the obvious; horses can’t go on winning forever – unless, they are called Frankel. So even though it’s always sad to see a superstar horse, such as Honeysuckle, who has racked up a load of wins, losing a race, it’s inevitable  and something that will eventually happen more often than not.
    After winning her first 16 races, the Honeysuckle bubble burst at Fairyhouse at the start of December, when third in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, and even though many horse racing fans stuck with her on Sunday as she tried to win the Irish Champion Hurdle for a fourth time, it seems her invisibility powers are no longer after only managing second – beaten 4 3/4 lengths by the younger legs of State Man.
    And with two defeats on the bounce, it seems as that first defeat back in December wasn’t just a blip but instead, a sign that age is finally catching up with the 9 year-old Honeysuckle.
    Connections Rule Out Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdle Defence
    Following Sunday’s defeat, her first at Leopardstown in five runs at the Dublin track, connections were quick to rule her out of the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, a race she’s won for the last two seasons.
    Therefore, a date with the classy Constitution Hill in the 2023 Champion Hurdle would not be fair for her at this stage of her career.
    Instead her owner Kenny Alexander was honest enough to say that there’s two options left for Honeysuckle – retirement or a tilt at the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival – an easier option running against her own sex and a prize she won in 2020.
    Honeysuckle’s owner – Kenny Alexander told the Racing Post “We’ll definitely not be taking on Constitution Hill, that’s for sure,” was owner  emphatic reply when I asked him what was next for his legendary mare.
    “I would fear what would happen against Constitution Hill and we’ve no desire to go running around for place money. It’s up to Henry. If he wants to chuck it now, that’s okay. I’ve always said that we have to get her out safe and sound. Maybe the time has come.
    “If we go for Constitution Hill, the mare is so brave and Rachael doesn’t muck about – we’d run to win and I’d dread for anything to happen to her now. I don’t think we can beat Constitution Hill. I’m not sure anything can beat Constitution Hill.”
    “I would be prepared to go for the Mares’ Hurdle, but let’s talk to Henry and Rachael. I’ll leave it to them – whatever they say we’ll go with. She doesn’t owe us anything. I’d love to win another Mares’ Hurdle with her and go out in a blaze of glory, but I don’t want anything to happen to her now.”
    Honeysuckle 2/1: Cheltenham Festival 2023 Mares’ Hurdle
    The bookmakers reacted with this news by pushing Honeysuckle out to 20/1 for the 2023 Champion Hurdle, with State Man at 3/1, but shorten her up in the Mares’ Hurdle (Tues, 14th March) to 2/1.
    2023 Cheltenham Festival Mares’ Hurdle
    • Honeysuckle 2/1
    • Maries Rock 7/2
    • Epatante 4/1
    • Brandy Love 4/1
    • Love Envoi 9/2
    • Echoes In Rain 11/2
  • Nathan Jones Favourite To Be Sacked

    Nathan Jones Favourite To Be Sacked

    Southampton manager Nathan Jones is odds-on to become the next Premier League manager to leave his post.

    In just a week, Jones has seen his odds nosedive from 14/1 to as short as 2/9, which suggest that his position as manager is most likely under review.
    This comes after a bizarre interview after Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Brentford, which saw Jones describe himself as“one of the best in Europe.” 
    In response to this, bookmakers have now made the former Luton Town manager the heavy favourite to be the next manager to get sacked.
    Meanwhile, Leeds manager Jesse Marsch finds himself in the runner-up spot following their 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
    The defeat saw Leeds go to seven league games without a win and the only reason the team remain outside the relegation zone is down to goal differences. In fact, Leeds are now without a Premier League win since the 5th November and despite a strong first half, the second half was anything but and the last of consistency is borderline painful to watch.
    In contrast, last week’s favourite David Moyes has drifted right out in the betting market from 3/1 favourite just four days ago to a 20/1 outsider to be the next manager to go. This comes after West Ham’s 1-1 draw against Newcastle – a game that suggested that Moyes still have his team behind him as they’re all ready to fight back.
  • Monday Horse Racing: Daily Nap

    Monday Horse Racing: Daily Nap

    Monday Horse Racing: Daily Nap

    From a quiet Monday racecard, today’s first daily nap comes from Fontwell at the 15:30 race in the name of Auriferous.

    This 5 year old gelding shaped up very nicely on his hurdling debut at Huntington 10 days ago and we wouldn’t be surprised if he came back just as strong today. Time-wise, the race at the Cambridgeshire venue turned out to be well above-average for the grade and with the distinct likelihood of even more to come now racing over further, Auriferous can strike at the second time of asking at track where his stable don’t often leave empty handed.

    Previously trained by Andrew Balding, the son Golden Horn was well-supported to make a winning start to his new vocation and although that looked like materialising at any stage, he did more enough to indicate that he has a very bright future ahead of him.

    Odds: 6/4 

    Our second tips of the day comes from Wolverhampton at the 7pm race in the name of Tothenines. 

    Tothenines, who has risen in the ranks after dropping in grade off a reduced mark. Following an eye-catching performance at Southwell last month and with tonight’s seemingly less taxing affairs may enable him to finally gain his reward for consistency.

    That last run was also his first try over a mile, having spent all his career racing over 5-7 furlongs, and not only did he relish the extra furlong but he stayed on particularly strongly in the closing stages, which opened up lots of new doors for himself in the process.

    Odds: 10/3