Talking Horses: Win a Cheltenham Festival bet in our tips competition

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/jan/26/talking-horses-cheltenham-festival-bet

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Today’s best bets, by Greg Wood

If the more pessimistic weather forecasts are correct, there may not be much jumps racing in the latter part of the week, so we should be grateful to Ludlow for getting in early today with an interesting and well-supported meeting.

The opening juvenile hurdle and the two-mile handicap chase later in the afternoon stand out, with Cape Caster (1.45) a fair price to beat the favourite Arabian Revolution at the top of the card. There is little to choose between the pair on their latest runs, with both having recorded comfortable wins on their hurdling debuts, and their most recent ratings on the Flat were also within 3lb of each other.

Cape Caster’s overall form has a more solid feel to it, however, while Arabian Revolution had become disappointing on the level before the switch to John Ferguson’s stable. His yard is in excellent form but Cape Caster makes more appeal at 5-2 than his main opponent at 13-8.

The two-mile handicap chase is fiercely competitive but Uranium (3.50) may be the pick of the prices at 4-1. He has progressed in each of his two runs for Venetia Williams since arriving from France and needs to find only a little more improvement today to have a leading chance. A repeat of his run when second at Auteuil in November 2012, his penultimate start before a break from the track of nearly two years, would probably be enough.

Forgivienne (2.15) should also go well at a decent price on the same card, while Noble Friend (2.30) and Lucky Prince (3.30) are the pick of the other jumps card at Plumpton.

The five-furlong handicap at Wolverhampton is full of horses who like to race up with the pace and Sky Steps (3.10), one of the few in the field who tends to be held up, could pick up the pieces.

Boylesports Tipping Competition — a new week

Congratulations to Lindsey6677, who held on to win last week’s competition on a final score of +14.75, despite a winnerless Friday. Slackdad38 led the chasing pack on +6.

CluelessWhisper! We haven’t heard from you in response to our email about the prize you won two weeks ago. Do please get in touch, so that we can sort out your tickets for Sandown this Saturday.

This week’s prize, kindly offered by those sporting fellas at Boylesports, is a £25 ante-post bet on a race of your choosing at the Cheltenham Festival (provided it’s one of the 15 on which Boylesports are taking bets just now). The bet must be placed by Saturday 7 February.

To kick things off, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 3.40 Wolverhampton, 3.50 Ludlow, 4.00 Plumpton.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.

For terms and conditions click here.

Good luck!

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And post your tips or racing-related comments below.