The ante-post market is out of control – three things we learned this week | Horse racing news
By Sam Hendry and Charlie Huggins
A mixed weekend, to put it lightly, saw what should have been one of the best jumping cards of the season at Ascot descend into farce, while Protektorat put in one of the performances of the season to win the Betfair Chase as A Plus Tard was drawn to the top. Here are three things we learned from the races this week. . .
1. Protektorat can imitate Bristol De Mai and become a Haydock legend
Harry Skelton’s celebration as he crossed the clear line on Protektorat in the Betfair Chase told you everything you needed to know.
The third in the Gold Cup had been impeccably prepared for the big occasion by the winning jockey’s brother, Dan, on his first start of the season and since a wind operation.
Protektorat thrived on the same soft ground he stepped into in Many Clouds Chase last season to pull 11 lengths from Eldorado Allen.
Given that there has only been one Irish-trained winner of the Betfair Chase since its inauguration in 2005, and Protektorat is clearly the best of the Brits in the remaining chase division, it could dominate the Haydock Grade 1 in the same way as Bristol. From May.
Protektorat is only seven years old and he could emulate or even better Bristol De Mai’s three victories in the race. This is a valuable rank 1 in its own right and Protektorat can potentially make it its own for years to come.
Charlie Huggin
2. Un Later may have left behind its best in the Gold Cup
With all the necessary checks done at home, an explanation may emerge, but nothing immediately emerged and the possibility must exist that A Plus Tard’s superb win at the Cheltenham Gold Cup took more away from them than we thought. .
He savored the Cheltenham in one of the most impressive performances we’ve seen in the Gold Cup in years, but he never looked comfortable in the Betfair Chase and bowed softly, despite the fact that Henry of Bromhead said he could not have been happier with the eight-year-old in the build.
John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)
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The top coach was in no mood to apologize, saying the race was “too bad to be true“. Let’s hope he’s right and A Plus Tard can bounce back in time for the Savills Chase and the Gold Cup again in March.
A Plus Tard may only be eight years old, but he has plenty of miles on his odometer, having already run twice as many times as his one-year-old stablemate Minella Indo.
No horse should be scratched after a bad race, but it would be far from the first time a monumental performance has gutted a horse.
Sam Hendry
3. The ante-post market is out of control
Any punters hoping for some value in the ante-post markets for the biggest jump races would have been most disappointed during the week.
There hasn’t been much juice in Jonbon’s Arkle price all year and any remaining liquid has evaporated heavily after beating Monmiral for his hunting debut on Wednesday. A great performance but 7-4? Oh good?
Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
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On Sunday, Coral eclipsed that by deeming State Man worthy of being only half a point higher in prize money for the Champion Hurdle than two-time winner Honeysuckle (4-1 State Man, 7-2 Honeysuckle).
He was undoubtedly impressive in Morgianabut was beating a nearly ten-year-old in Sharjah for his first run in 11 months and Saldier, who hasn’t been a force at the top for several years.
Read more about The Last Word. . .
Check out our in-depth review of the weekend races every Monday in the Racing Post. With big race analysis from Grand National winning jockey Leighton Aspell, Chris Cook’s take on the weekend’s action, Team Raceform teasers and our thoughts on what we’ve learned from the week.
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