Horse Racing Free Bets | Victor Chandler Chase | Ascot Races
NEWS – Freebetting Horse Racing Betting
Victor Chandler Chase
Heavy snowfall and freezing conditions in mainland Britain have caused a spate of abandonments recently and the prospects of National Hunt racing in the immediate future look bleak. However, the Victor Chandler Chase is due to be run at Ascot on Saturday 23rd January and, with milder weather forecast between now and then, stands a good chance of taking place.
The Victor Chandler Chase is a 2 mile furlong contest, open to 5-year-olds and upwards and is, in fact, one of the newest Grade 1 races on the National Hunt calendar, having been awarded that status as recently as 2007. Even in its handicap days, the Victor Chandler Chase was regularly used as a stepping stone to the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, with the likes of Viking Flagship (1994), Martha’s Son (1997) and Call Equiname (1999) all going on to complete the double. So, too, did last year’s winner, Master Minded.
Master Minded is not in the field this year, but the 13 entries for the Victor Chandler Chase are headed by another Paul Nicholls’ inmate, Twist Magic. Twist Magic (11/8 with Paddy Power – £30 free Bets and William Hill – £25 Free Bets) confounded his critics with a facile success in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park in December, jumping beautifully and drawing right away in the closing stages to beat Forpadydeplasterer and another Victor Chandler Chase entry, Well Chief, by 15 lengths and more. Twist Magic has his quirks and his jumping has failed him in the past, but it was difficult not to be impressed by his performance at Ascot and he looks a worthy favourite.
Well Chief (11/2 with William Hill) was good enough to finish second, beaten 7 lengths, to Master Minded in the Queen Mother Champion Chase last March, but he is not getting any younger and finished fully 22 lengths behind Twist Magic at Ascot. He appeared to be beaten on merit that day and it is hard to envisage him reversing the form. In fact, Well Chief has since gone on to be beaten 3¾ lengths by another entry here, Petit Robin, in the Grade 2 Desert Orchid at Kempton over Christmas and is just 2lb better off at the weights. Petit Robin (5/2 with Bet 365 – £200 Free Bets, Boylesports, Sporting Bet – £50 Free Bets and William Hill) must have some sort of a chance here, but a dubious form line involving Nigel Twiston-Davies Mahogany Blaze does give Twist Magic a clear advantage.
The Desert Orchid Chase also appeared to expose the limitations of Gary Moore’s Fix The Rib, who was losing his place when falling at the sixth fence. Fix The Rib (20/1 with Boylesports – £20 Free Bet, Sporting Bet, Victor Chandler – £100 Free Bet and Stan James – £25 Free Bets) had previously shown progressive form, albeit at a lower level, including over course and distance and it will be interesting to see if his trainer allows him to take his chance. Gary Moore has described Fix The Rib as a “proper horse” in the past and, while his performance at Kempton was disappointing, a good showing here would not be a complete surprise.
Nick Williams’ Cornas (12/1 with Bet 365, Boylesports, Sporting Bet, Victor Chandler and William Hill) is 5lbs better off with Fix The Rib for a 10½ length beating over course and distance in November and has since hacked up in a graduation chase at Exeter. That, at least, confirmed his well-being but realistically neither he nor Fix The Rib should have any chance, being officially rated 21lbs and 17lbs, respectively, below Twist Magic.
Alan King’s Oh Crick had the distinction of winning Grade 3 handicap chases at the Cheltenham Festival and at the Grand National meeting last spring, as a result of which his handicap mark rose to 148 from 130. Even the new mark is 25lbs inferior to Twist Magic, so he is another whose chance appears remote. In fact, he finished 11 lengths behind Twist Magic, who was conceding 19lbs, on his seasonal reappearance in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, so even allowing for some improvement his odds (20/1 generally) look short enough.
Twist Magic is the obvious selection, on paper, but backing 11/8 chances is unlikely to make us rich, so a small each-way punt on Fix The Rib, a recent course and distance winner rated just 7lbs inferior to Well Chief, is the recommended play at the odds on offer.
Grade 1 chases over this distance do have a habit of cutting up and one trainer who will be hoping that this one does is Tony Carroll, whose 11-year-old Kinkeel (unsurprisingly, 500/1 generally) has won just twice from 71 starts and is officially rated 103lbs, or 7st 5lbs, below Twist Magic.