We’ve had a look at a few horses who may well be worth chancing with the NRNB insurance.
At this time of year punters are done a favour from some bookmakers as they decide to go “Non-runner, no bet” for March’s Cheltenham Festival.
NRNB means that you can back a horse for a race and, should your selection not run in the race you backed him in, your stake will be refunded rather than settled as a loser.
It is important to note that not all bookmakers are NRNB, but the column at the top of the Oddschecker grids will inform who is and will update as others adopt the promotion.
This enables an interesting betting angle; looking at horses who are expected to run certain races, but could still surprise and turn up elsewhere. If your hunch is wrong; money back. If you’ve called it right then there may be some serious value to be had.
Footpad 11/8 bet365 Arkle
With bet365 already offering Best Odds Guaranteed for the Festival, this is an absolute no brainer. Willie Mullins’ star looks set to run in the Arkle and has looked a different horse in his two runs this season, racking up an 11l wining distance on both starts in Ireland.
A nice run behind Buveur D’Air in last year’s Champion Hurdle suggests that he will have no problems with the track, and in the unlikely event that connections send him to the JLT your money is safe with the NRNB promotion.
Samcro 5/1 bet365 Supreme
Disclaimer: there is a strong likelihood that this will result in a void bet and your stake returned. Samcro is the short priced favourite for the Ballymore over the desired longer trip, but the 5/1 about the Supreme looks huge with the insurance of NRNB.
Trainer Gordon Elliot trained the Supreme Novices winner Labaik last year who had previously been entered for a race over 2m4f but refused to race. Everything points to a Ballymore run for Samcro, but should Elliot spring a shock and enter him for the curtain raiser he will be much shorter than 5/1 on the day.
Apples Shakira 2/1 bet365 Mares Novices Hurdle
Unbeaten Apple’s Shakira will go off favourite in whatever race she runs in, and looks set to be aimed at the Triumph Hurdle. Trainer Nicky Henderson, however, is spoilt for choice in the race with the mightily impressive We Have A Dream also at the top of the market.
The Lambourn based trainer is unlikely to want to pit two of his stable stars against each other, so the decision may be taken to send Apple’s Shakira to the Mares Novices Hurdle in which case she looks the class horse in the field. That 2/1 could be a huge price on the day if that is the route Henderson and connections decide to take.
Getabird 5/1 Ballymore Novices Hurdle
Dropped back to two miles to land the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at the weekend, he was sent off even money favourite to win a race connections had enjoyed previous success in with the likes of Mikael D’Haguenet, Vautour, Douvan and Min.
However, all the vibes in the weeks prior to the race was that the two miles could prove too sharp for the point-to-point winner. His nine length victory on Saturday probably answered those doubts but it was still telling to hear the relative surprise in the reaction of his jockey Patrick Mullins post race who clearly didn’t expect his mount to be able to jump and travel at such speed.
The heavy ground at Punchestown could well have stunted the speed of chief market rival Mengli Khan, who was also attempting to give 6lb to the Mullins horse. With the ground for the first race of the Festival normally on the faster side of good to soft it may be that Mullins and Ricci decide to tackle the 2m4f trip of the Ballymore rather than risk being outpaced by the speedsters on quicker ground in the Supreme.
Douvan 4/1 Queen Mother Champion Chase
Ruled out for the season in December, back cantering by the middle of January. The latest update from Willie Mullins is: “He’s back cantering, and we’re just going to do that for a few weeks and see how he progresses. It’s slowly, slowly.” Not much else about Douvan is slow and it may just be the romantic in me hoping he defies the odds and turns up at Prestbury Park to take on the equally talented Altior in what would undoubtedly be one of the races of the season. Chances are at best we will most likely have to wait for Punchestown in April to see that spectacle, but what if? At 4/1 you’d give a fiver to dare to dream..
