Room 101 job for me...but I can see the attraction for some,certainly on course,with the chance to get so close to the runners and hear the actual noise and they travel and fence. I had a quick perusal of the entries and agree with Tam in that Dancing Tornado is by far the most interesting of those outside the fav's.
Any ScotsIrish fans ? Billy Hills offer for Thursday is 4/1 for the Cross Country, enhanced from 5/2. No idea on limit, probably £6.50....
Grizzly, I'm not without giving a "first timer" a chance in this race. Dancing Tornado tries it for the first time- as one of JP McManus' six entries. He beat Long Run in the Paddy Power last season(when second to Little Josh) and meets Scots Irish on the same terms as when finishing ahead of him behind Alfa Beat. I've taken 33/1 NRNB, and he's currently at 54/1 on Betfair. It seems a ridiculous price to me! (perhaps influenced by JP's other runners-Garde Champetre, etc). It's highly possible that Tony McCoy could ride him- and then watch the price tumble! Worth a chance off 33/1 NRNB. Personally I prefer Uncle Junior to ScotsIrish.
Interesting Tam, personally I can't can't debutants, Uncle Junior was the first horse ever to win on his banks debut in UK and I'm not familiar with Hourigan being a big XC fan and/or having banks facilities ? I could be wrong of course. I agree re Uncle Junior, he is guaranteed to stay and though Scotsirish may just prove too classy for these there is a lways a doubt over his stamina. Rarely does the market get it wrong in these races and I fully expect the tricast to come from Scotsirish, Uncle Junior, Garde Champetre, Sizing Australia (for whom there's been a plunge recently) and Maljimar. The French horse was pulled out this week and at 25s I thought he was the only outsider with a squeek. Plenty of talk on Balthazar King this week with Dickie Johnson talking him up but I can't get away from the fact UK trained horses are 0-56 or thereabouts in banks races at Cheltenham. Uncle Junior will be my main bet I think
