Betfair Hurdle tips: Antepost fancies from our team of experts

Matt Brocklebank - SPIRIT D'ANOU (20/1 Coral, Ladbrokes, Unibet)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Nicky Henderson has three of the top five in the antepost market for this year's Betfair Hurdle - with Luccia, Impose Toi and Iberico Lord all no bigger than 12/1 and it's the former who just about tops the betting with the sponsors.

Always considered a classy mare in the making, she ran well for fourth in last season's mares' novices' hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival - not well enough for those who took the 6/4 I hasten to add - and has held her form this time around, gaining a deserved success when edging out stablemate Impose Toi in the Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot just before Christmas.

That looks very good form with some progressive types in behind, although the disappointment of the race was Iberico Lord, who had been sent off favourite on account of his comeback success over Lookaway, Luccia and a bunch of other Betfair Hurdle contenders in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in November.

Henderson's squad is as deep as it is wide, with First Street, Doddiethegreat and Under Control also in the picture for Seven Barrows at this stage. The latter - another mare - remains of considerable interest given how she ended last season with a Sandown victory over Iberico Lord and those of a forgiving nature may be willing to overlook her comeback effort when bitterly disappointing in the ex-Gerry Feilden, a race the trainer used as a stepping stone for subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Epatante in the same silks a few years ago.

Under Control is 16/1 generally for Newbury, but will Henderson have her back to peak form and pitch her in here after another 70-day layoff, especially when he's got so many other obvious contenders, including for the same owner? He's pulled off more daring tricks in the past, to be fair to the man, but a quieter approach towards the Country Hurdle would possibly make a bit more sense.

Dan Skelton's L'Eau Du Sud also needs forgiving after his poor effort in the Greatwood but he could bounce back in a race of this nature at some point, while Blueking D'Oroux didn't look out of place in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle before his stamina ran out at Ascot and could be interesting back at two miles under an aggressive Harry Cobden ride.

However, SPIRIT D'AUNOU was sent off 7/4 favourite to beat Blueking D'Oroux at Cheltenham in October and while far too keen on that occasion, he's since bolted up at Sandown and now gets 9lb off the Nicholls horse.

Gary Moore's horse has been hit with a 10lb hike for his easy win last time but looked miles ahead of the assessor that day and probably hit the front too soon as he was idling after the last.

A strong-run two miles will be right up his street and he won't mind if the conditions are a bit livelier than at Sandown as he won on good ground at Huntingdon in December 2022 and just looks a young hurdler going places for a yard that does exceptionally well with such types, one that has won this race three times including with a couple of five-year-olds.

Ben Linfoot - FIRST STREET (25/1 Hills, 888Sport, Unibet)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

As Matt mentions, Henderson has a lot of contenders for this race and I wonder if his FIRST STREET is sailing a little under the radar at 25/1 partly because of that?

He’s been hidden away from the glare of high-profile handicap hurdles having been beaten in a Listed hurdle, his sole novice chase and in the Christmas Hurdle behind Constitution Hill this season, but the bare facts are he’s dropped 9lb in four runs and looks well treated again.

Certainly, he appears to have a chance on his Newbury form off a mark of 141, having finished third in this race from that exact mark two years ago, when Glory And Fortune pounced off an ordinary gallop.

First Street could’ve gone close to winning that renewal with a stronger pace to chase and he enhanced his Newbury record further in the November of 2022 by winning the Gerry Feilden in good style from a rating of 146.

He hasn’t been the easiest to place since and he’s had a few wind tweaks, too, but I thought he ran on well enough in the Christmas Hurdle to think he could still be a player in a valuable handicap like this one. After all, he is still only seven, but is well experienced for the demands of a race like this, something the sexier shorter-priced horses don’t have in their locker.

It is natural to look for those in the Betfair Hurdle given novices have such a good record, but that could change a little now you need to have run four times over hurdles and it’s hard to argue the antepost market has missed any of the up-and-comers.

They flood the top of the market, with Lookaway appealing the most of those priced up around the 10/1 mark, the Challow second looking just the type to thrive dropped back to a big-field two-mile handicap hurdle.

The Greatwood he was second in continues to work out well and he has a 3lb pull at the weights with Cheltenham winner Iberico Lord, who heads the Betfair Hurdle betting.

A bold bid is expected from him, but the 25s about First Street makes more appeal at this stage for what is usually one of the races of the season.

Andrew Asquith - BRENTFORD HOPE (14/1 Coral)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

The Betfair Hurdle is one of the most competitive handicaps over hurdles in the racing calendar and there are some interesting contenders amongst the entries.

It is easy to make a case for several trained by Nicky Henderson and he knows what is required to win this race, but I like the claims of BRENTFORD HOPE, trained by the up-and coming Harry Derham.

He has some smart form to his name on the Flat and has made a promising start for this yard, winning his first two starts over hurdles after leaving Richard Hughes and proving himself very well treated when bolting up in a course and distance handicap on his return from six months off in November.

Brentford Hope looked very classy on that occasion, travelling on the bridle for much of the race and overcoming a mistake at the fourth-last (jumped well otherwise) to score by 16 lengths.

He wasn't able to follow up after an 11lb rise again over this course and distance last time, but he was far from disgraced, produced to challenge on the run-in but unable to get on terms with the first two.

Brentford Hope enjoys a nice pull in the weights with Hansard after that run and this likely bigger field, plus likely strong pace is sure to suit this strong-travelling hurdler much better. He remains with scope for better from this sort of mark and he looks a solid bet at around 14/1 for me.

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