Friday’s County Handicap Hurdle has produced plenty of surprise winners in the past with the last two winners starting at 20/1, but current ante-post favourite Alarazi will be hoping to reverse that trend. Lucy Wadham’s 7-year-old heads the betting at 7/1 with Paddy Power and the Imperial Cup winner could return a healthy win bonus for Wadham this week.
Alarazi produced a brilliant display to win the Imperial Cup at Sandown and is now chasing a £75,000 bonus that is on offer from Paddy Power for a horse that wins the Imperial and follows that up withCheltenham Festival success. He looks well set to bring that prize money home at the moment after beating Via Galilei up the hill at Sandown and was unlucky to finish runner up in his last start at Cheltenham in January. He will go off at a relatively featherweight handicap mark of 10st 4lb this week and with better ground expected he could well thrive.
All of the previous thirteen winners of the County Hurdle had finished in the top three in their previous three outings as Alarazi has done, and despite there being several surprises in recent years twelve of the past thirteen winners have been priced 20/1 or less.
Edward O’Grady’s Alaivan leads the Irish charge for County Hurdle success and is one point back from Alarazi at 8/1 with Paddy Power. The 5-year-old was third in the JCB Triumph Hurdle last year and has won his two outings over hurdles this season, at Naas and Fairyhouse, to take his record to four wins and two places in seven over hurdles.
The much travelled Ski Sunday can also be found at odds of 8/1 after the gelding, who is blind in one eye, moved from Tim Vaughan’s stables to Nicky Henderson’s before settling with current trainer Lawney Hill. The 6-year-old came second in the 2009 Fred Winter and was a winner on his last outing in a handicap hurdle at Kempton.
Ebor winner Dirar completes the trio of horses at the 8/1 mark and Gordon Elliot has planned this race for his 6-year-old for some time as it is expected to suit. He was third in the Galway Hurdle behind Overturn last year and despite failing to convince at Kempton on the all weather last time out he was rated 12lb higher than his rivals and will go off at 10st 11lb this week.
Two time winner Philip Hobbs gives a welcome return to Snap Tie who hasn’t been since sustaining a ligament injury 18 months ago. The 12/1 punt was last seen winning at Cheltenham in October 2009 and boasts an impressive record of two wins from eight at Cheltenham, and will come in as something of an unknown quantity.
Also at 12/1 with PaddyPower.Com is the Willie Mullins pair of Blackstairmountain, who impressed as a Grade 1 winning novice, and MCR Hurdle winner Final Approach. Meanwhile 2010 JCB Triumph winner Soldatino is available at 14/1 and could be a decent each way punt, while top weigh Salden Licht is another that catches the eye at industry best priced odds of 16/1.
Latest County Hurdle Odds
7/1 Alarazi
8/1 Alaivan
8/1 Dirar
8/1 Ski Sunday
12/1 Final Approach
12/1 Snap Tie
12/1 Blackstairmountain
14/1 Soldatino
14/1 Get Me Out Of Here
16/1 Salden Licht
16/1 Notus De La Tour
16/1 Hunterview
20/1 Secret Dancer
20/1 Ciceron
20/1 Bellvano
25/1 Zanir
25/1 Grey Soldier
25/1 Inventor
25/1 Praxiteles
33/1 Cockney Trucker
33/1 Dee Ee Williams
33/1 Tarkari
50/1 Spring Jim
50/1 Nearby
50/1 Ellerslie Tom
66/1 Cheshire Prince
66/1 Gloucester
66/1 Premier Dane