What are the current best-value bets - and worst - for this year's RSA Chase?
Best Value:
With bookmakers offering all of the field at 7/1 or bigger, this is a good race to have a crack at ante post, and the one that jumps off the page in terms of value is the Mark Bradstock-trained CARRUTHERS at 20/1 (bet365).
That's based on his form with the current ante post favourite What A Friend, who beat him two lengths in a Uttoxeter beginner's chase back in October. What A Friend has since beat Ballyfitz impressively at Cheltenham, after which his trainer Paul Nicholls suggested he might well posses enough ability to contest a Gold Cup one day, so he's a worthy favourite for the RSA Chase.
However, if What A Friend has improved since his chase debut at Uttoxeter, then the same can be said of Carruthers, whose subsequent Fakenham success was boosted when the runner-up Ballyboley won at Warwick. Interestingly, he also holds a verdict over What A Friend as a novice hurdler, so there might not be much between them in terms of ability.
Considering that one is 7/1 favourite while the other is available at 20/1, I don't need to tell you where the value lies.
Click here to back Carruthers at bet365
Another who looks to have slipped under the bookmaker's radar is KILLYGLEN (25/1 Stan James), which is slightly surprising as he's won both his starts over fences and is trained by Howard Johnson. Last time out at Ayr, on his first attempt at 3m, he absolutely romped home beating useful yardstick Chief Dan George by 38 lengths, so he could go well at a big price.
Worst Value:
There are good reasons for opposing many of those at the head of the betting, including a couple of suspect stayers in Forpadydeplasterer and Trafford Lad. The latter ran around before the last fence and finished tired when he won the Drinsmore over 2m5f from Forpadydeplasterer on his penultimate start, and he seemed not to stay when beaten in a 3m race at Leopardstown over Christmas. At the current 14/1, he makes no appeal whatsoever.
Click here to lay Trafford Lad.
Thorough stayer Gone To Lunch has struck up a good rapport with Tony McCoy this season, winning his last three starts, and his odds have tumbled to around the 10/1 mark as a result. However, it's questionable what he beat last time as his main rival, Money Trix, had fallen in the home straight, and I've a feeling that something may just have a bit too much toe for him in this. That said, he jumps and stays (all day) so, while I can't see him winning, a place is a distinct possibility.
Breedsbreeze, who is trading as low as 8/1, is more likely to run at Aintree, while I'm not convinced that Massini's Maguire, second to Breedsbreeze in the Feltham, truly stays 3m.
