Last year's Cleeve Hurdle winner Big Buck's went on to land the World Hurdle, as did Inglis Drever a year earlier, so Tidal Bay's runaway victory in this season's renewal is a good omen on trends alone.

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He has another thing going for him - his Cheltenham form of 12211341, which includes his second in the 2007 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle and win in the 2008 Arkle. Furthermore, his trainer Howard Johnson has a knack of getting his horses spot on for the festival and knows full well what it takes to win this race having sent out the mighty Inglis Drever to win in 2005, 2007 and 2008. When you also throw in the fact he's a "10lb better horse on good ground", according to Johnson, the current 9/1 on offer with Ladbrokes looks very tasty indeed.

But what about Big Buck's? - I hear you say. Well, before Tidal Bay came along, he was probably the one horse at this year's festival to have your house on and still is for many punters. He too has a formidable record at Cheltenham, having won his last three starts there, including when beating Punchestowns in this race last year, and his two easy victories this season - in the process extending his unbeaten record over hurdles in Britain to six - suggest he's improved again. Certainly, having only just turned seven, he could be reaching the peak of his powers.

I'm not even going to try and pick holes in him as he hasn't got any. However, when you consider he is a best-priced 4/6 (Sportingbet) with five weeks still to go, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't try to find something against him that is very likely to hit the frame, thus rewarding each-way backers with a tidy profit, whilst being good enough to provide us with a bumper payday should anything go amiss with the favourite. I have no doubt that TIDAL BAY is that horse and as I can only see him shortening up between now and race day, he's ripe for a decent each-way ante post punt.

The only other horse currently trading at a single-figure price is Karabak and he too will be hard to keep out of the frame. He boasts that all-important festival form, having finished second in the 2m5f novice last season, and he seemed even more effective over this sort of trip when chasing home Big Buck's in the Long Walk Hurdle last time out. Like that horse, he's hard to pick holes in but the fancy prices on him have long gone and he is now just 6/1 (Paddy Power).

If the front trio in the betting all run their races, it's hard to see anything else muscling their way into the each-way payout places, although Time For Rupert (20/1 William Hill) is entitled to finish close to the selection on their Cleeve form. While no match for the winner's superior speed that day, he ran a blinder to finish a five-length second and should run well again without being quite good enough.

Recommended Bet:

Tidal Bay 3pts each-way @ 9/1 Ladbrokes