What are the current best-value bets - and worst - for this year's World Hurdle?
Best Value:
This has been an excellent race for market leaders down the years and I'd be surprised if anything below FAIR ALONG in the betting list proves good enough to win the race, and that one at a double-figure price (12/1 Ladbrokes) appeals most as each way material.
Strictly on the form of his third in the Cleeve Hurdle last time out, he is held by the winner and second, Big Buck's and Punchestowns. However, nothing was going better than him turning for home and he may have been the one most inconvenienced by the soft ground - he does go on it but his best efforts have come on faster ground.
What makes him really interesting, though, is his previous Festival form - second in a Triumph and an Arkle, third in a Champion Hurdle. Granted, all those races were over 2m, but he's been crying out for 3m for some time and he looked very good indeed when beating Don't Push It by six lengths over that trip at Cheltenham two outings ago. Everything is in place for another big Festival run.
Click here to back Fair Along at bet365 - £100 free
Worst Value:
The bookmakers look to have the measure of the three at the head of the market - Kasbah Bliss, Punchestowns and Big Buck's - and neither make any appeal in terms of an ante post bet.
Of course, given his improvement on the flat last autumn (won a Group 3, fourth in a Group 1), Kasbah Bliss could be a class apart. However, it's a major concern that he hasn't run at all since last October, and not over hurdles since Cheltenham last March, so I would want to know what shape he's in before backing him at the current 11/4.
Punchestowns was made favourite for this race after thrashing a handful of potential festival rivals at Ascot in December and was not disgraced when failing to give 8lb to Big Buck's in very testing ground in the Cleeve Hurdle last month. However, anyone backing him now at around 3/1 must hope the ground is faster at Cheltenham in March. Besides, even on better ground, he's no certainty to reverse the form with Big Buck's, who looks a serious talent.
Of the three, he's the most likely winner in my mind, but he's one to back nearer the time as I can see him drifting from his current price of 5/1.
