Gold Cup & Grand National 2014 – Ante-Post

With the jumps season now almost over for another year, attention will soon turn almost exclusively to the flat, but before that happens we’re polishing off the crystal ball and looking ahead to two of the biggest races of the season next year and with them two ante-post bets that I think look good value at this extremely early stage all things considered.

Gold Cup 2014 – Boston Bob 1pt win @ 25/1 (Bet365, William Hill)

At the time of his RSA fall when leading I thought he looked vulnerable anyway, especially with Lord Windermere finishing with his ears pricked but, having watched the race back I’m now not convinced and think Willie Mullins’ charge looked to have too many gears for those in behind and would have outstayed the remainder up the hill and claimed Cheltenham glory if Paul Townend hadn’t asked him for a big one at the last.

If that had transpired to be the case I dare say he’d be shorter than the 25/1 available in some places at the moment. His price could also shorten up should he run well in the G1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown next week for which he currently holds an entry.

Boston Bob has always appealed to me as a Gold Cup type and although his novice chase campaign was solid if unspectacular and he just failed in the Albert Bartlett just over twelve months ago that sentiment hasn’t changed much.

Bobs Worth amongst others will of course be very hard to beat in twelve months time but I wouldn’t mind betting that there’s more to come from Boston Bob, and granted a little more luck than he’s enjoyed to date on his two trips to Cheltenham thus far he could be a contender in next year’s Gold Cup, and is worth a small bet at this stage at what to me looks a good price.

Grand National 2014 – Saint Are 0.5pts e/w @ 50/1 (Bet365)

There was a lot to take out of this year’s Grand National and the race will no doubt be analysed for months to come, but in the immediate aftermath of the race once my disappointment that Cappa Bleu came up short yet again subsided Tim Vaughan’s Saint Are was the horse that I had on my mind.

The yard had Beshabar as their big hope this year, and with him cruelly ruled out through injury just before the race Vaughan’s other runner was probably overlooked somewhat as a result.

Yes he was ninth and never threatened the leading group, but he was always held up and stayed on well over the last few fences having jumped round well enough.

I wouldn’t mind betting that this was more of an exploratory run as at only seven at present he’s arguably potentially got another three or four Nationals in him yet at least.

Aintree’s a course that Saint Are has a great record at and he seems to thrive at the National meeting; he will now surely be the yard’s big hope for the race next year and at a more appropriate age for the race next year must surely go well again.

Horses that completed the race the previous season always seem to do well again the following year and having finished in a way that will surely not seem overly punished by the handicapper I think he could be a blinding each-way bet for next year’s race at the 50/1 available at present.