With Hanbury Racing Tips last free tip winning at monster odds of 150/1 his free one today should probably be followed!!
See his write up below:
Zanza – 4.40 Aintree – 2 mile Handicap Chase – 12/1 Bet365/PP/BFSbook – 3 point max win.
Zanza was my big Antepost Cheltenham Festival handicap pick, but we were cruelly denied when he was making headway on the second circuit only for him to be brought down half a mile out.
The sickening aspect was that his form line with Sky Pirate, where he was 18lb well in, was franked by Sky Pirate who went off to win the Grand Annual (and Ibleo in 3rd).
Please read my previous write up below that highlights just how well handicapped he is.
After that disappointment I was hoping Zanza would turn up here on a nice flat track that wont test his jumping quite like Cheltenham can. The handicapper hasn’t been able to amend his mark and off 145 he is surely the best handicapped horse in the field.
He loves faster ground, so I’m hoping the combination of watering and the odd forecast shower forecast doesn’t turn the good/soft, good in places any worse than good/soft. I’m sure if more rain comes than forecast Philip Hobbs will pull him out.
We can therefore get stuck in and I’m recommending a MAX 3 point straight win on Zanza at 12/1 with Paddy Power/Betfair sports book and Bet365.
Previous Write Up:
Zanza – Grand Annual Chase 2M Handicap Chase – (Wednesday) – 14/1 Sporting Index – 1.5 points each way.
Well, I’m so sorry to subscribers that I waited an extra day to put up my first antepost bet in the Cheltenham Festival handicaps as the 22/1 I advised yesterday has unfortunately gone and he is best priced 14/1 (I’m sick!).
The horse in question is Zanza, and annoyingly the legendary Racing Post tipster, Tom Segal, commonly known as Pricewise has tipped up Zanza in Thursday’s Racing Post. This has caused the price to collapse.
Zanza is seven years old and has been progressing nicely over the past two seasons. Last year he won a handicap hurdle off 136 and then ran in the three most prestigious and hotly contested handicap hurdles in the Greatwood hurdle at Cheltenham, The Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot, and Betfair hurdle at Newbury. He acquitted himself well at a time when he was still very green and pulling hard in his races and that experience will have done him the world of good to face the challenge of a Cheltenham Festival handicap.
This season he has gone novice chasing and progressed with every run. On his second start he finished an eye catching 12 length second to Allmankind (who is 3rd favourite for the Arkle) and could easily have finished closer if ridden out properly, but it was good experience. He followed this up with an impressive win at Newbury in a handicap off 136 where he won going away by 5 lengths.
His latest run was at Cheltenham in a really strong run race where he was travelling supremely well tracking the leaders before falling 3 out. You can never be sure how he would have finished but he was full of running and looked sure to be involved at the finish.
The winner of that race was Sky Pirate, who ran off 134, and has gone on to win again and is now rated 152. Sky Pirate is 8/1 favourite for the Grand Annual. The second was Ibleo who ran off 137 and has subsequently won twice and is now rated 154, he is 16/1 for the Grand Annual.
Zanza is running off the same mark so will be getting an 18lb & 17lb pull at the weights with these two market principles.
The icing on the cake is the ground. When he ran against Sky Pirate and Ibleo it was soft, but Zanza is a top of the ground horse, which makes his Cheltenham run even more impressive. Indeed Phillip Hobbs has already said that Zanza won’t run in the Grand Annual if the ground is soft.
It now looks like the long range forecast is for dry weather at the Cheltenham Festival and the going on the Wednesday is very likely to be good/soft. Consequently, it’s highly probable he will have his perfect conditions.
You should note that Zanza is entered for a race at Doncaster this Saturday (and should be backed, if he runs!!), if he wins, he will only receive a maximum 5lb penalty and with the ground looking like being on the fast side I think Phillip Hobbs will run to get some more experience into Zanza.
If he wins, he will probably go off favourite for the Grand Annual. If he runs at Doncaster and flops, then he will probably miss Cheltenham.
This is where the Non Runner No Bet angle comes into play. I am recommending you back him now, take this offer, and if he flops at the weekend and doesn’t run at Cheltenham, then you can claim your money back. If he wins, we have a great each way bet for one of the favourites at the Festival.
He looks a fantastic bet and I’m just sorry I didn’t advise you all when I backed him two weeks ago at 33/1!!! I will attach my betting slip to this email as proof!!!
