As a part of our season review we provided registered members with a FREE 10 To Follow list, which has been very successful with the likes of Grand Sancy winning 4 races now and rising some 20 lbs in the ratings, but the stand out selection for us has got to be the Paul Nicholls trained Clan Des Obeaux; advised at 50/1 for the Gold Cup at the start of the season, he’s now as low at 7/2 for the National Hunt Blue Riband in just less than 4 weeks time.
Paul Nicholls: Clan Des Obeaux – Gold Cup– 50/1 with Skybet
Has been a horse we felt would make a top class chaser ever since he ran over hurdles as a 4yo. He’s progressed nicely and now looks ready to step up to the top grade with a couple of years experience over fences behind him. He excels in soft ground, as he demonstrated when winning really well at Haydock in November and he then ran a cracker when a fast finishing 2nd under top weight in a decent handicap at Cheltenham. Not at his best at Aintree on his final start he still ran a very creditable 3rd behind Might Bite. He’s expected to make his return to action in the Charlie Hall Chase and there is every possibility he’ll progress into a genuine Gold Cup contender.
Also 25/1 with Ladbrokes to win any race at the Festival.
The Season So Far…
Clan Des Obeaux ran a really nice race at Haydock on his return to action behind Bristol De Mai, Native River and Thistlecrack, on a day where the suggestion was the fences were overly big and stiff and for us Clan Des Obeaux ballooned them more than any other runner, wasting valuable energy by jumping big. Yet he still looked threatening a couple of fences out before tiring late on.
He then stepped up on the when winning what was dubbed a Classic King George on Boxing Day, turning the form around from Haydock in pretty emphatic style to win what is 2nd only to the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the best of the seasons 3 mile chases.
Last time and what could be considered a perfect preparation for the big one, be won the Denman Chase oozing class to beat a decent yard still in the manner of an improving, confident animal. Terrefort rated 159 himself had previously run a very creditable 3rd in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham, beaten just 3 lengths by Frodon and Elegant Escape, yet Clan Des Obeaux was able to cruise upsides coming to the last and when asked for a big leap producing a spectacular jump and then quicken away 11 lengths clear.
On what we’ve seen this season so far, he holds the strongest form and should be the Favourite for the Gold Cup.
He has an outstanding chance and we hope our members are on at big prices.
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