Key Points
- Today’s betting tip is well handicapped on his old form
- He caught my attention last time out over C&D
- The forecast rain and big field can play into his hands
If you came here looking for
free horse racing tips
for the York Ebor Festival, then you are definitely in the right place! I’m RacingGav and I’m the resident horse racing expert here at Betting.co.uk.
So far this week my two advised each way bets have both hit the frame at 8/1 and 18/1. Hopefully I can make it three profitable bets in a row with today’s selection, and I think I have found the ideal candidate at juicy 20/1 odds.
Alongside my daily betting tips you’ll also find Lucky 15 picks for the ITV racing on Saturdays, and occasional antepost selections too. Speaking of the latter, be sure to check out my antepost tips for the 2027 Cheltenham Festival, which include the
Champion Chase
and the
Gold Cup
along with selections for other premium races.
Betting advice
- 15:00 York -
Checkandchallenge
@ 20/1 (5 places) -
0.5pt Each Way
William Hill is offering 20/1 for Checkandchallenge!
At the time of writing, William Hill has the
best horse racing odds
for Checkandchallenge at 20/1 with 5 places. As well as stand out odds, they also have a great new customer offer. If you bet £10, you’ll get £30 in free bets. The all round value makes it well worth opening a new account with them.
If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!
So far this week, we have enjoyed success with each way betting at value odds, rather than targeting the top of the market. This is often the way for me but especially so at these large meetings where there is such depth and competitiveness in the fields. I think I have found another hidden gem at 20/1 today in the form of Checkandchallenge and in this article, I’ll tell you why.
At his peak, Checkandchallenge was a very serious horse. He has two Listed victories in the UK and a Group 3 win in France on his record. He was also only a neck away from another Listed success, producing a RPR of 115 on all four occasions.
Whilst he isn’t that level nowadays, he still retains plenty of ability. As recently as last May he was 5th in Group 1 company, producing a RPR of 112. Then all four of his runs this season have produced RPRs between 103-106 off marks ranging from 100 to 105. It is noteworthy that until now, his mark has never dropped beneath 100 in his career, which is some feat. Rated just 99 now, he looks well handicapped if he can put his best foot forward and this valuable handicap may well have been a long term target for him.
Checkandchallenge caught my attention last time over C&D
Last time out, Checkandchallenge ran over C&D in the John Smith’s Racing Handicap for a significantly smaller pot than today’s. I wonder whether that was used as a dress rehearsal for today’s race.
He started towards the rear of the field, as he is often slow out of the stalls. However, he made eye-catching headway to keep on strongly and ended up finishing third. Despite carrying 9st 11lb in that field, and only finding two rivals too strong, the handicapper felt he should be reduced 1lb from 100 to 99, which looks generous to me. The handicapper is certainly giving him every chance to strike again and now he just needs to do it!
The forecast rain and big field can play into his hands
It’s often said in racing that good horses go on any ground. I agree to some extent, but at the same time, some are very ground dependent. Fortunately, Checkandchallenge is one of the most versatile ones. He has shown extremely high levels of form on everything from Good to Firm through to Heavy ground.
I’d argue that Good to Soft is the perfect ground for him and he could end up with exactly that here. As I type, the official going description is Good, Good to Soft in places but there is further rain forecast. Between the watering and the opening day’s rain, I think any further rain will start to soften the ground.
The softer ground won’t inconvenience Checkandchallenge, but it might slow the others down and bring them back to him. Likewise, the big field could also play a part, especially if they go off too hard in front with various horses all trying to dictate the action.
Can Checkandchallenge break his losing run?
There are a whole host of reasons to believe that Checkandchallenge could have his day here. The fact he caught my eye last time out was enough to suggest that his turn is very near. The handicapper is giving him every chance of bouncing back by consistently relenting on his handicap mark. The incoming rain will bother the others more than him and this race looks set up for a closer.
In terms of negatives, his losing run is hard to get away from. He hasn’t won a race since November 2023, which is a long time, although he has gone close on numerous occasions since. As a result, his overall record of 4/37 is hardly attractive with a record of 2/3 on the All Weather, and 2/34 on Turf.
If he was a short price, I wouldn’t entertain the bet. However, the price is key and he is available at fantastic odds of 20/1, which makes the risk worth taking in my eyes. Hopefully he can rediscover his form like Apollo One did yesterday and produce a big performance in this valuable Handicap, but it will only be half stakes.
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