Ladbrokes Trophy betting tips from Horsebetting.com say Thomas Patrick is your best bet to land the 3m 2f feature contest at Newbury on Saturday, 1 December. Elegant Escape heads a host of dangers, given trainer Colin Tizzard’s excellent recent record in the race. Of those at bigger odds, meanwhile, The Young Master looks solid each-way value off bottom weight. Our 2018 Ladbrokes Trophy betting tips have more on this prestigious race.Thomas Patrick the Ladbrokes Trophy puntIn-form trainer and jockey Tom Lacey and Richard Johnson look to have a leading claims of landing the big betting race at Newbury on Saturday, the Ladbrokes Trophy, with Thomas Patrick. This six-year-old really caught the eye when runner-up on reappearance and is better off at the weights with fellow market principal Elegant Escape here for a narrow defeat.
Thomas Patrick is a course and distance winner with a progressive profile over fences, having won three of his five chase starts. Like many recent winners of this valuable 3m 2f handicap chase, he is in his second season in this sphere and relatively unexposed.
After winning one of six hurdles outings, connections sent Thomas Patrick over the larger obstacles for the first time back in February at Chepstow. He raced prominently throughout and rallied when not fluent three out to take things up at the last, staying on well to beat Step Back by 4 1/2 lengths and the front two pulled a further 18 lengths clear of the third.
This form has a solid look to it because the runner-up came out and captured the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown in April – another big and valuable staying handicap like this. Rolling Dylan, who was third to Thomas Patrick at Chepstow, bolted up by 18 lengths on his next outing.
Lacey then took his charge to Exeter for the Devon National over a extended 3m 6f, but under a welter burden he struggled to get the marathon trip and finished fourth. It may have been a case of too much, too soon yet Thomas Patrick reversed that form with the winner Dawson City when 6lb better off over course and distance here next time up.
He jumped well around Newbury and remained prominent, shrugging off a rival when joined three out. Johnson rode Thomas Patrick clear in between the final two fences, however, and he stayed on strongly for an eight lengths victory.
Better off from Sandown at weights
Connections stepped him up to Grade 3 level at the Aintree Grand National meeting and he took it all in his stride when making all. Thomas Patrick again stayed on well to run out a four-length winner, and the fifth horse home Ibis Du Rheu has come out and won this season to give the form a boost.
Thomas Patrick went down fighting on his own reappearance run at Listed level in a graduation chase at Sandown, when again putting in a bold display of jumping and only worn down in the final 75 yards by Elegant Escape. He is 4lb better off with the winning for a half-a-length defeat, so is fancied off the revised terms.
Off an unchanged mark of 148, the form could easily be reversed with an albeit respected winner. With Johnson again on board and Lacey’s team in fine fettle, Thomas Patrick thus appeals most in our 2018 Ladbrokes Trophy betting tips. Elegant Escape heads host of dangersThere are plenty of dangers in the 14-runner field, and heading those is the aforementioned Elegant Escape. Trained by Colin Tizzard, who has had a winner and two placed horses in this race in the last three years, the six-year-old has never finished out of the frame in eight chase outings.
Elegant Escape has some useful back form in some top novice hurdle contests – when fourth in the 2016 renewal of the Challow here, fifth to Wholestone in the Classic and seventh to Penhill in the Albert Bartlett. He was also runner-up to the mighty Samcro in his sole Irish point.
After finishing a three-length runner-up to Mia’s Storm giving a sex allowance away on his debut over the larger obstacles at Chepstow last season, Elegant Escape then chased home subsequent Scottish Grand National second Ballyoptic at Exeter. He then landed the Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase on this card 12 months ago when making most and only needing to be driven out to beat the re-opposing Black Corton by three-quarters of a length.
Solid efforts at highest level
Although that form was reversed in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton next time up last Christmas, Elegant Escape was 3lb worse off at the weights and beaten only 1 1/2 lengths. He then scored in a graduation chase at Exeter with a commanding 13 lengths victory over Ramses De Teilee.
Connections ran Elegant Escape at both of the spring festivals, and he was far from disgraced on either outing, first when third to Presenting Percy – the leading Irish fancy for this season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup – in the RSA or when occupying the same spot behind Terrefort at Aintree.
Although 2lb worse off at the weight with the Mildmay Novices’ Chase runner-up Ms Parfois here, the ground may not be soft enough for the Anthony Honeyball trained mare to be seen to best effect. While Elegant Escape also has some work to do confirm that graduation chase form from his reappearance at Sandown, he did wear Thomas Patrick down in the end and the step up in trip looks sure to suit based on how he finished off his race last time out.
A 4lb penalty for that half-a-length victory is the only reason that makes Elegant Escape worth taking on and, according to our 2018 Ladbrokes Trophy betting tips, he is the one feared most in a typically wide-open renewal of this Winter Carnival contest.The Young Master appeals each-wayWith only 14 set to line-up, some bookmakers are still offering enhanced place terms of a fifth of the outright odds for four places. So of those at double figure prices The Young Master is thriving and back in his groove this season, so is one of many that could make the frame.
Trained by Neil Mulholland, the nine-year-old was famously first past the post but not qualified to run in the Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton back in 2014. The Young Master followed-up in the Ascot Silver Cup and would get a big race victory under his belt, however, when landing the 2016 bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
Connections fancied trying their luck at the Grand National in 2016-17, yet he came to grief on both of his starts over those spruced covered fences at Aintree. Although The Young Master looked to have lost his way last season, he has been back to his very best in winning both of his starts this term.
Back to his best
He returned to action at Chepstow off 130 – the same mark that he ran in the Badger Ales off – and ran out a game 2 1/4 lengths winner over Traffic Fluide. The runner-up has since scored the valuable Grade 3 Sodexo Gold Cup at Ascot, while the sixth horse home Rock The Kasbah has landed a similar grade stayers’ handicap at Cheltenham’s November meeting.
The Young Master then defied a 5lb rise in his rating, albeit with a touch of fortune, to follow-up in an amateur riders’ contest under regular jockey Sam Wahley-Cohen. This pair made all at Cheltenham just 15 days ago, but a couple of closing rivals fell two out.
All The Young Master could do was capitalise on the situation, and he continued to find plenty staying on strongly and asserting from the last for an eight-length success. Wahley-Cohen offsets most of the 4lb penalty he turns out under here; so, off bottom weight, he completes our 2018 Ladbrokes Trophy betting tips as the each-way pick.Your Next Bet
