Horsebetting.com experts give their 2018 Prelude Handicap Chase betting tips for the extended 2m 5f feature race at Market Rasen on Saturday, 20 October. Romain De Senam goes well when fresh and is back on his last winning mark, so is taken to land the spoils for in-form trainer Paul Nicholls. Ballybolley won the race 12 months ago and is rated the same, so is the obvious danger. Catamaran Du Seuil, meanwhile, has demonstrated improved form since finishing down the field in this 12 months ago and is an each-way bet to consider. Get further details on this race in our 2018 Prelude Handicap Chase betting tips preview. Romain De Senam the Prelude punt in Market Rasen featureRomain De Senam is back down to his last winning mark, goes well fresh and stills looks to have plenty more to offer over fences for trainer Paul Nicholls, so is well worth a wager to make a winning return to action following a wind operation in the feature Prelude Handicap Chase over an extended 2m 5f at Market Rasen on Saturday (16:00).
Although this race has been downgraded from Listed status, this year’s renewal promises to be more competitive than ever. In Romain De Senam, Ditcheat handler Nicholls has a six-year-old gelding who has won three of his 13 starts over the larger obstacles and been placed on another three occasions.
He won both of his first two outings – at this level – last year, landing his reappearance run at Chepstow by an easing down seven lengths from subsequent King George VI Chase runner-up Double Shuffle. The assessor put Romain De Senam up 6lb for that victory, but it wasn’t enough to stop him following-up at Stratford over roughly this trip under a peach of a ride to touch off Burtons Well on the short run-in by a neck.
Connections pitched him into Grade 3 company off the back of these efforts and he was far from disgraced when fifth in consecutive races at Cheltenham which came on very soft ground. He was beaten 12 1/2 lengths by mudlark Splash Of Ginge in the BetVictor Gold Cup and then just 10 1/2 lengths by Guitar Pete in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.
Romain De Senam was then put away for the winter, but encountered similarly tough conditions at the Cheltenham Festival when beaten 36 lengths and 12th to The Storyteller in the Grade 3 Brown Advisory Plate. He was crying out for better going and got it on his final start of the campaign when eased to Listed level during the Scottish Grand National meeting at Ayr.
Although beaten 15 lengths and seventh to Value At Risk, the wind op he’s had over the summer looks significant. As Romain De Senam has been cut some slack by the assessor and is back down to his winning mark from Stratford, he can show himself in a better light for his in-form stable and jockey Harry Cobden, who boasts a 24 per cent strike rate in the last fortnight at the time of writing.
Taking all that into account, Romain De Senam looks weighted to resume winning ways. Appealing as the type who still has more to give in this sphere, handler Nicholls likes him best after a break and so he’s the value bet at the odds on offer in these 2018 Prelude Handicap Chase betting tips.Ballybolley feared most defending his crownPowerful owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede plundered this prize 12 months ago with Ballybolley and, as he’s racing off the same rating here, he looks the obvious danger for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies. Although now a nine-year-old, this son of Kayf Tara boast a strong record of five wins and nine placings from 24 starts over fences.
Prior to landing this race last year, Ballybolley was a credible ninth to subsequent Ryanair Chase winner Balko Des Flos in the ultra-competitive Galway Plate. The additional furlong of that hot race in Ireland seemed to stretch his stamina, while the form of the Prelude has to also be respected as the runner-up was the aforementioned Guitar Pete, who came out and won the Caspian Caviar at Cheltenham.
Ballybolley came with a strong run under regular pilot Daryl Jacob two out to lead at the last and was then driven clear indecisive fashion to score by four lengths. The re-opposing third home Master Dee, who was a further 1 1/2 lengths down on him, is only 3lb better off at the weights here because a 10lb claimer is on board.
That does not look enough for the Fergal O’Brien trained runner to reverse the form despite that one coming out and winning a Grade 3 handicap over 3m at Kempton. Ballybolley was put up 7lb for winning the Prelude and struggled to get competitive off his revised mark of 150.
Even when the assessor cut him 3lb, he was well behind Romain De Senam when 14th in the Brown Advisory Plate at Cheltenham. As he’s only 1lb better off with our main fancy here, it gives Ballybolley a mountain to climb to reverse the form.
Now given a summer break to freshen up, however, his trainer is in form posting a 30 per cent strike rate in the last 14 days at the time of writing. With Ballybolley eased a further 4lb from his Cheltenham Festival run after again finishing tailed off last time out at Newton Abbot in May, it’s to be hoped a return to the scene of his greatest triumph will have the desired effect.Catamaran Du Seuil one to consider each-wayDr Richard Newland’s runners can never be discounted at the Lincolnshire venue, so his Catamaran Du Seuil looks worth considering each-way. This is because the six-year-old has demonstrated improved form since finishing seventh in this race last year.
While it’s true big runs have come on bottomless ground, he has won good-to-soft before and was a six-length runner-up to Actinpieces when tackling 3m for the first time at Fakenham on a sounder surface on his second start of last season. It’s also worth remembering he was eased in the Prelude 12 months ago when it was clear he couldn’t win.
Staying trips seem more up Catamaran Du Seuil’s street having landed a 3m class 3 race at Ayr before two tough assignments at Haydock. Although fourth in the first of those on Betfair Chase day, he then chased subsequent Grade 2 Peter Marsh Chase runner-up Captain Redbeard home when beaten six lengths in the Tommy Whittle.
An ease in grade down to class 3 level saw Catamaran Du Seuil round off his campaign with victory at Wetherby in January when jumping into the lead at the last to score by 2 3/4 lengths. Although the assessor has again had his say, the 5lb rise in his rating is offset by the booking of claimer Charlie Hammond to do the steering here.
Taking that into account, it means Catamaran Du Seuil is another racing off his last winning mark in the line-up. Hammond’s 5lb claim in fact means he races off 2lb lower than 12 months ago and there’s a huge swing in weight with the re-opposing fourth home Play The Ace, who has had plenty of racing this season already.
This all means of those at bigger odds, Catamaran Du Seuil appeals more than most and has claims of making the frame off revised terms in this renewal. That’s why he’s an each-way bet to consider among our 2018 Prelude Handicap Chase betting tips.Your Next Bet
